News
Unveiling of the nine "JBM Lawyers of the Year 2023".
18th JBM "Leaders of Tomorrow" Gala
Montreal, December 1, 2023 - The Young Bar of Montreal (hereinafter " the JBM ") proudly announces the nine winners of the "JBM Lawyer of the Year 2023" award, unveiled yesterday at the 17th edition of its "Leaders of Tomorrow" Gala. This eagerly-awaited event, attended by some 350 guests, was brilliantly hosted by Joey Hanna, lawyer and great friend of the JBM.
Congratulations to the winners!
On November 30, nine young Montreal lawyers distinguished themselves in their respective fields of law through the excellence of their cases, their social involvement, their personal and professional achievements, and their vision and outlook. The JBM extends its warmest congratulations to the " JBM Lawyers of the Year 2023 ":
Corporate law
Me France Camille De Mers, Lavery De Billy,L.L.P.
France Camille De Mers is a partner in Lavery's Business Law Group. She practices mainly in transactional and commercial law. As part of her practice, Ms. De Mers negotiates, drafts and reviews various legal documents relating to commercial transactions (business sales and acquisitions, mergers, corporate reorganizations). Over the years, she has developed expertise in intellectual property and information technology.
Litigation practice / Government lawyer
Me François Lavigne-Massicotte, Autorité des marchés financiers
Mr. Lavigne-Massicotte is a member of the Litigation Division of the Autorité des marchés financiers. In this capacity, he represents the AMF before the Tribunal administratif des marchés financiers and the courts, with a view to ensuring the enforcement of the laws governing Quebec's financial sector. He is also Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amnesty International (French-speaking Canadian section) and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Festival BD de Montréal.
Pro bono/ Social involvement
Me Juliette Jan, Montreal Legal Aid
Called to the bar in 2020, Ms. Jan practices entirely in the community. For more than a year, she has been working for legal aid at the Montreal immigration office. This practice enables her to help a large number of particularly vulnerable individuals, without them having to pay her in exchange. Ms. Jan also continues to be involved with the A deux mains clinic, Justice Pro Bono Québec, PRAIDA, the LGBTQ+ Centre de Montréal and Avocats sans Frontières Canada.
Alternative careers
Me Étienne Chénier-Laflèche, Convention against Torture Initiative
Me Etienne Chénier-Laflèche works for the prevention of torture and currently works for the Convention against Torture Initiative. He has conducted prison visits in Brazil, Ethiopia, Haiti and Myanmar. He has also represented victims of human rights violations before international bodies. He has worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Family law
Me Maxime A. Pouliot, Maxime A. Pouliot | Lawyer and mediator
Maxime A. Pouliot devotes his private practice to family dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation, collaborative law, negotiation and counseling. He is also involved in adoption, assisted reproduction, surrogate pregnancy and two-parent families, including with LGBTQ+ populations. At the same time, he is involved with legal clinics and the JBM mentoring program. His approach is rigorous, empathetic and accessible.
Civil and commercial litigation
Me Anne-Julie Asselin, Trudel Johnston & Lespérance
Making the law a powerful tool for social and environmental justice: that's what motivates Me Asselin. Specializing in class actions, she has represented thousands of citizens, workers, victims of sexual assault and incarcerated people. Through her writings, media appearances and numerous conferences, she contributes to the dissemination and popularization of legal information. She is also vice-president of the Centre québécois du droit de l'environnement.
Criminal and penal law
Me Amanda Santache, Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions
Ms. Santache has been a prosecutor with the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions since 2020. She is part of the Organized Crime Unit of the Major Crime and Special Cases Bureau. Since 2021, Ms. Santache has helped teach an advanced criminal law course at McGill University, and is involved in two university mentoring programs. Mr. Santache is completing his Master's degree in Criminal Law at York University.
Labor and administrative law
Sandrine Mainville, Borden Ladner Gervais
Sandrine Mainville completed her studies while training full-time in swimming. She participated in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where she won the bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay. In addition to her practice in labor and employment law, Sandrine is trying to diversify her practice to become more involved in sports law issues. In 2023, she launched her own podcast with the aim of raising public awareness of sport-related issues.
Technology law and intellectual property
Me Toufic Adlouni, Renno & Cie
Toufic is the managing director of Renno & Co, one of North America's top Web3 law firms. Toufic has played a key role in closing the world's largest metaverse land acquisition in history as well as setting up the first "Canadian qualitied crypto custodian". Toufic has contributed to the landscape of crypto law by helping revise A Practical Guide to Smart Contracts and Blockchain Law, 2nd Edition, and he sits on the faculty for The Osgoode Certificate in Web3, Blockchain, and Metaverse Law.
Nearly a hundred lawyers submitted excellent applications, which were first analyzed by an independent pre-selection committee made up of leading members of the legal community, who were responsible for choosing the finalists in each category:
- The Honourable Sophie Bourque, Québec Superior Court Judge
- The Honourable Sylvain Lussier, Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
- The Honourable Bernard Synnott, Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec
- The Honourable Mélanie Jacques, Judge of the Court of Québec
- The Honourable Élizabeth Corte, Lawyer and Chief Justice of the Court of Québec 2009-2016
- Me Philippe-André Tessier, President of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
- Me Tamara Davis, Executive Director of the Bar of Montreal
- Ariane Charbonneau, Executive Director, Éducaloi
- Me Anne-Marie Santorineos, Executive Director, Justice Pro Bono
- Me Caroline Blache, President of CAIJ
- Me Frederick W. Headon, Lawyer, Air Canada
- Mylène Lemieux, Legal Counsel, Cisco and former President of JBM
- Me Caroline Larouche, Lawyer, Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions and former President of the JBM
- Me Robert Dorion, Partner, Gowling WLG
- Me Luc Deshaies, Partner Gowling WLG
- Me Amir Kashdaran, Lawyer Delegatus
- Me Jocelyn Auger, Partner Fasken Martineau DuMoulin
For the final selection of the winners in each category, the JBM calls upon its Board of Governors , which includes the following admirable legal personalities:
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- The Honourable Manon Savard, Chief Justice of Quebec
- The Honourable Lucie Rondeau, Chief Justice of the Court of Québec
- The Honourable Gianni Cuffaro, President of the Municipal Court of Montreal
- Catherine Claveau, Bâtonnière du Québec
- Me David Ettedgui, Bâtonnier de Montréal
- Me Sylvain Bourassa, President of the Tribunal administratif du Québec
- Me Robert Steinman, President of the Lord Reading Law Association
- Me François D. Ramsay, General Counsel - Legal Affairs - Hydro-Québec and former President of JBM
- Me Antoine Aylwin, Partner Fasken Martineau DuMoulin and former President of the JBM
An evening of excellence
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 26 finalists on the excellence of their cases. Every day, young lawyers demonstrate creativity, flexibility and resilience. The JBM congratulates its members on their constant efforts, and invites you to take the time to recognize the work of the people around you.
Thank you all for encouraging the next generation of lawyers!
From left to right: Juliette Jan, France Camille De Mers, Étienne Chénier-Laflèche, Maxime A. Pouliot, Sandrine Mainville, Élizabeth Ménard-Laberge (General Manager), Toufic Adlouni, Amanda Santache, Anne-Julie Asselin, François Lavigne-Massicotte and Joey Suri (President of JBM).
The Young Bar of Montreal (JBM)
Founded in 1898, the JBM brings together over 5,000 members of the Montreal Bar who have been practicing for ten years or less. These young lawyers work in all areas of the law, making their mark professionally. They are the next generation of lawyers, both nationally and internationally. They form an influential group, involved in the community, and are destined to become leaders in all spheres of society. When it comes to public affairs, the JBM's mandate is to position itself as a key player in the popularization of current legislation.
For further information, please contact
Élizabeth Ménard-Laberge | General Manager
emenardlaberge@ajbm.qc.ca | 514 954-3498 | www.ajbm.qc.ca
