Another Montréal litigation boutique, which saw its formation largely on the strength of an entrepreneurial group that decamped from the once-revered but since-imploded Heenan Blaikie, LCM is making its presence increasingly felt in the city’s litigation community. A peer asserts, “I would put them on par with the other litigation groups in town. It’s a very solid team – it’s not just one person holding it all together.” Another peer confides, “When you’re against someone from LCM, you feel it. They are aggressive! They are also aggressive in business development. They have shown some real initiative in this area and able to attract clients by offering real quality work for more flexible fee points.” Another confirms, “When it comes to referrals, they are always in the top two or three firms getting these, and these are for big files. But they are also getting called directly for class actions! That seems relatively new for them. Five years ago, that would not have been the case. And because their revenue structure is not based on large transactions, they can be more creative and – as someone who’s been across from them, I can tell you – more combative.” It is also noted that “LCM is really becoming the lawyers’ lawyers – they are getting some work defending big firms.”
Dominique Menard is a commercial litigation generalist whose practice encompasses injunctions, administrative law, defamation, trust and estates work, class actions and construction. Menard is routinely revered by peers and clients. One satisfied client remarks, “Dominique is highly strategic and very focused on our company's needs. Her advice is adapted and realistic, her solutions and strategies are balanced, and her human relations with customers are exceptional.” Another extols, “Dominique performed great handling of a case involving multiple clients in an association setup. She has strong connections with influential healthcare actors, clarity of vision about the objectives that can be attained through legal means versus other vectors of action. She’s a great team player, listens to the client's perspective while managing the expectations, and is open to incorporate client's suggestions to procedures.” Menard acts (with
Sebastien Caron) for Hydro-Quebec in the context of a major class action currently pending before the Quebec Superior Court. Plaintiffs allege that between 2008 and 2013, Hydro-Québec would have overestimated the cost forecasts (and underestimated the revenue forecasts) submitted to the Régie de l’énergie du Québec, the public hearing board responsible for setting energy rates in Québec, and, as a result, the client generated returns that have systematically exceeded the authorized returns and would have illegally billed consumers an amount in excess of CAD$1.2 billion. Caron and
Marie-Noël Rochon represent CalSTRS in an appeal of an authorization judgment, which had authorized the bringing of a securities opt-out action based on misrepresentation on the secondary market. Rochon is cheered by a client for her “timely advice, excellent knowledge of legislation in the securities industry, punctuality with meeting deadlines.” A former peer-turned-client testifies on behalf of future star
Nicolas Roche. “We dealt exclusively with Nicolas, who is witty, smart and combative. Before being an entrepreneur, I was myself a litigation lawyer specialized in shareholders litigation. Having had to face Nicolas in the past, I knew how good he was, and I had no hesitation to reach out to him when I needed to be represented in what was, for us, a bet-the-farm litigation. He mastered the case quickly, established a trust rapport with the judge, delivered flawless proceedings, conducted successful examinations and provided sounded strategic advice.”
