LEXPERT • December 2015 | www.lexpert.ca | 45
Robert Charbonneau is focused primarily on class actions, insurance law, professional
liability of insurance brokers, product liability, and civil liability in aviation matters, an
important part of which has cross-border implications. He has handled class actions for
over 23 years, representing clients such as blood banks, retail chains, motor vehicle, phar-
maceutical, electronic and computer manufacturers, insurers, chartered banks and other
financial institutions. These cases involved matters ranging from contaminated blood
to advertising, disclosure of credit rates and fees, latent defects, defamation, price-fixing,
malicious prosecution, insurance coverage and breach of privacy. Selected by peers for in-
clusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada and selected as Montréal Product Liability Lawyer
of the Year 2010 and the Montreal Transportation Law Lawyer of the year in 2014. Also
recognized by Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business, the Lexpert®
Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, Benchmark
Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Firms and Attorneys 2014 and Who's
Who Legal: Canada.
Partner and Montréal regional leader of BLG's Class Actions Group. Defends corporate
clients in class-action suits on matters of product liability, telecommunications, privacy,
insurance, securities litigation, pension funds, professional liability, consumer law, defa-
mation and Charter of Rights. In addition to defense work, has represented the appellant
on the plaintiff side before the Supreme Court of Canada in 2009 in two class-action suits
seeking the reimbursement of municipal taxes. Chair of subcommittee on the Superior
Court rules of practice, Québec Bar Advisory Committee on Class Actions. Recognized
by The Best Lawyers in Canada (class action litigation) and Benchmark Canada (class
actions, commercial litigation, insurance, product liability, securities). Faculty member
of the Osgoode Hall Class Action Conference held every year in Toronto. Called to the
Québec Bar in 1992. In 2013, Marie Audren was awarded the distinction Advocatus
Emeritus (AdE) by the Québec Bar.
Laurent Nahmiash is Co-chair of the National Class Action Practice Group. His practice
focuses on class-action defense work and commercial and insurance litigation. He repre-
sents automotive and other manufacturers and finance companies in various consumer-
protection and product-liability class actions. He represented the CVMA in its successful
intervention in the landmark Agropur decision of the Québec Court of Appeal. He is
involved in securities class actions and has successfully defended pharmaceutical clients
in various class actions. He has considerable commercial litigation and arbitration experi-
ence and has been involved in a number of cross-border and offshore trust/captive rein-
surance lawsuits. He has successfully defended various high-technology and e-commerce
cases. He is regularly retained to defend insurance brokers and financial advisors and
planners in the context of professional liability claims. He has been retained as coverage
and defense counsel by numerous insurance carriers. President of the Québec chapter of
the Canadian Bar Association Class Action Division since 2012.
Senior litigation partner focused in the areas of class actions, product liability, competi-
tion and environmental law. He has acted as defense counsel in many precedent-setting
cases and represented major corporations in multijurisdictional and cross-border class
actions. He is listed among the leading practitioners in the fields of Class Actions ‒ Liti-
gation, Commercial Insurance ‒ Litigation and Product Liability in the 2015 edition
of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory. Repeatedly named as a leading class-action
cross-border lawyer in the Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litiga-
tion Lawyers in Canada, listed in Dispute Resolution: Class Action (Defence) Canada in
the 2015 edition of Chambers Global and in the 2015 edition of Best Lawyers in Canada
‒ Class Action Litigation. He was named Lawyer of the Year for 2013 by The Best Lawyers
in Canada ‒ Class Action Litigation in Montréal. Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of
America and of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; Advocatus Emeritus (AdE);
Prix de la justice du Québec Award 2007; Québec Bar 1981.
Robert E.
Charbonneau
Borden Ladner
Gervais LLP
Tel: (514) 954-2518
Fax: (514) 954-1905
Montréal
Marie
Audren, AdE
Borden Ladner
Gervais LLP
Tel: (514) 954-3126
Fax: (514) 954-1905
Montréal
Laurent
Nahmiash
Dentons
Canada LLP
Tel: (514) 878-8818
Fax: (514) 866-2241
Montréal
Jean
Saint-Onge,
AdE
Lavery,
de Billy, L.L.P.
Tel: (514) 877-2938
Fax: (514) 871-8977
Montréal
rcharbonneau@blg.com
maudren@blg.com
laurent.nahmiash@dentons.com
jsaintonge@lavery.ca
CLASS ACTIONS
