Lexpert reveals the top construction lawyers in Québec based on an extensive peer review we conduct annually. See the list below. For the full roster of the leading construction lawyers and law firms in the province, check out our practice area rankings list.
Construction is a branch of the legal profession dealing with matters relating to building construction, engineering and other related fields. This includes contract law, commercial law, planning law and employment law.
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 (BLG) construction and engineering group. His practice involves 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 authored numerous papers on contract and construction law. He is also a frequent lecturer to corporations, professional associations and insurers. His firm specializes in business law and has a manpower pool of more than 700 lawyers and other legal professionals.
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 (BLG) 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 infrastructural 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. The Chambers describes him as “a very astute person who grasps the overall dynamics of a litigation... a good adviser who understands the legal aspects perfectly.”
Ian Gosselin
Law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1992
City: Québec City
Ian Gosselin specializes in infrastructure, engineering and construction law. He often helps contracting authorities in identifying different methods for the realization of their infrastructure projects, and advises and assists them until completion. As one of Québec’s leading construction lawyers, his advice is also frequently sought in connection with calls for tenders for service, procurement and construction projects. Gosselin also boasts vast knowledge in commercial litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. He advises and represents owners, manufacturers, contractors, engineers, architects and other construction professionals in litigation before the courts of Québec and arbitration tribunals. Gosselin is an expert in industrial, civil engineering and energy matters, and acts as a mediator in civil and commercial disputes. He also has extensive experience in commercial litigation and is regularly involved in the defence of class actions, particularly in cases where groups of citizens allege environmental pollution and annoyances. Gosselin is currently a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, one of the country’s largest full-service law firms.
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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.
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 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. As an experienced construction lawyer, 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. Dentons is an international full-service law firm with offices in more than 70 countries.
Claudia Déry
Law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1993
City: Montréal
Claudia Déry devotes her practice to commercial and civil litigation. She is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, where she co-chairs the construction, engineering and infrastructure team. 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. As one of Quebec’s leading construction lawyers, 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 teaches construction law to students in the master’s program at Université de Montréal.
Olivier Fraticelli
Law firm: LCM Attorneys Inc.
Year called to the Bar: 1985 (QC); 1981 (France)
City: Montréal
Olivier Fraticelli joined LCM Attorneys Inc. in 2017, after more than 20 years at Fraticelli Provost, a boutique litigation firm that he had founded in 1996 and of which he was one of the principal partners. He is currently a partner at LCM, one of one of Montréal’s leading litigation boutiques. Fraticelli is an experienced construction lawyer specializing in litigation, particularly on advising and representing clients in the fields of professional liability, construction law, insurance law, civil liability and product liability. As a member of both the Paris Bar and the Québec Bar, he often represents French individuals and corporations in relation to their activities in Québec.
Nicolas Gagnon
Law firm: Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P.
Year called to the Bar: 1990
City: Montréal
Nicolas Gagnon specializes in construction and infrastructure law, 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 specializes in negotiation and litigation of construction disputes and regularly represents his clients before civil and arbitration tribunals. He is currently a partner at Lavery, de Billy, L.L.P., a Québec-based full-service independent law firm with offices in Montréal, Québec City, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières.
Guy Gilain
Law firm: Miller Thomson LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1985
City: Montréal
Guy Gilain specializes in construction law and serves as a partner at Miller Thomson LLP. He is also the chair of firm’s construction group at its Montréal office. Gilain has considerable experience in litigation and in drafting contractual documents. His clients include owners, developers, general and specialized contractors and equipment suppliers. He represents national and multinational companies, and various construction industry associations. Gilain 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. He is an experienced construction lawyer who has also represented clients in resolving serious disputes by mediation or arbitration. His firm is one of Canada’s leading national business law and litigation firms.
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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 is a partner, fellow and governor of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers. He also serves as a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG). 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.
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 (BLG). 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. As one of Québec’s leading construction lawyers, Morin is regularly invited to speak at the various conferences delivered to the construction industry.
John G. Murphy
Law firm: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year called to the Bar: 1990
City: Montréal
John G. Murphy is the national managing partner and chief executive officer at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG). He is also a strategic advisor to some of the firm’s longstanding clients. His advice covers a wide range of issues, including corporate governance. Murphy is a leading infrastructure and construction lawyer involved in large, complex construction matters and surety workouts. He regularly represents general contractors, bonding companies, insurers (professional liability of architects and engineers) subcontractors and owners in various construction matters. Murphy has advised on call for tenders, construction contracts (design build, project management, build-operate-transfer, public-private partnerships) and construction claims (extras, loss of productivity, change in design or methods of performance of the work). He has regularly pleaded before all jurisdictions in Québec. Murphy also represents manufacturers in product liability matters and specializes in matters of fidelity insurance and white-collar crime.
Bernard P. Quinn
Law firm: Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1986
City: Montréal
Bernard P. Quinn is a consultant at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP. As a construction lawyer, he specializes in litigation and advisory. Quinn advises and represents owners, builders, engineers, manufacturers and financial institutions before all civil jurisdictions in Québec. He also acts as an arbitrator and mediator. Quinn regularly reviews and prepares tendering documentation, construction agreements and professional services agreements, with an emphasis on complex industrial, mining, institutional, energy generation and commercial projects. He is also a fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers. Quinn has been teaching construction law at the LLM’s program at the Université de Montréal since 2000. He is a regular speaker on a broad range of construction law topics before professional associations.
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