News
The eight "JBM Lawyers of the Year 2021" unveiled at a glittering event
The Young Bar of Montreal (JBM) proudly announces the eight winners of the title "JBM Lawyer of the Year 2021", unveiled yesterday at the 15th anniversary of the JBM "Leaders of Tomorrow" Gala. This edition was brilliantly hosted by Me Joey Hanna, lawyer at the Centre Communautaire Juridique de Montréal. The Gala was held under the theme "15e anniversaire en lumière" at the Théâtre St-James, and was attended by over 250 guests.
Congratulations to the winners!
On December 2, eight young Montreal lawyers distinguished themselves in their respective fields of law by the excellence of their cases, their social involvement, their personal and professional achievements, and their vision and perspectives. The JBM extends its warmest congratulations to the "JBM Lawyers of the Year 2021":
Pro bono / Social involvement category
Me Fernando Belton, Belton Avocats Inc.
FernandoBelton is co-founder and president of the Saint-Michel Legal Clinic. He directs the organization's activities and oversees the racial profiling branch. He is also involved with the JBM, notably in representation services for unrepresented persons at the Montreal Municipal Court. Every year, he takes on a dozen pro bono cases and gives lectures on accessibility of justice and diversity in the legal profession.
Category Family law
Leila Sadeg, Jurinovo Avocats
Ms. Sadeg has been practicing family law since 2012. She is the founder of Jurinovo Avocats, an innovative firm that advocates an approach based on conciliation, accessibility to justice and the human aspect of family law relationships.Ms. Sadeg is a seasoned litigator before the Quebec courts. Her practice and experience have enabled her to successfully handle international kidnapping cases and complex jurisdictional debates.
Category Litigation practice / Government lawyer
Gabriel Lavigne, Bernard, Roy (Justice-Québec)
Gabriel Lavigne has been legal counsel to the Attorney General of Quebec since his call to the Bar in 2017. In this capacity, he represents the Quebec government before all Quebec courts, including the Court of Appeal, as well as before several administrative tribunals. His practice focuses primarily on class actions and government civil liability. He is involved in various committees of the Young Bar of Montreal and the Bar of Montreal.
Category Civil and commercial litigation
Me Jessica Harding, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt s.e.n.c.r.l./ s.r.l.
Jessica has been with Osler since the beginning of her career. She is a recipient of the Best Lawyers One to Watch award in class actions. She has been involved in some 30 class actions in addition to civil and commercial litigation, and has argued a major case before the Supreme Court of Canada dealing with international lis pendens. Jessica is Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Women's Y Foundation and sits on the Centraide of Greater Montreal Committee.
Category Corporate law
Me Youssef Fichtali, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, SENCRL, s.r.l.
Youssef Fichtali is a Montreal-based business lawyer specializing in the energy and natural resources sectors, with a particular focus on emerging countries. He advises multinational companies, investment funds, governments and development finance institutions on structuring and negotiating complex cross-border transactions. He is also particularly active in Montreal's cultural ecosystem.
Category Criminal and penal law
Me Vincent R. Paquet, Desjardins Côté, s.n.a.
Mr. Paquet practices as a criminal lawyer at both trial and appellate levels. He has intervened on behalf of defence bar associations before the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. He has been called upon to speak at various conferences. Mr. Paquet is co-author of the booklet on appeals and extraordinary remedies in criminal law in JurisClasseur Québec. He sits on the board of directors of the Association des avocats de la défense de Montréal-Laval-Longueuil.
Alternative career category
Me Eric St-Pierre, Trottier Family Foundation
EricSt-Pierre heads one of Canada's leading climate change foundations, the Trottier Family Foundation. He played a key role in the creation of the League of Canadian Low-Carbon Communities, which received a $183 million federal grant, and established the Greater Montreal Climate Fund. Éric contributed to the development of the City of Montreal's Climate Plan, which aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, and to the Partenariat Climat Montréal.
Category Labor and administrative law
Me Audrey Anne Chouinard, Galileo Partners Inc.
Audrey Anne Chouinard is a passionate lawyer specializing in business immigration and international mobility. In 2016, she founded Avocats Galileo Partners with her three partners, quickly evolving into an innovative firm with over 45 employees. Whether wearing the hat of manager, lawyer or mentor, Audrey Anne demonstrates ingenuity and great humanity. Highly committed, she sits on professional associations and volunteers for a number of non-profit organizations.
More than a hundred lawyers submitted excellent applications, which were first analyzed by an independent pre-selection committee.selection committee made up of leading members of the legal community, who were responsible for choosing the finalists in each category:
- The Honourable Sylvain Lussier, Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
- The Honourable Sophie Bourque, Québec Superior Court Judge
- The Honourable Stéphane Lacoste, Québec Superior Court Judge
- The Honourable Catherine Pilon, Judge of the Court of Québec
- Me Catherine Ouimet, General Manager, Quebec Bar
- Me Jack H. Chadirdjian, former Executive Director of the Bar of Montreal and Deputy Executive Director of the English Montreal School Board
- Philippe-André Tessier, President of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
- Me Anne-Marie Santorineos, Executive Director of Justice Pro Bono
- Alain Ricard, President, CAIJ
- Ariane Charbonneau, Executive Director, Éducaloi
- Me Élizabeth Corte, Chief Justice of the Court of Quebec 2009-2016
- Frederick William Headon, Air Canada
- Me Michel La Roche, Miller Thomson Avocats
For the ultimate selection of the winners in each category, the JBM calls on its Board of Governors, which includes the following admirable legal personalities:
- The Honourable Manon Savard, Chief Justice of Quebec, Quebec Court of Appeal
- The Honourable Jacques R. Fournier, Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
- The Honourable Lucie Rondeau, Chief Justice of the Court of Québec
- The Honourable Julie Veilleux, President of the Professions Tribunal
- Catherine Claveau, Bâtonnière du Québec, Barreau du Québec
- The Bâtonnier de Montréal Extra Junior Laguerre, Barreau de Montréal
- Me Robert Leckey, Dean of the Faculty of Law, McGill University
- Me Horia Bundaru, President, Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Division
- Me Doree Levine, President, Lord Reading Law Association
- Me François D. Ramsay, General Counsel - Legal Affairs - Hydro-Québec
- Me Yves St-Arnaud, Yves St-Arnaud Consultant Inc.
The importance of recognition
The Gala is an evening dedicated to raising the profile of Montreal's up-and-coming legal talent, while encouraging them to surpass themselves in their professional and personal achievements, as well as in their social involvement. The JBM is proud to perpetuate this tradition since 2007.
The JBM wishes to highlight and congratulate the 24 finalists on their incredible achievements. Every day, these young lawyers demonstrate creativity and flexibility. The JBM congratulates its members on their ongoing efforts, and invites you to take the time to recognize the work of those around you.
In the photo, from left to right: Me Fernando Belton, Me Leila Sadeg, Me Gabriel Lavigne
Me Jessica Harding, Me Éric St-Pierre, Me Vincent R. Paquet, absent from the photo are Me Youssef Fichtali and Me Audrey Anne Chouinard.
Of course, the evening would not have been possible without the generous contribution of JBM partners and event sponsors.
The JBM would like to thank its major partners:
- CAIJ;
- Desjardins;
- ZSA; and
- La Financière des avocates et avocats.
The JBM would also like to thank the event's sponsors:
Diamond sponsor :
Sponsor of the Honorary Toast :
Silver sponsor :
Bronze sponsors :
Special thanks to our photographer, Émilie Pelletier, and to Protocole - Trophées d'exceptions for the Distinctio trophies!
Thank you all for encouraging the next generation of lawyers!
