BCF GLOBAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Chief Marketing and Client Strategy Officer, Has over 20 Years of Marketing, Communications and Business Development Experience in Various Industries and Markets
Alexandra Leclerc, BCF's Chief Marketing and Client Strategy Officer, has over 20 years of marketing, communications and business development experience in various industries and markets.
Focused on consumer-centricity, data and growth, she possesses a clear track record of successful and innovative programs involving many stakeholders in Canada and internationally. Over the years, Alexandra has built a solid expertise in her field, especially in integrated marketing, brand and content strategy, digital development, public relations and client relations.
As a strategic and authentic leader with a curious mind, Alexandra builds strong relationship with empathy and leads teams with her enthusiasm.
Education
B.B.A, HEC Montréal
A distinguished lawyer whose reputation stretches beyond Quebec and Canada, André Ryan is a partner in BCF's Litigation and Governance groups. A commercial law practitioner, André advises clients on commercial litigation, corporate governance, media relations, and crisis management, as well as on the negotiation of national and international strategic agreements and partnerships. He regularly advises boards of directors of public, private, and governmental organisations.
A litigation lawyer, André has acquired special expertise representing parties before commissions of inquiry, defending class actions, and advising in matters of shareholders disputes. He acts before civil and common law courts, and in arbitrations and mediations. He conducts and participates in internal investigations. He is also an accredited commercial mediator. His services are called upon by foreign companies seeking to set up operations in Canada, particularly with respect to foreign investment authorisation,and by local companies wanting to expand globally.
From 2013 to 2015, André chaired the Meritas network, a group of 7,500 lawyers in 95 countries. During this time he made a number of presentations on legal developments in an era of globalization in Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America. In 2017, he was appointed "Fellow" of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a prestigious title reserved for less than 1% of lawyers. Previously a member of BCF's Board of Directors, André has also been head of BCF's Litigation group from 2013 to 2020. He is co-head of the firm's Class Actions Defence team. He is also Chairman of the Le Devoir daily newspaper's Board of Directors since 2017.
Expertise
Civil and Commercial Litigation
Job Titles:
- Agent
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner, Patent Agent, Member of the Executive Committee
Andréanne Auger is a patent agent who, for the past fifteen years, has been helping clients manage their intellectual property assets in order to achieve their business objectives. Her client base includes many established companies as well as start-ups seeking to protect and market their inventions in Canada, the United States, and internationally.
Andréanne principally advises clients in the biotechnology and medical devices areas that are active in the fields of clean tech, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. She provides them with a solid, coherent intellectual property program that brings value to their business objectives.
Andréanne holds a PhD in cellular and molecular biology and is particularly interested in the ecosystem of life sciences in Quebec.
Andréanne previously occupied a seat on BCF's Board of Directors and Succession Plan Committee. She is now a member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Expertise
Patents, Industrial Designs, and Trade Secrets
Annie Gauthier specializes in business law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law, and is one of the most respected lawyers in the field of technology and life sciences, and more specifically in the pharmaceutical industry.
With over 15 years' experience, Annie has practised with a nationally and internationally renowned law firm and worked on highly complex major transactions in addition to becoming one of the leading licensing experts in Canada.
Before joining BCF, Annie was Director, Transactions at Pharmascience, the largest employer in the pharmaceutical industry in Quebec. Working at this generics giant for over two years gave her inside understanding of the industry and an opportunity to conduct transactions on every continent. This experience makes her a top strategic advisor for our clients.
Annie is actively involved with her peers and her community, and was also the President of the Montreal chapter of the Licensing Executives Society for over five years before becoming a member of the board of directors for the North American region of the organization from 2016 to 2019. In 2014, she co-founded L'étoffe du succès Montréal, an organization dedicated to helping women that is affiliated with Dress for Success Worldwide, where she still serves on the board of directors and as Vice-President.
Expertise
Mergers and Acquisitions
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, Lawyer, Head of the Québec Business Law Group
Head of the Québec Business Law Group, Audrey St-Pierre has a strong experience in business, corporate and commercial law. She specializes primarily in complex mergers and acquisitions, major corporate reorganizations, equity financings and corporate restructurings. Since the beginning of her career, Audrey has been involved in transactions across the country and has been acting as a legal advisor for well-known foreign investors and acquirers. Known for her efficiency, her availability and her versatility, Audrey also assists clients in the negotiation and drafting of various types of partnership agreements in the real estate, manufacturing and technology field, and in the implementation of commercial agreements, shareholders' agreements and employee incentive plans.
Audrey represents a large spectrum of clients including governmental institutions, investment funds, well-established corporations as well as start-ups in connection with transactions of all sizes. With more than 15 years of experience, Audrey has developed a deep understanding of the Quebec City business community and its players. She is a member of a number of boards of directors and committees in the Quebec City region, as well as on the Board of Directors of BCF.
As a member of the Barreau du Québec since 2004, Audrey is an experienced lawyer who has contributed to the successful completion of many important transactions involving complex, strategic and sensitive issues in various industries.
Expertise
Mergers and Acquisitions
Job Titles:
- Manager
- Partner, Linguistic Services Manager
Benoit Léveillée has close to twenty years of experience in financial and legal translation and now manages one of the largest legal linguistic services teams in Quebec. An essential part of BCF's activities, he manages the translation matters of a variety of clients including over 30 Canadian law firms, financial institutions, accounting firms, insurance companies, mutual funds and businesses from various industry sectors.
Benoit is an efficient manager who uses a proactive approach and consistently follows up with our clients to ensure the documents he delivers are always of the highest quality, whether they be ordinary or very specialized translations. He manages a versatile team that specializes in a variety of sectors: insurance, banking, mining, metallurgy, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, environment, technology, real estate, food industry, and more.
Benoit holds a degree in translation from the Université de Montréal. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Legal Translators and the Association of Linguistic Services Managers. His leadership and contributions help BCF maintain close relationships with many partners across Canada.
Expertise
Legal and Financial Translation
Securities Law
Job Titles:
- Lawyer of the Year in Construction Law
Claude Paquet co-leads the Banking Law and Financial Services group. He specialises in commercial litigation, liquidation, banking litigation, restructuring, and bankruptcy and insolvency matters. Claude is a gifted strategist with keen business acumen who is trusted by receivers, multinationals and SMBs undergoing restructuring, and by several major financial institutions, including one of Canada's largest banks.
Claude listens closely to clients and offers practical solutions while taking into account costs and benefits. Over the past few decades, he has helped restructure a vast number of distressed businesses, particularly in the agricultural, energy, mining, manufacturing, and retail sectors. A business partner to our clients, his 30 years of experience have called upon him to manage all short and long-term loans, financing and seizure situations in response to businesses in liquidity crisis or restructuring, in various high-tech financial sectors. He also has specific expertise in matters involving fraud.
The volume of cases he has managed have required him to plead before all levels of Quebec courts. He also gives numerous lectures on banking and insolvency law.
Expertise
Restructuring and Insolvency
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner in Our Business Law
- Partner, Lawyer
Dominique Babin is a partner in our Business Law group. She focuses her practice on business transactions, international trade and compliance matters, mainly in the life sciences sector and innovative manufacturing companies.
Her broad experience and versatility have led her to develop a keen interest in structuring and implementing complex industrial projects and partnerships, often in a cross-cultural environment. She also acts as a trusted legal advisor to long-term clients in various industries. In addition to her law firm experience, Dominique has held a senior position with a US defence contractor, where she oversaw several major international industrial projects in a highly regulated environment.
Dominique uses her negotiation skills and experience to successfully oversee cross-border manufacturing, supply and distribution arrangements, joint ventures, strategic alliances and related financing and investment agreements on behalf of our clients. She is responsive, reliable, efficient and thorough, and she excels at finding practical and creative solutions that she expresses in clear legal terms. She promotes a collaborative and constructive approach while keeping our clients' objectives in mind.
Dominique holds a Master's degree in comparative law with a major in intellectual property and international trade from McGill University. She is a regular speaker on cross-border transaction issues and is also a mediator certified by the Barreau du Québec in commercial matters. She acts as Vice President of the board of the École des entrepreneurs du Québec and President of its governance committee.
Dominique is also a member of the BCF Board of Directors.
Expertise
Mergers and Acquisitions
Franck Tetaz has been a Certified Patent Agent with BCF's European chapter, BCF Global, since 2019. Based in Lyon, he specialises in intellectual property.
As a recognized professional in the Lyon ecosystem, Franck has successfully assisted several biotech corporations with various phases of the business process, from their creation to initial public offerings to product marketing. He represents corporations who must appear before the European Patent Office and has acquired a great deal of experience in opposition proceedings. Although he is regularly involved in patent disputes, Franck has a background in mediation and prefers non-contentious solutions.
As a doctor of organic chemistry with an extensive professional background, Franck currently advises businesses from a variety of industries, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, medical devices, plant breeding and agronomy, clean technologies, chemistry and biochemistry.
When he assists businesses, Franck places a great deal of importance on training representatives on matters related to intellectual property, whether he is working with R&D teams or executives.
In 2014, Franck created an intellectual property advice firm in Lyon to help innovative SMEs develop intellectual property policies on a global scale. Having practised in the industry for many years, he has a great deal of experience with international matters, issues related to inter-company cooperation, and dispute settlements in Europe and North America. He has also been a partner of a leading industrial property advice firm in France.
Expertise
Patents, Industrial Designs, and Trade Secrets
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Trainer
- Director of Productions
- Director on the Board of Entrepreneuriat Laval ( a Business
- Member of the BCF Board of Directors
- Partner, Lawyer
- Trainer for Many Years
François has been a trainer for many years for Centre de formation et de création d'entreprises for the Capitale-nationale School Board.
François is a jury member for a number of competitions, including the Quebec entrepreneurship competition;
François has been a director on the board of Entrepreneuriat Laval (a business incubator at Université Laval) for more than 10 years.
François has been a director of Productions Les Gros Becs, a major youth and children's theatre production company, for more than 10 years.
Job Titles:
- Partner, Lawyer, Co - Head of the Montreal Litigation Group
Recognized for his energy, his entrepreneurial spirit and his leadership role in his community, Frédéric Dorion is one of few lawyers to combine expertise in bank financing and transactional law in the field of commercial mergers and acquisitions.
Particularly gifted at quickly grasping the essence and issues of our clients, Frédéric is committed to developing solid and lasting business relationships. He mainly advises companies on the development and drafting of various commercial agreements and assists them in the negotiation and finalization of commercial transactions. He masters the intricacies of purchase financing and assists his clients with agility at each phase of their financing. His practice also extends to labor and employment law. As such, he represents various National Hockey League teams in wage and grievance arbitrations.
Very committed to his profession, Frédéric has already built an impressive business network. He is Co-chair of the firm's Succession Committee, as well as a member of the Jeune Chambre de commerce de Québec. He sits on the Board of the Fondation Le Piolet. In addition to his law degree, he has a bachelor's degree in industrial relations from Université Laval.
Expertise
Banking
Corporate Finance
Project Finance
Commercial Contracts
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Chief Talent and Human Resources Officer
An agile leader with a passion for talent management, Geneviève Laurendeau serves as Chief Talent and Human Resources Officer and contributes to the ongoing evolution of BCF's culture of recruiting, engaging and retaining diversified, high-calibre talent through the implementation of innovative HR strategies.
A lawyer by training, Geneviève has over 20 years of varied experience in labour relations and human resource management. She has made a career in the retail industry with a major Canadian supermarket chain, where she has made her mark in a number of projects and successfully supported large-scale organizational transformations.
Known for her great capacity to influence, her courage and her explosive energy, Geneviève is a true catalyst for change who encourages and nurtures a culture of healthy debate in order to make the organization progress, but above all to allow the individuals who make up the organization to continually surpass themselves. A good listener with a deep interest in understanding the human being, she creates lasting and sincere relationships aimed at the collaborative achievement of business objectives.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, Lawyer, Vice - Chairman of the Board
Geneviève Vigneault is organized, flexible and a great listener. She is the trusted advisor to CEOs and executives of many Quebec companies and family businesses facing various challenges. She is always looking for creative and efficient solutions for our clients, and has a special interest in all commercial aspects of shareholder's relations and the intergenerational transfer of family businesses.
Practicing business, commercial and corporate law at BCF for the past twenty years, Geneviève specializes in mergers and acquisitions, the sales of business, profit-sharing plans for employees, private financings, and the negotiation of various strategic contracts. She sits on BCF's Board of Directors.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance from the Université de Sherbrooke which allows her to advise clients on complex financial issues as well as on corporate governance. She sits as an observer on boards of directors. Geneviève attended in 2018 and successfully passed the Women's Governance Course by the Institute for governance of private and public organizations.
Her ability to bring people together led her to set up a mentoring and evaluation program for BCF professionals, in addition to chairing the Business Succession Planning's group. Involved in the advancement of women in the business community, she co-leads the firm's Parity and Inclusion committee. She also sits on the Fondation Les Crabes, a philanthropic organisation whose mission is to fund projects that target young people aged 8 to 18.
Expertise
Commercial Contracts
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, Lawyer, Vice - Chairman of the Board
An experienced lawyer full of passion, courage and diplomacy, and recognized as Québec's leading market securities expert, Gilles Seguin is the head of BCF's Securities Law group. A pillar of the firm, his area of expertise also extends to mergers and acquisitions, corporate law as well as takeover bids, public offerings and private placements.
With more than 30 years of experience, he represents numerous foreign companies in Europe, the United States and South America wishing to establish themselves in Canada. Gilles also has extensive experience in the legal and commercial aspects of complex industrial projects. He assists companies in their constitution, and advises independent committees in various privatization transactions. Member of the Barreau du Québec and the Barreau de Paris, he bridges the gap between France and Canada for the firm and our clients.
Gilles was also named Leading Canadian Lawyer in Global Mining by Lexpert Magazine in 2016. Vice-Chairman of BCF's Board of Directors, he is actively involved in his community and sits on the board of directors of many public and private organizations, including the Private Capital Market Association and the French Chamber of Commerce in Canada, where he advises various audit and governance committees. He is also involved with the Fondation de la Maison du Père, which helps homeless people.
Expertise
Mergers and Acquisitions
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent
Ilya Kalnish supports both large international corporations and smaller start ups / scale ups in developing complex intellectual property strategies. A patent agent in Canada, and a trademark agent in Canada and in the United States, he specializes in artificial intelligence, information technology (IT), and mechanics. Ilya is also involved as a member of BCF's Board of Directors.
Ilya is particularly effective in obtaining watertight legal protection for inventions in several countries around the world, while optimizing the cost-benefits ratio associated with such procedures. He has developed a particular expertise in computer implemented inventions and, particularly, Artificial Intelligence (AI) type inventions (such as search algorithm, recommendation engines, self-driving cars, natural language processing, AI assisted dental planning, to name a few). Before joining BCF, he held key intellectual property management posts in large corporations in Toronto, such as Bell Canada and Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd, the world's largest supplier of industrial solutions in the injection molding industry. During his time at Husky, Ilya was instrumental in developing internal IP management strategies that resulted in the Husky Legal/IP team winning the 2010 Inside Counsel Award for their "holistic patent strategy" approach.
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Ilya receives the Client Choice Awards, a prestigious international award that annually honors the best professionals in the legal sector, selected by the clients. A native of Russia, Ilya speaks English, Russian and Bulgarian fluently. He also chairs the Committee for the Patent Agents Training Course for the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada. Ilya is a frequent speaker at various conferences and courses, including IPIC/McGill "Introduction to Patents" course, IPIC patent agent training course, Federated Press patent strategy conference.
Expertise
Patents, Industrial Designs, and Trade Secrets
Isabelle Landry is a leader who is genuine, forthright and direct and whose ability to be frank with those who seek her advice sets her apart. Her approach is to form a team with them so they can take advantage of each other's strengths. In this spirit of cooperation, she makes a point of keeping her clients informed of every step in the progress of the file and the various future decisions to be made. Working closely with her clients, she sees them through all the steps that are necessary to achieve the objectives that best suit their needs. Whether representing her clients' rights before the various authorities or negotiating a settlement on their behalf, she has the ability to analyze a situation from every angle while factoring in the various imperatives, including the financial ones, with a view to proposing an appropriate and optimal strategy.
Meticulous and discerning, she makes sure she has a full understanding of the issues and the particularities of every situation. Creative, a good listener and mindful of her commitments and deadlines, she wins the trust of her clients and knows how to put them at ease.
Job Titles:
- Agent With
- Certified Patent Agent
Based in Lyon, Jean-Jacques Bouillet is a certified patent agent with BCF Global. BCF's European arm has been specialising in intellectual property since 2019.
An engineer by training, Jean-Jacques assists businesses, universities, and individuals seeking to establish, manage, and enhance their intellectual property rights, primarily regarding patents. He works with clients who specialise in physics, mechanics, information technology, signal processing, and electronics.
He has a great deal of experience in the field of law and technology. Among other things, he assists several corporations in the medical device field, representing them in proceedings of all kinds before the National Institute of Industrial Property and the European Patent Office.
Jean Jacques is regularly sought after by investors to complete portfolio reviews in the framework of fundraising activities, initial public offerings, and patent portfolio repurchases.
Jean-Jacques is a great teacher and listener, and he uses these skills to educate our clients about the various aspects of his profession, allowing them to understand the issues they are dealing with. Accordingly, he is able to assist them more effectively regarding the implementation of intellectual property strategies that meet their expectations and enhancing the value of their intangible assets. He also leads training sessions at a school and in business environments.
Jean-Jacques provides 15 hours of annual training to 3rd year HYBRIA students - Institute of Business & Technologies
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Management Advisor
Over the course of his career, Jocelyn has held various management positions in large corporations, particularly in the media and telecommunications industry. He also held for nearly seven years the position of Managing Director of an international law firm where he practiced law for several years at the beginning of his career.
Jocelyn has also served on the boards of directors of various private corporations and charitable organisations.
Education
Called to the Barreau du Québec (1988)
LL.B., Université de Sherbrooke (1987)
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Managing Partner, Lawyer
Job Titles:
- Partner, Lawyer, Head of the Business Immigration Group
Job Titles:
- Partner, Patent Agent, Head of the Intellectual Property Group
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of BCF 's Board of Directors
- Partner, Lawyer, Head of the Tax Group
Marc-André is recognized for his approach and his innovative solutions. Over the years he has represented several large companies in the financial, manufacturing, aluminum and natural resources sectors, as well as some of the largest institutional investors in Quebec on major transactions. He has also gained extensive experience in private equity and fund formation.
Expertise
Canadian Tax Law
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, Lawyer
Mario Welsh is a recognized leader in the field of civil and commercial litigation, construction law and professional liability. He has appeared before every level of federal or provincial court - from the Court of Québec to the Supreme Court of Canada as well as before various administrative tribunals. A member of BCF's Board of Directors, he joined our teams in 2014, and was partner in charge of the Québec City office until 2023.
Mario excels in several other areas of law, including class actions. He has been involved in some of the most important cases in Canadian history, including the pyrrhotite case in Trois-Rivières. He represented major organizations, including Loto-Québec, Hydro-Québec and the Autorité des marchés financiers in major class actions and has argued in several landmark cases in the country.
Mario's unique expertise in construction law has earned him much recognition. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. He was inducted in 2014 as a fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers Inc. He also lectures to various professional orders and construction industry stakeholders.
Expertise
Class Action Defence
Nelson Pires - CTO, Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer
- Managing Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Managing Partner of the Québec City Office, Lawyer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
Throughout my years as Managing Partner, from 1995 to 2020, I proudly built together with my colleagues, one of Quebec's largest business law firms. Powered by a team of dedicated professionals and equally inspired by our primary mission to support companies in their growth, we are stronger than ever to pursue our success over the next 25 years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, Chairman of the Board, Lawyer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner, Lawyer, Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Partner, Lawyer
Job Titles:
- Managing Director
- Operations Manager
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Managing Director