Twenty-five Woods Lawyers recognized as Leading Practitioners in Litigation, Arbitration, and Insolvency in the 2025 Best Lawyers in Canada

Woods is honoured to have eighteen members of its team acknowledged as Best Lawyers in the new edition of Best Lawyers in Canada, highlighting the breadth of the firm’s expertise and its dedication to representing clients in the most complex domestic and international legal challenges. Seven of our lawyers enter the coveted “Ones to Watch” category. This exclusive recognition is a testament to their exceptional early-career accomplishments.

In addition, three of our lawyers, the Honourable Clément Gascon (Alternative Dispute Resolution), Richard Vachon (Defamation and Media Law) and Stephen L. Drymer (International Arbitration), were also named “Lawyer of the Year ” in Montreal for achieving the highest level of peer assessment in one of their respective practice areas.

The lawyers recognized as leaders are:

• Olivier Archambault-Lafond– Class Action Litigation, Defamation and Media Law, Class Action Litigation and Labour and Employment Law;

• Alexandre-Baril Furino* – Construction Law and Corporate and Commercial Litigation

• Eric Bédard– Administrative and Public Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Labour and Employment Law;

• Cara Cameron – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Defamation and Media Law and Director and Officer Liability Practice;
• Bogdan Catanu – Alternative Dispute resolution, Appelate Practice, Class Action Litigation and Corporate and Commercial Litigation;
• Marie-Pier Cloutier – Administrative and Public Law, Class Action Litigation and Corporate and Commercial Litigation;
• Marie-Louise Delisle – Appellate Practice and Corporate, Commercial Litigation and Professional Malpractice Law;
• Bogdan-Alexandru (Alex) Dobrota – Class Action Litigation, Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law;
• Stephen L. Drymer – Alternative Dispute Resolution and International Arbitration;
• Hon. Clément Gascon, C.C., Ad.E. – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Appellate Practice, Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law;
• Hon. Joseph R. Nuss, C.M., Q.C., Ad.E., FCIArb – Alternative Dispute Resolution;
• Sebastian L. Pyzik – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Construction Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Director and Officer Liability Practice;
• Sylvain Rigaud – Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Director and Officer Liability Practice and Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law;
• Louis Seveno – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Class Action Litigation and Corporate and Commercial Litigation;
• Laurence Ste-Marie – Class Action Litigation and Corporate and Commercial Litigation;
• Richard Vachon – Administrative and Public Law, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Class Action Litigation, Construction Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Defamation and Media Law, Director and Officer Liability Practice, Labour and Employment Law and Product Liability Law;
• Sylvain A. Vauclair – Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law;
• James A. Woods,Ad.E. – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Defamation and Media Law, Director and Officer Liability Practice, International Arbitration, Labour and Employment Law, Legal Malpractice Law and Securities Law.

The lawyers recognized as “Ones to Watch”:

• Adam J. Beauregard* – Corporate and Commercial Litigation;
• Justina Di Fazio – Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Labour and Employment Law;
• Matthias Heilke – Tax Law;
• Érika Normand-Couture – Corporate and Commercial Litigation.
• Simon-Alexandre Poitras*– Construction Law;
• Émilie St-Pierre* – Corporate and Commercial Litigation;
• Carolan Villeneuve* – Corporate and Commercial Litigation.

* lawyers first listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada.

Best Lawyers™ is one of the most prestigious legal peer-review publications. This honour reflects the high esteem in which the members of the firm are held by the legal community.