Québec's leading construction lawyers in 2021

These are Québec's top construction lawyers based on Lexpert's annual peer review
Québec's leading construction lawyers in 2021

These are Québec’s leading construction lawyers based on Lexpert’s extensive annual peer review. For the full roster of the most recommended construction lawyers and law firms in the province, check out our practice area rankings list.

Construction law is a branch of the legal profession dealing with matters relating to building construction, engineering and other related fields. These include contract law, commercial law, planning law and employment law.

Most frequently recommended construction lawyers

Simon Grégoire
Law firm: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year called to the Bar: 1988
City: Montréal

Simon Grégoire is a partner and member of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s construction, and international trade and arbitration groups. He devotes his practice to complex commercial and construction litigation. Grégoire has acted as construction lawyer or arbitrator in several domestic and international large-scale disputes concerning major infrastructure projects, including electrical power plants, highways and bridges, aluminum smelters, petrochemical plants, gas pipelines, hospitals and stadiums. He is also an author and frequent guest speaker on the topics of construction law, the law of evidence and arbitration. Grégoire serves regularly as a trainer in workshops for younger lawyers on the art and techniques of trial advocacy.

 

Ian Gosselin
Law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1992
City: Québec City

Ian Gosselin is a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP. He handles complex litigations, primarily in construction law and product liability. Gosselin has extensive experience in commercial litigation and is also involved in the defence of class actions. He has frequently pleaded before civil courts and arbitration tribunals and has cumulated more than 500 days before the courts over the course of his career. Gosselin also acts as mediator in civil and commercial disputes. Because of his considerable experience in construction and engineering, he is often called upon to help structure infrastructure projects and draft various related documents and contracts.

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Olivier F. Kott
Law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1977
City: Montréal

Olivier F. Kott is a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright in Canada. He has more than 40 years of experience in the management and resolution of complex business-related litigation and arbitration, with a focus on construction law, product liability, insurance and lotteries. Kott also has extensive civil trial and appellate experience, including successfully pleading two landmark cases before the Supreme Court of Canada. He often acts as a mediator and arbitrator for his clients. Kott has taught construction law to students in the master’s program at Université de Montréal for 18 years. He has also published numerous articles and given conferences on construction law, civil liability, and the prevention and resolution of disputes. Kott is a past chair of the province committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers and past president of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers.

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Consistently recommended construction lawyers

Daniel Ayotte
Law firm: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year called to the Bar: 1972
City: Montréal

Daniel Ayotte serves as senior counsel at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s construction and engineering group. He devotes his practice to construction, infrastructure and industrial projects, product liability, architects’ and engineers’ professional liability, surety and insurance. Ayotte is a co-founder of the construction law section of the Québec division of the Canadian Bar Association. He is also past president of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers. Ayotte has authored numerous papers on contract and construction law. He is also a frequent lecturer to corporations, professional associations and insurers.

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Jean-Pierre Dépelteau
Law firm: Dentons Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1970
City: Montréal

Jean-Pierre Dépelteau is a member of the construction and infrastructure groups of Dentons Canada LLP’s Montréal office, where he also serves as a partner. He boasts more than 40 years of experience in the construction industry. Dépelteau provides legal and strategic advice to a variety of public, semi-public and private sector owners, construction contractors, specialized construction companies, and material and equipment suppliers. He participates in the contract award process in the public and para-public sectors in Canada, and advises on matters relating to compliance, governance, conflicts of interest and unfair advantages. Dépelteau is well-versed in risk assessments, the drafting and negotiation of public-private partnership, EPC and EPCM arrangements and all related engineering, supply, construction, operations and maintenance and equipment purchase contracts. He also advises clients on preparing calls for tender, interpreting specifications, preparing and examining claims, drafting legal hypothecs, litigation before civil courts or arbitration tribunals, mediation, bonds and insurance.

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Claudia Déry
Law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1993
City: Montréal

Claudia Déry is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, where she co-chairs the construction, engineering and infrastructure team. She devotes her practice to commercial and civil litigation. Déry boasts extensive knowledge in professional liability and construction law. She is also well-versed in drafting tender documents and construction contracts. Déry regularly represents clients before the Québec trial and appeal courts. She is frequently invited to make presentations and conduct training sessions on construction law topics. Déry also conducts the annual review of construction case law for the Canadian Bar Association. She is a past president of the construction law section, Québec branch and was appointed fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers in 2012. Déry teaches construction law to students in the master’s program at Université de Montréal.

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Nicolas Gagnon
Law firm: Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Year called to the Bar: 1990
City: Montréal

Nicolas Gagnon is a partner at Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P. He focuses on construction, infrastructure and surety law. He works primarily on matters involving construction disputes related to large public and private projects. Gagnon counsels public and private sector clients, professional services firms, contractors and surety companies at every stage of construction projects. He advises clients with respect to the public bidding and procurement process and is involved in the drafting of contract documents and the management of the work and any claims resulting therefrom. Gagnon also specializes in negotiation and litigation of construction disputes and regularly represents his clients before civil and arbitration tribunals. He is a fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers.

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Guy Gilain
Law firm: Miller Thomson LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1985
City: Montréal

Guy Gilain serves as a partner at Miller Thomson LLP. He is also the chair of firm’s construction group in Montréal. He specializes in construction law and has considerable experience in litigation and drafting contractual documents. His clients include owners, developers, general and specialized contractors and equipment suppliers. Gilain represents national and multinational companies and various construction industry associations. He provides advice on issues regarding construction contracts, including negotiating, drafting, financing and handling claims, expense management or administrative management matters for all types of construction projects. Gilain is an experienced construction lawyer who has also represented clients in resolving serious disputes by mediation or arbitration. He is a member of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers and sits on its board of directors.

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Yvan Houle
Law firm: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year called to the Bar: 1986 (ON); 1989 (QC); 2012 (NU)
City: Montréal

Yvan Houle serves as a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. He is also a partner, fellow and governor of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers. Houle advises clients with respect to all aspects of the procurement process, including proper procurement models, drafting of tender documents and negotiating construction contracts. He has extensive expertise in the application of the legislative and regulatory regimes governing the construction industry and public procurement of construction projects in the province of Québec. Houle has argued numerous cases before the Québec, Ontario and Federal Courts relating to procurement, construction, surety, professional and product liability matters. He also has substantial experience in indigenous procured projects, particularly in Nunavut and Nunavik. Houle is actively involved in the construction sector as a member of the executive committee of the Canadian Construction Association. He also acts as an arbitrator in construction related disputes.

Jasmin Lefebvre
Law firm: Miller Thomson LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1992
City: Montréal

Jasmin Lefebvre is a partner at Miller Thomson LLP. He is a construction litigator with 28 years of experience negotiating and litigating in this field. Lefebvre has a very keen understanding of the construction industry and represents a clientele primarily composed of owners, contractors, material suppliers and contractor associations. His practice is focused on handling disputes involving construction claims of various nature, legal hypothecs and surety bonds. As a litigator, author and speaker, Lefebvre has specific expertise with regards to calls for tender in construction law and claims for lost profits.

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Claude Morency
Law firm: Dentons Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991
City: Montréal

Claude Morency is the managing partner at Dentons Canada LLP’s Montréal office, where he is a member of the litigation and dispute resolution group. His practice focuses on corporate, commercial and construction litigation. Morency has extensive experience in managing and conducting large-scale litigation before arbitral or judicial courts. In construction law, he has represented parties involved in litigation where tens or hundreds of millions of dollars were at stake and raising complex technical evidence issues. In commercial matters, he works mainly on shareholder law matters and contractual disputes. Morency also has experience defending parties involved in investigation processes, including public inquiry commission and statutory criminal matters. He is also a member of the firm’s national management committee.

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Patrice Morin
Law firm: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year called to the Bar: 1996
City: Montréal

Patrice Morin is a partner and member of the construction group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. He regularly acts on matters related to the professional liability of architects, engineers, and other matters related to construction law, including call for tender issues, bonds and legal hypothecs. Morin acts for clients involved in claims for additional compensation and other complex litigation. He is also regularly involved in issues relating to insurance law. Morin assists clients with drafting of construction contracts in both the private and public sectors. He also assists clients in preparing risk management and risk prevention programs. Morin is regularly invited to speak at the various conferences delivered to the construction industry. He is a member of the legal affairs committee of the Association des ingénieurs conseils du Québec and vice president of the Québec Bar Association's insurance and civil litigation division.

Louis-Michel Tremblay
Law firm: Miller Thomson LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991
City: Montréal

Louis-Michel Tremblay is a partner at Miller Thomson LLP. He practises construction law and is experienced in mediation and arbitration proceedings. Tremblay is a fellow and former president of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers. He is also the former president of the Construction Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association, Québec branch. Tremblay has been involved in many large-scale construction projects.