Louise Laplante
Counsel
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Related services and key industries
Key industry sectors
Biography
Louise Laplante began practising employment and labour law in 1979.
She advises and represents employers primarily regarding employment agreements for senior executives, compensation policies, pay equity, privacy, discrimination and non-competition and non-solicitation covenants. She is also involved in business acquisitions, sales or reorganizations and terminations of employment. Her labour relations practice also extends to certification and related matters and grievance arbitration.
Ms. Laplante provides ongoing representation of a number of businesses in various industries, mainly in Quebec, including: aluminium, pulp and paper, cardboard, maritime transport, pharmaceutical, food, electronics and retail industries as well as accounting, financial and consulting services. She also advises engineering and construction firms.
She regularly acts as a spokesperson for purposes of collective bargaining.
Professional experience
Collapse allLL.B., McGill University, 1977
B.C.L., McGill University, 1976
- Quebec 1978
Ms. Laplante has acted recently for the following clients:
- Domtar Corporation in connection with the sale of its forest products business to EACOM Timber Corporation for approximately $126.5 million
- Domtar Corporation in its cross-border merger with Weyerhaeuser Inc. for US$6 billion
- Les Produits de Marque Liberté inc. in bargaining for several collective agreements
- Ikea Canada Limited Partnership (Montreal store) in bargaining for several collective agreements
- Boutique Tristan & Iseut in bargaining for several collective agreements
- Société des alcools du Québec (the Quebec liquor corporation) before the Quebec Court of Appeal, in a major case relating to the Quebec Pay Equity Act, whose favorable outcome has had a significant impact on a number of companies in Quebec
- Several large public corporations in negotiating and drafting contracts of employment for presidents and CEOs
- Conseil du patronat du Québec (confederation of Quebec employers), as intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada, in a Saskatchewan case in which it is argued that the right to strike is subject to constitutional protection under section 2(d) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
- Best Lawyers in Canada: Labour and Employment Law, 2010-2024
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2010-2014: recommended in Employment Law - Management; 2019: recommended in Labour Relations - Management
- “Développements récents en droit du travail,” Quebec Bar, Montreal, October 2, 2009.
- “Les nouvelles frontières de l'accommodement raisonnable : un casse-tête insoluble?” Quebec Bar seminar on recent developments in labour law, 2008.
- “La négociation : une approche gagnante / Negotiating effectively,” Career Women Interaction, 2007.
- “Loyauté et non concurrence : votre entreprise est-elle bien protégée?” Insight, 2006.
- “Managing absenteism and psychological harassment: a legal and practical challenge,” Annual Human Resources Conference, Rx MD and CRHD, 2004.
- “World-wide business transfers and employees’ rights: a Quebec perspective,” seminar, International Association of Young Lawyers, 2001.
- “Le ‘côté sombre’ du milieu de travail : la violence et le harcèlement au travail,” Ogilvy Renault, 2000.
- “Wrongful dismissal, termination, severance pay and reasonable notice in Quebec,” Ogilvy Renault, 2000.
- “Comment gérer les questions épineuses en matière d'accommodement,” Infonex, 1999.
- “Enquêtes et surveillance en milieu de travail : quelles sont les limites?” Infonex, 1999.
- Lecturer, Labour Law, Faculty of Law, McGill University (2006, 2007, 2011)