Background

Georges Thibaudeau is a partner at our Montréal office. Georges was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1972 and is a graduate of the McGill University Law School. He also obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the Université de Montréal in 1968.

Areas of Practice

• Georges is a member of our Commercial Litigation Group. He practises in the area of general civil litigation, including civil liability of portfolio managers, investment dealers and mutual fund managers, litigation involving commercial contracts, business acquisitions, corporate disputes, directors' and officers' liability.
• Administrative and constitutional law litigation, liability of government and public bodies.
• Class action defence.
• Regional leader of our Securities Litigation Group.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2012 (Securities Law)

Professional Experience

• Appeared before all levels of court and administrative tribunals since 1972.
• General civil liability, insurance, automobile, carriers' liability, bodily injury cases.
• Labour law (from 1972 to 1982), appearances before the Canada Labour Board and Quebec Labour Commissioners and Labour Court, and arbitrators on union certification and unfair labour practices matters, and civil courts on general employment and administrative law issues matters.
• Since 1978, representation of investment dealers, portfolio managers and investors in liability cases, in matters involving both retail and institutional investment clients and pension plan management. Representation of investment dealer firms and account executives in disciplinary and other regulatory issues before the Quebec Security Commission and the Bureau de decision et de revision en valeurs mobilières, representation of the Investment Dealers Association in administrative matters related to enforcement of securities regulation.
• General commercial litigation involving various commercial transactions, misrepresentations and warranties under business acquisition agreements, unanimous shareholders' agreements, telecommunications agreements, licences, commercial leases, and others.
• Municipal tax litigation before the Quebec administrative tribunals, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada.
• Constitutional law litigation involving Charter of Rights and division of powers challenges against various legislation and government executive actions, including the Tobacco Products Control Act (1988 to 1995), the Tobacco Act (1997 to 2006), representing McGill University in a students' challenge of Quebec financing of universities and differential student fees, and various other human rights, unfair search and seizure and freedom of expression matters.
• Advising businesses, preparing briefs and assisting in representations to government authorities on legislative and regulatory consultation issues.
• Publication of an article on the civil liability of investment dealers in the Quebec Bar Review, regularly cited in court decisions including in the landmark decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Laflamme v. Prudential-Bache (2000).
• Various articles and comments in securities trade publications.
• Training seminar for arbitrators called upon to hear arbitrations of disputes between retail clients and investment dealers under IDA by-laws and rules.
• Lecture in the course of a seminar of the Canadian Securities Institute for qualification as compliance officers.
• Various seminars and presentations in the field of compliance and securities laws.

Professional and Community Activities

• Member of the Canadian Bar Association
• Director and former president of Pro Musica Society