SMEs

Quebec’s business ecosystem is composed almost entirely of SMEs, the majority of which have fewer than five employees. While all businesses have different legal needs, it is essential that they can rely on strategic advisers who understand their specific reality and who can recommend concrete solutions tailored to meet their individual requirements.

A large proportion of our clients are small and medium-sized local companies, and since the founding of our firm over 100 years ago, we have been working alongside them to support them in their business decisions. No matter what stage a business is at, whether at its inception, in a period of growth, transformation or even during a succession process, we know how to respond to the various legal issues that arise. Whenever possible, we prioritize tactical decisions designed to achieve the specific client goals in each situation.

Our Lawyers at Your Service, Wherever You Are

The size of our firm and the geographic location of our two offices allow us to have a deep understanding of the markets we represent and to be close to our clients. We act on the ground, which increases our teams’ efficiency and facilitates our interactions with our clients. Clients appreciate this flexibility, which allows us to respond quickly to their real and often urgent needs, as they are neither willing nor able to embark on a long, arduous and laborious legal process.

Our Services for SMEs at a Glance

We offer legal services to meet our clients’ needs in terms of:

Business Law

SMEs must continuously adapt to the economic context and the various resulting changes. Dealing with new realities and opportunities at a particularly quick pace can be challenging for any business leader. Our professionals help them navigate the legal environment to align their interests, rights and strategic objectives with the industry framework.

Labour and Employment Law

The numerous current issues in labour and employment law affect all businesses at different levels. Some of them raise legal questions that can be addressed in advance, such as the reorganization of work in times of pandemic, mandatory vaccination (or not) as a condition of access to the workplace, workforce shortages and employee retention in certain industry sectors, and the challenges of business succession planning. In particular, we advise SME managers during their appearances before specialized bodies such as the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), the Tribunal administratif du travail and the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

Commercial Disputes

We know that the concerns of a SME facing a dispute or a potentially contentious situation are not the same as those of a multinational. The management of available resources, financially as well as in terms of human time and energy, is crucial. For these reasons, our team evaluates and reassesses all possible methods of settlement for each mandate and at each stage of the matter. The depth and diversity of experience and expertise among the members of our Civil and Commercial Litigation team allows us to identify the commercial issues facing our clients, and to evaluate realistically the likely outcome of any legal proceedings.

Estate, Wills and Trusts

Our Estates, Wills and Trusts group has extensive experience in intergenerational asset transfers and advises business owners and shareholders on all matters related to estates and trusts. We know that good planning can minimize complications and litigation that can arise from the death or disability of a key person in a business.

Taxation

The complexity of corporate tax issues and the lack of awareness of the laws in this regard can interfere with the optimization of certain profits, and can create difficulties that might have been avoided with proper planning. Our clients appreciate our proactive, simple, and personalized approach that promotes profitable solutions adapted to each situation.


Professional resources19

Annie Claude Beauchemin

Lawyer, Partner

Jean Denis Boucher, CRIA

Lawyer, Partner and Head of the Labour and Employment Law Group

Juliana Boutot

Lawyer, Associate

Martin Côté

Lawyer, Partner

Sharon G. Druker, Ad. E.

Lawyer, Partner and Head of the Corporate Services Department

Lauren Flam

Lawyer, Associate

Geneviève Goulet

Lawyer, Partner and Co-chair of the Business Law Group

Mary Jo Insogna

Paralegal

David A. Johnson

Lawyer, Associate

Mathieu Labrie

Paralegal

Normand Laurendeau

Lawyer, Partner

Rhona Luger

Lawyer, Partner and Co-chair of the Business Law Group

Pierre E. Moreau

Lawyer, Partner

Herbert Z. Pinchuk

Lawyer, Partner

Barry H. Shapiro

Lawyer, Partner

Jean-Pierre Sheppard

Lawyer, Partner and Head of the Civil and Commercial Litigation Group

Richard Uditsky

Lawyer, Partner

Hugo Vaillancourt

Lawyer, Associate