Named after a since-deceased but legendary (certainly within the Québec legal community) founding partner, Langlois is unique among firms within the province. As one peer explains, “Although Langlois is not a ‘boutique,’ they really do have more of a litigation focus, unlike some of the other firms [in Montréal], which are more business firms.” Firmly established as one the only true regionally focused outfits in the province, Langlois boasts equal bench strength in Québec City as well as its Montréal base. The firm also offers litigation services that are more attuned to certain specialties, particularly insurance and labor and employment, than several of its other Québec competitors. Peers also confide that the firm “is getting aggressive in hiring and building. They took on numerous partners from [now-defunct] Heenan Blaikie a few years ago and have been pulling in partners from all over town ever since. They are very regional, which allows them to focus all of their energies on Québéc, [they are] one of the only firms of their size doing this. I suspect they get a lot of referrals from firms that don’t have offices in the province.” Clients weigh in on the firm’s behalf as well. “The top-tier stars at Langlois are an amazing value for the money,” testifies one. “They have some incredibly smart people who are easy to work with and just get things done. They know how to manage the case!”
Montréal’s Vincent de L’Étoile stands out for his position as one of the city’s most recognized and revered class-action practitioners. “He has really developed a nice space for himself there, and done it at a relatively young age, so he’s got plenty of time to take it further.” De L’Etoile represents WestJet Airlines and Sunwing Airlines in a proposed class action seeking the reimbursement of the value of cancelled flights and various damages allegedly incurred when the air transportation industry was indefinitely paused the COVID pandemic. After a successful opposition to certification in 2021, the Court of Appeal overruled the decision in 2024 and certified the class action. The matter is currently pending before the Supreme Court of Canada.
David Roux and Sandra Desjardins (both Montréal based) also act on a class-action matter on behalf of a landlord of a non-benefit organization helping homeless people. The plaintiff class includes all physical persons or businesses that live or occupy premises in the nearby vicinity, who claim this non-profit has led to neighborhood nuisances. “I worked with David Roux,” attests a peer, “and I thought he was solid, and we managed to broker a good deal.” Focused on labor and employment,
Marie-Hélène Jetté represented Hydro Quebec in a matter concerning a senior manager who declined a position offered to him in the context of an internal reorganization. In February 2024, the Superior Court concluded that he had been “constructively dismissed” but that he had failed to mitigate his damages, and, as such, his action was denied. Montréal’s
Stefan Chripounoff is noted by the community for his commercial litigation practice. “I’ve been on the same side of things and also opposed to him,” testifies a peer. “He is good at court and [has a] good business mind and good at finding out-of-the-box solutions.” Also based in Montréal, Daniel Grodinsky is namechecked for his unique and multifaceted practice that balances white-collar crime and investigations, Aboriginal law and intellectual property. A peer testifies, “I used to work with him! He moved to Langlois from [a national Canadian firm]. He does a lot of injunction work, and he’s great with that.”
