Five Woods lawyers ranked in the 2024 Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring
Woods is proud to announce that five of its lawyers have been ranked in the 2024 Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring. This recognition showcases the firm’s commitment to excellence and expertise in the field of Insolvency and Restructuring. Sylvain Rigaud, Clément Gascon, Sylvain A. Vauclair, Bogdan-Alexandru Dobrota and Louis Seveno are recognized by their peers for their ability to identify the most appropriate issues and strategies in complex insolvency and restructuring cases.
Sylvain Rigaud heads the firm’s insolvency and restructuring practice and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. He brings over thirty years of experience in insolvency, bankruptcy and restructuring matters. The experience he has acquired representing insolvent debtors, creditors, court officers, purchasers of distressed assets, interim lenders, directors and officers, boards of directors and shareholders, puts him in a position to offer practical and innovative advice tailored to the specific issues of each case. Sylvain is widely recognized for his ability to handle complex cases with skill and tact before the courts, as well as in the context of developing and negotiating arrangements. He is listed as one of Canada’s leading insolvency practitioners in the most reputable legal directories, including The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, Chambers, Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation, Best Lawyers in Canada and Who’s Who Legal. A regular speaker, he is also a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, the Turnaround and Management Association, INSOL International and the American Institute of Bankruptcy.
L’honorable Clément Gascon is a former justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, who joined Woods as senior counsel in March 2020. He acts as strategic advisor in the insolvency and restructuring matters of the firm. Clément spent more than seventeen years in the Canadian judiciary, at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Quebec Superior Court. He was the coordinating judge of the Superior Court’s Commercial Division, which hears all commercial law cases, including proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA), and federal and provincial corporate statutes. He has been a frequent lecturer to members of the judiciary and others on a range of subjects, including on insolvency and restructuring issues. In 2021, Clément was named Honourary Member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada (IIC). The Honourary Membership is for individuals who have tremendously contributed to the profession. He joins the only three Honourary members bestowed of this rare recognition.
Sylvain A. Vauclair is an insolvency specialist with over 35 years of experience representing the full spectrum of stakeholders, including debtors, committees of creditors or bondholders, boards, CCAA monitors and bankruptcy trustees. Sylvain has been at the forefront of some of the most prominent cases. He is renowned for his ability to grasp the nuances of real-time litigation processes in the most complex cases. Sylvain has been listed in the Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, the Lexpert® Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, the Canadian Lexpert® Directory, and in the insolvency section of the International Who’s Who Legal, Best Lawyers in Canada, Chambers Canada, and Legal 500. He is a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and is a regular lecturer on insolvency issues.
Bogdan-Alexandru Dobrota maintains a practice focused on complex commercial disputes, crossborder disputes, insolvency matters (domestic and international) and international arbitration. He is listed in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, The Best Lawyers in Canada and Benchmark Litigation in Canada. Alex currently represents trustee Richter Consulting Group Inc. in the bankruptcy of entities of the Knightsbridge Group, the largest developer of LEED-certified residential projects in Quebec. He has represented numerous prominent creditors, including NBC Universal Studios and Sandoz Canada, in Quebec insolvency proceedings with a cross-border component. Alex’s publications and reference works – including a chapter in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada on bankruptcy assets and order of distribution – are widely cited by the courts. He also teaches the Advocacy Workshop at McGill University’s Faculty of Law.
Louis Seveno has over fifteen years of experience in civil and commercial litigation, including insolvency, contractual and corporate litigation (including PPPs), arbitration and injunctive relief. He sits on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee (Outgoing President) of the Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Division, including various ad hoc committees. Louis’ recent insolvency mandates include representing Hachette and several trustees (EY, Houle Roy SA, etc.) in proceedings under the BIA in connection with the termination of Benjamin News Inc., the representation of Axor Experts-Conseils in the restructuring (CCAA) of Groupe SM Inc., the negotiation of postponement agreements and the presentation of proposals and motions for unenforceability, both as plaintiffs and defendant.
The Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring is a publication that identifies and celebrates the top legal professionals who have made significant contributions to this sector.
