Sophie Melchers
Partner
Sophie Melchers practises mainly in the areas of commercial, corporate and securities litigation as well as class action litigation. She has represented clients before the Quebec courts and the Supreme Court of Canada in connection with disputed take-over bids, shareholders’ agreements, plans of arrangement, rights of first refusal and insider trading. Her broad expertise in securities litigation also encompasses representation of reporting issuers in connection with investigations conducted by the Autorité des marchés financiers into insider trading, continuous disclosure and disclosure of material information. Ms. Melchers has also been involved in several class action proceedings involving pharmaceutical liability, banking law and consumer law issues.
Ms. Melchers is regional chair of our Quebec litigation practice.
Law school
LL.B., Université de Montréal, 1993
Education
Canadian Securities Course
Introduction to Derivatives, Derivatives Institute
Selected client work
Ms. Melchers is currently acting or has acted in the following matters:
Corporate and Securities Litigation
- SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. in connection with a confidentiality order issued by the AMF, Quebec’s securities regulator
- Resolute Forest Products (formerly AbitibiBowater Inc.) in connection with its hostile takeover bid of Fibrek Inc., including on several cease trade applications in respect of poison pills and a special warrant private placement
- Fibrek Inc. in the litigation with dissident shareholders on the fair value of Fibrek shares as of the date of approval of its plan of arrangement
- Labopharm in connection with the acquisition of the shares of Labopharm by Paladin, completed by way of plan of arrangement
- Roctest Ltée and the special committee of its board of directors in connection with the acquisition of all of the shares of Roctest by Nova Metrix LLC, completed by way of plan of arrangement
- The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Cossette Inc. in the strategic review that culminated in the transaction with Mill Road
- Various public issuers and some of their executives in the context of inquiries by the AMF into questionable trades or issues of continuous disclosure
Class Actions
- Aimia (formerly Groupe Aeroplan) in defence against a class action relating to mileage accumulation and expiry
- Royal Bank of Canada and MBNA Bank in defence against class actions challenging banking practices with regard to credit cards
Speaking engagements
- “Recent Case Law in Corporate and Securities Litigation,” 20e séminaire d’avocats spécialisés en valeurs mobilières, Mont-Tremblant, October 2011.
- Compliance seminar for financial advisors of National Bank Financial, May and June 2011.
- “Directors’ Liability and Governance,” conference presented with Thierry Dorval at the Institute of Corporate Directors’ Governance College, Montréal, February 2011 and 2010.
- “Comment réagir lors d’une contravention à la réglementation en valeurs mobilières ou face à une enquête de l’AMF en matière de financement, de divulgation ou autre: Le rôle de l’avocat à l’heure des scandales financiers,” Quebec Bar, January 2010 and the 19e séminaire d’avocats spécialisés en valeurs mobilières, Mont-Tremblant, October 2010.
- “Work-family Balance,” luncheon meeting, Bar of Montréal, November 2009.
- “The Liability of Directors in Canada under Corporate Legislation and Statutory Remedies Available to Stakeholders,” fall session of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, November 2006.
Rankings and recognitions
- Benchmark Canada, 2012-2013 - recognized as a local litigation star in Quebec; Litigation star in Canada in Class Action and Securities
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2012 - recommended in Class Actions and Litigation - Securities
- Best Lawyers in Canada, 2011-2013 - Corporate and Commercial Litigation
- The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2009 - Repeatedly recommended in Litigation - Class Actions
Memberships and activities
- Canadian Bar Association
- Former Lecturer, Civil Pleading Techniques, Quebec Bar Admission Course