Partner
Major corporations value Hélène’s ability to advise them on all aspects of Canadian employment and labour law in the context of their strategic human resource needs.
Hélène’s diverse practice includes acting for clients before civil and administrative courts, negotiating collective agreements, drafting executive employment agreements and policies, and providing guidance on corporate governance and executive compensation matters.
Hélène is also sought out for her considerable experience in advising on employee-related matters in commercial transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions. She has developed extensive expertise in strategic HR planning for clients across Canada.
Before joining Davies, Hélène practised in the employment and labour practice of the Montréal office of an international law firm.
Partner
Major corporations value Hélène’s ability to advise them on all aspects of Canadian employment and labour law in the context of their strategic human resource needs.
Hélène’s diverse practice includes acting for clients before civil and administrative courts, negotiating collective agreements, drafting executive employment agreements and policies, and providing guidance on corporate governance and executive compensation matters.
Hélène is also sought out for her considerable experience in advising on employee-related matters in commercial transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions. She has developed extensive expertise in strategic HR planning for clients across Canada.
Before joining Davies, Hélène practised in the employment and labour practice of the Montréal office of an international law firm.
Thread Collective Inc.
Acted for Thread Collective Inc. in their acquisition of all issued and outstanding shares of 9167200 Canada Inc. (dba Kanuk), from the founder and Champlain Financial Corporation. Kanuk is a Montreal-based manufacturer and retail brand known for cold-weather apparel and winter coats, boasting an international reputation.
Outfront Media Inc.
Acted as Canadian counsel to OUTFRONT Media Inc. in the C$410-million sale of its Canadian outdoor advertising business to Bell Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BCE.
MacKinnon, Bennett & Co.
Acted for MacKinnon, Bennett & Co. in the formation of MKB Partners Fund III, a private equity fund that invests in the energy, mobility, built environment and related industrial sectors of the energy transition.
Wolseley Canada Inc.
Acted for Wolseley Canada Inc., the leading wholesale distributor to plumbing, HVAC/R, waterworks and industrial markets in Canada, in its acquisition of Yorkwest Plumbing Supply Inc., a distributor of building and industrial products in the greater Toronto area.
Plusgrade Inc.
Acted for Plusgrade in connection with General Atlantic’s strategic investment in the ancillary revenue powerhouse. The investment represents a monumental transaction for the global travel tech sector.
Mondi plc
Acted for Mondi plc, a global leader in the production of sustainable packaging and paper, in its acquisition of the Hinton Pulp mill from West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. (West Fraser) and its long-term partnership with West Fraser to access local, high-quality fibre from well-established wood basket, as well as with Mondi plc’s plans to invest €400 million in the expansion of Hinton.
Searchlight Pharma Inc.
Acting for the shareholders of Searchlight Pharma Inc., a top-growth Canadian specialty and innovative branded pharmaceutical company, in connection with the sale of their 100% interest to Apotex Inc., Canada’s largest pharmaceutical company.
ROBIC, LLP
Acting as counsel to partners of ROBIC, LLP, one of Canada's preeminent intellectual property firms, in connection with ROBIC’s business combination with IPH Limited.
Design World LLC d/b/a WTWH Media, LLC
Acted as Canadian counsel to Design World LLC d/b/a WTWH Media, LLC, a Mountaingate Capital portfolio company, in its acquisition via a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of substantially all the assets of Engineering.com Incorporated, a media website operator focused on engineering related content.
Integrated Media Company
Acted for Integrated Media Company, a TPG platform dedicated to the new media ecosystem, in its C$147.5-million acquisition of Toon Boom Animation Inc., an Emmy® Award-winning Montreal-based animation software company, from Nelvana Limited, a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Industrial and Financial Systems AB
Acted for Industrial and Financial Systems AB in its acquisition of Poka Inc., a Québec-based provider of connected worker platform software.
American Holt, LLC, a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management
Acted for American Holt, LLC, a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, in its acquisition of DMA Solution Inc., a leading engineering company for solutions in the manufacturing of high performance products for the PET plastic container and beverage industries.
Lakeside Book Company
Acted for Lakeside Book Company, a portfolio company of Atlas Holdings, in its acquisition of Marquis Books.
Mountaingate Capital
Acted for Mountaingate Capital Management II, L.P. in its strategic investment in Bond Brand Loyalty Group, a leading marketing, customer experience and loyalty software management group.
Numerix LLC
Acted as Canadian counsel to Genstar Capital-backed Numerix LLC, a leader in capital markets risk management technology, in its acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares of FinancialCAD Corporation.
Investissement Québec
Acted for Investissement Québec, in its own capacity and as agent of the Government of Québec, in the initial C$70-million investment in Équisoft Inc., one of the largest providers of digital solutions in the financial sector, as part of a C$125-million investment with Export Development Canada and Fondaction.
LKQ Corporation
Acted as Canadian counsel to LKQ Corporation in its C$2.8-billion acquisition of Uni-Select Inc.
Aptum Technologies
Acted for DigitalBridge, a global digital infrastructure investment firm, in its portfolio company Aptum Technologies’ acquisition of CloudOps, a cloud consulting, managed services and software company.
Trinity Industries, Inc.
Acted for Trinity Industries, Inc., in its acquisition of Holden America, a manufacturer of market-leading multilevel vehicle securement and protection systems, gravity-outlet gates and gate accessories for freight rail in North America, for an initial purchase price of US$70 million and an additional minimum of US$5 million per year for the next two years
Interfor Corporation
Acted for Interfor Corporation in its acquisition for over C$325-million of 100% of the equity interests of Kilmer Group-backed Chaleur Forest Products entities.
Ironbridge Equity Partners Management Limited
Acted for Ironbridge Equity Partners Management Limited in its acquisition and related financing of La Verrerie Walker Ltée/Walker Glass Company Ltd., a Montréal-based company that manufactures mirror and acid etch-glazing substrates.
SPS Commerce, Inc.
Acted for SPS Commerce, Inc., an American retail cloud services company, in its US$49-million acquisition of InterTrade Systems Inc., a Canadian SaaS commerce technology solutions company, from mdf commerce inc.
National Tire Distributors
Acted for National Tire Distributors, the Canadian subsidiary of American Tire Distributors, in its sale to Groupe Touchette Inc.
Birch Hill Equity Partners
Acted for Birch Hill Equity Partners in its joint acquisition (and related financing) with Investissement Québec of Québec-based Polycor Inc., the largest quarrier of natural stone in the world.
Aldo Group
Acting for Aldo Group, in the review and implementation of its Short Term Incentive Program and Long-Term Incentive Plan designed to retain and reward executives upon achievement of financial targets.
Confidential client
Providing one of the world's leading providers of innovative lighting solutions, and its four (4) business lines in Canada with counsel on all aspects of their employees relations ranging from legislative compliance, to human rights issues and Covid-19-related legal advice.
Confidential client
Providing the organization mandated by the Québec Government to promote Québec's economic development, with strategic and legal advice on all aspects of their human resources operations, including legislative compliance and the integration of the unionized and non-unionized employees, which includes regular dealing with four unions.
Fedex Logistics
Acting for Fedex Logistics in matters related to compliance with French language requirements and representation before the Tribunal administratif du travail.
Investing In… 2024: Canada chapter, co-author
Jan. 01, 2024 - Chambers Global Practice Guides (Chambers and Partners)
Read the chapter.
Congrès de l’Association québécoise de pharmaciens propriétaires, “Naviguer le monde de l’emploi au Québec – Comment faire face aux défis du milieu du travail”; Montréal, QC
Nov. 17, 2023
McGill Desautels Faculty of Management, “Guest Speaker Series”; Montréal, QC
May 09, 2023
Investing In… 2023: Canada chapter, co-author
Jan. 19, 2023 - Chambers Global Practice Guides (Chambers and Partners)
Read the article.
Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers , Annual Conference, “ Cross-Canada Topics in Employment Law”
Sept. 24, 2022
Employment and Labour Law in Québec: An Overview of Key Doctrines, Employment: North America 2021, co-author
Oct. 01, 2021 - Law Business Research
Guest professor, Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University, MBA Program, “Category of Workers,” “Hiring Process and Charter of Human Right and Freedoms” and “ Termination of Employment”
July 24, 2020
Employment & Labour in Canada, Québec chapter
Jan. 01, 2020 - Lexology Getting The Deal Through, 2019-2020
Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers , Annual Conference, “Top Issues and Trends in Employment Law”
Sept. 30, 2019
The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Employment & Labour Law, Canada chapter, 2012-2017 Editions, co-author
Jan. 17, 2017 - Global Legal Group Ltd.
Association of Corporate Counsel, “Review of Developments in Employment and Labour Law”
Jan. 30, 2014
The Executive Employment Contract, co-author
Sept. 30, 2012 - LexisNexis
Read the book (available for purchase).
Les dirigeants: leurs droits et leurs obligations (Executive Officers and Directors), co-author
Jan. 01, 1995 - Éditions Yvon Blais
Read the book (available for purchase).
American Bar Association, College of Labor & Employment Lawyers, Fellow
Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business—Employment and Labour: Québec
The Legal 500 Canada—Labour and Employment (Leading Individual)
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory—Employment Law (Employer)
The Best Lawyers in Canada—Labour and Employment; Workers Compensation Law
Québec, 1993
Université de Montréal, LLB, 1992
American Bar Association
Canadian Bar Association
Atelier Le Fil d’Ariane
Solomon Schechter Academy Children’s Foundation
Solomon Schechter Academy, former chair of the board of directors, Executive Committee member and co-chair of the Human Resources Committee
Barreau du Québec, Liaison Committee with the Tribunal administratif du travail
Hélène is a lecturer at L’École du Barreau du Québec, where she teaches Employment and Labour Law, and is regularly a guest lecturer at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University in its MBA program.
