Gilbert Hourani

Partner

Montréal
GHourani@blg.com
514.954.3101
slide 1 of 1

Gilbert Hourani provides litigation defence services to Canadian and foreign insurers carrying on business in Canada and in the U.S. With an extensive background in insurance and construction law and civil litigation, his practice focuses on professional liability of general and specialized contractors and engineering firms. This extends to providing clients strategic legal advisory services with respect to risk management and insurance coverage.

With over 30 years of experience, Gilbert represents public and private entities of all sizes, and brings specialized knowledge with respect to insurance defence and risk management for professional and financial indemnity and general line programs underwritten in Canada.

His clients include several Lloyds of London Syndicates holding a Canadian book of business, managing general agencies and Canadian cover holders, and most of the Canadian TPA outfits leading casualty and property programs in Canada for Underwriters, Société mutuelle d’assurance, Groupe Promutuel Fédération des sociétés mutuelles d’assurance générale, HUB International, Arthur J. Gallagher, April Canada, GPL Assurances, RSA, Economical Insurance Group, Allianz and others. Gilbert is also regularly appointed by large insureds in COC claims, notably WSP Canada Inc. and SNC-Lavalin Inc.

Experience

  • Insurance Coverage and Defense

    • Large complex environmental pollution first party $55 million claim involving coverage denial under the absolute exclusion clauses. The owner of the industrial aluminium smelters claimed over 45 years of contamination costs, clean up and future remedy costs.
    • Ecoli bacteria outbreak found in romaine lettuce produced in USA for Canada. Largest producer in Canada (Québec) was denied coverage on a $3 million product recall claim. Insurer settled after evidence on contamination proven and rebuttal coverage arguments raised by insured manufacturer/producer.
    • Defending a manufacturer of highly specialised diesel rotary compressors and cooling systems for IBM data centers; product liability raised as flawed engineering and manufacturing found after building delivery. Defending the manufacturer against the design engineers and the project managers.
    • Class action suit against a Québec Church Association for the beating with the stick back in late 1980s. 30 year timeline of alleged abuse. Denial of Coverage raised by CGL insurer for intentional fault exclusion. Wellington motion filed against same to enforce duty to defend and to indemnify.
    • Acting for a municipal public housing corporation suing 30 defendants notably design architects, design engineers, general contractors, mid-level contractors, manufacturers, and at least 15 sub-trades in what is known as the failed rebuilding/regeneration attempt of more then 3000 Inuit homes in Northern Québec.
    • Defense against a claim following a fire in an apartment building on the argument that that the policy was voided ab initio after a mechanical workshop had been found in the building, revealing an undeclared commercial activity. Proving the knowledge of the risk by the insured was difficult as he was not a resident of the building and claimed to be unaware of the activity of one of the tenants.
    • Policy voided ab initio because of the insured’s links to criminal activities and organized crime.
    • Application to compel the insurer to provide a defense (Wellington) — Denial of the application because of the absence of "material damage" and "occurrence", as defined in CGL’s insurance policy.
    • Builder’s risk insurance in construction matters — Case having required a three-day hearing on the foreseeability of damages. The Court applied the exclusion clause for faulty workmanship.
    • Arson in a grocery store causing $1.4 million in damages — The Court ruled that a serious, precise and concordant presumption led to the conclusion that the insured was involved in the arson. The evidence highlighted several technical and expert elements on the alarm system, surveillance cameras and the substantial quantity of fire accelerants, as well as the unique occasion (motive) and financial gain in collecting an insurance indemnity.
    • Fraudulent  Insurance claims — Numerous fraud insurance cases such as simulated accidents and thefts and exaggerated claims.

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • McGill Mock Trials Trainer and Judge, McGill University Faculty of Law, 2023-2025
  • Academic Associate, Insurance Law course, McGill University Faculty of Law, Fall Term 2020
  • Continuing Education Committee, Barreau du Québec
  • Annual Insurance Law Conference, Barreau du Québec
  • Legal Advisor in Canada for the London Market Association Canadian Sub-group (LMA - BASCG)

Community Involvement

  • Member, Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau at the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine
  • Member, Board of Directors, Collège Beaubois, elementary and secondary sectors

Awards & Recognition

  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2013) of The Best Lawyers in Canada (Insurance Law)
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2023) of Benchmark Litigation Canada as a Litigation Star (Insurance)
  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2021) of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Litigation - Commercial Insurance) and in the 2025 edition and since 2024 (Litigation - Product Liability).
  • Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2022) of Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation.
  • Recognized as a 2023 Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer
  • Winner at the Client Choice Awards 2019 and recognized for exceptional service and prowess in the Insurance category in Québec

Bar Admission & Education

  • Québec, 1994
  • LLB, Université de Montréal
  • Specialized Graduate Diploma in Commercial Law (DESS), Université de Montréal
  • Private International Law, student program, The Hague Academy of International Law