Yvan Houle

Background

Yvan Houle is a partner at our Montréal office and is the national leader of the Construction, Engineering, Surety and Fidelity Group and the regional leader of the Aboriginal Law Group. Following his graduation from the University of Ottawa Law School, Yvan was called to the Ontario Bar in 1986 and to the Québec Bar in 1989.

Areas of Practice

Yvan’s construction practice is varied and he has represented throughout the years the various stakeholders including both private and public owners, architects and engineers, contractors, sureties and subcontractors and suppliers. He drafts and negotiates procurement documentation, construction, procurement contracts and associated agreements, for large construction, industrial, energy and infrastructure projects. His experience covers a wide array of various procurement models including public private partnerships, DBFM and EPCM contracts.

Yvan also has significant experience in advising clients with procurement issues and regularly represents them before the Courts when tender disputes arise.

Yvan also advises and represents a number of manufacturers in product liability disputes. He is regularly called upon to advise manufacturers with respect to their contractual and legal obligations both in Quebec and Ontario. He has had significant experience in dealing with the Quebec Coroner’s Office in this regard.

Yvan is also active in BLG’s Team North initiative and advises and represents various Inuit organizations in Nunavik.

Rankings and Recognitions

Selected by his peers for inclusion in the The Best Lawyers in Canada® 2012 (Construction Law)
Recognized in The 2012 Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (Construction Law)
Recognized in the 2011 Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Construction Law)
Yvan is a fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers and chairs the College’s Insurance and Surety Committee

Professional and Community Activities

Member of the Canadian Bar Association
Treasurer of the Construction Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association
Member of our Montréal office’s Monitoring and Admissions Committee
Member of the Manufacturers, suppliers and services council of the Canadian Construction Association

Conferences and Publications

June 4th 2011: "The owner’s discretion pursuant to a privilege clause in Quebec”; Canadian College of Construction Lawyers, Ottawa, Ontario.
June 2nd 2011: Chair, “Quebec Innovation in infrastructure Finance Forum”, Project Finance, Montreal, Quebec.
May 20th 2011: "Les clauses de réserve en matière d’appel d’offres : Leur étendue et leurs limites"; Quebec Bar Continuing Legal Education.
October 23rd 2010: Chair, CBA National Construction Law Section CLE : Quebec City, Quebec
September 2010: "Les appels d’offres et les clauses d’exonération de responsabilité : Tercon Contractors Ltd. c. Colombie-Britanique (Transport et Voirie)", Canadian Bar Association.
June 3rd 2010 : "L’opposabilité de la clause d’élection de for et la responsabilité du manufacturier". BLG U Continuing Education.
March 8, 2005: "Construction Insolvency Where do you go when the Financial Well runs dry?" 87th Construction Canadian Associate Annual Conference
November 25, 2004: "Hypothèque légale de la construction : spécificités, risques et stratégies", Construction Superconference – Canadian Institute
October 19, 2004: "Les réclamations pour coûts additionnels ont-elle frappé un mur?" Canadian Bar Association Conference
March 25, 2004: "Coverage when you really need it, current issues in construction", Canadian Construction Association Conference – Construction section
November 26, 2003: "La responsabilité des professionnels : obligations, déontologie, étendue et limites", Construction Superconference – Canadian Institute
October 2, 2003: "Les appels d'offres : tendances et considérations pratiques", Infonex Conference 2003
April 11, 2003: "Le recours délictuel: une nouvelle avenue pour les intervenants de la construction", Quebec Bar Association Conference, published in "Développements récents en droit de la construction 2003"
April 4, 2003: "Code de construction", Corporation des Entrepreneurs Généraux du Québec Conference
November 27, 2002: "Les développements importants en matière d'hypothèques légales", Canadian Institute Conference