Areas of Practice

A class action is a judicial suit that allows one person or organization to take legal action on behalf of a group of people in a similar situation. Class actions are appropriate, among others, to seek compensation for consumers who purchased a defective product or to seek damages against big corporations such as pharmaceutical companies for a group of people who developed health issues after ingesting a certain medication.

You or your organization might have to assert of defend against claims in a court of law. Sylvestre Painchaud et associés regularly advises clients in an array of civil matters, including neighbours’ conflicts, residential and commercial lease conflicts, family law matters, civil liability, unpaid invoices or contracts, consumer rights, nonconforming delivery of obligations and many more. We can also assist in preventing conflicts or pursuing alternative means to resolve them.

Our law firm is one of the few firms with a strong dedication towards cooperatives and cooperative law. Throughout the years, our team has developed precious and useful experience in this complex area of the law. We have represented numerous housing cooperatives, workers’ cooperatives, service cooperatives and others. We helped in the creation of cooperatives, assisted in managing conflicts between coop members, and generally assisted board of directors in steering the coop through the many challenges that cooperators meet.

Construction projects involve numerous people, professionals and entities that have distinct responsibilities and potentially conflicting needs. In addition to a complex set of laws and regulations, that industry proposes challenges that often require qualified legal resources and insight. From start to finish, our legal team can guide and advise you throughout projects spanning from individual house or office buildings or renovations, to the construction of multi-building high-rise housing projects.

On top of grief, you and your family might find yourselves in an estate dispute. Our firm can help manage such a complex situation and make goals and priorities clearer and easier to define and pursue. Protective regimes for vulnerable persons are needed if someone cannot fully provide for its fundamental and basic needs or safely exercise its rights. Voluntary mandates in case of inaptitude and legal protective regimes are means to ensure that a person is properly cared for and protected when they are vulnerable.

In the event of a conflict, it is not always necessary or desirable to revert to a court of law. Mediation and arbitration are alternative dispute resolution methods that can be better adapted and faster means of reaching closure. Sylvestre Painchaud et associés can advise you on the appropriate alternative dispute resolution for your situation, before and after conflicts arise.

Human rights and freedoms refer to everything that constitutes and is fundamental to the human being, including the right to life, dignity, security, integrity and freedom of the person, economic, social, judicial and political rights, and the right to equality. These rights are enshrined in the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the Civil Code of Quebec. Our team is here to advise you, guide you and represent you in all matters of human rights and freedoms.