Find Lawyers in Quebec, Canada for International Arbitration
Practice Area Overview
When an international commercial dispute arises, many lawyers’ immediate reflex is to institute proceedings in court; however, there is a more effective dispute resolution mechanism - arbitration. International commercial arbitration (ICA) is recognized the world over as a leading method of private dispute resolution.
Some of the benefits may be summarized:
• ICA allows parties to select as adjudicators individuals who are highly specialized and experienced in the subject-matter of the dispute. Since the only requirement to be named as an arbitrator is that the individual be an adult with capacity, parties are free to select jurists and non-jurists alike. An expert tribunal can cut down on much of the preliminary work of explaining the contours of a specific and often complex area requiring technical expertise. The tribunal’s specialized knowledge also increases the likelihood of a correct decision within the given context;
• ICA allows parties to take the dispute resolution outside of the sphere of national courts that may not be well suited to deal with dispute of the parties in question;
• In contrast with court proceedings which are often governed by rigid and detailed rules of procedure, parties to an ICA are free to determine the law and rules governing both the substance of their dispute and the arbitration process itself allowing for maximum flexibility;
• ICA may be carried out ad hoc or under the auspices of arbitral institutions such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) or the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA);
• While confidentiality is the exception in most national courts, it is the rule in ICA. This is particularly appealing to clients who are particularly weary of confidential and valuable information becoming public record;
• Due to international legal instruments such as the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (“New York Convention”) and the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial arbitration, an arbitral award is more powerful, from an enforcement perspective, than the decision of a national court. The New Your Convention has been ratified by 156 state parties as of May 2015. Legislation based on the UNCITRAL Model Law has been adopted in 69 states (totaling 99 jurisdictions).
A partner at Woods LLP, Eric serves a wide range of industries, including financial services and natural resources. He also handles employment-related matters for employers as well as senior management. Eric is a frequent author and speaker on topics such as evidence, civil procedure and international arbitration. An accomplished trial and appellate lawyer, Eric has developed a particular expertise in domestic and international arbitration. His experience includes acting for Canada in the NAF...
Pierre Bienvenu, Ad. E. is a disputes lawyer with more than 35 years' experience in international commercial arbitration, corporate and commercial litigation, and constitutional law. He has acted as counsel or served as arbitrator in international arbitrations involving disputes in energy, transportation, telecommunications, mergers and acquisitions, construction, pharmaceuticals, international distribution and joint ventures, and foreign investment. A former co-chair of the IBA’s Arbit...
The Honourable Pierre Dalphond is a senior counsel with the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. He is a Chartered Arbitrator, an accredited mediator, a former guest professor on arbitration at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal and former senior judge of the Québec Court of Appeal. His practice focuses on commercial arbitration and mediation and providing strategic advice in every field of law. He conducts internal investigations, provides neutral eva...
Stephen L. Drymer is head of Woods LLP’s International Arbitration group. Stephen practices exclusively in the area of domestic and international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution. He acts as counsel, and serves as arbitrator and mediator, in domestic and in international commercial and investment treaty disputes. Educated and trained in both the common law and the civil law, Stephen has represented parties and served as mediator, party-appointed arbitrator or president of ...
Marc-André G. Fabien, Ad. E. is a seasoned litigator and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers recognized for his mastery of high-profile complex litigation. He specializes in commercial and shareholders’ disputes, securities litigation and penal proceedings, and litigation involving federal, provincial and municipal bodies. In addition, he is the President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Marc-André appears before all levels of courts, including the Supreme...
Patrick Girard is a partner and Head of the Montréal office's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Patrick practices mainly in civil litigation with an emphasis on private international law, international arbitration and in all areas of public litigation (administrative and constitutional law). Patrick is frequently consulted on regulatory or commercial energy matters and has given legal opinions on agreements involving the trading or generation of gas, hydro-electricity and wind...
Éric Mongeau is a partner and former Head of the Montréal office's Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Recognized as the Québec Litigator of the Year in 2020 by Benchmark Litigation , Éric regularly appears in front of civil courts under provincial and federal jurisdictions, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He also has vast experience in front of administrative and arbitration tribunals. Éric is highly esteemed for his general commercial litigat...
The Honourable François Rolland, Ad. E. is senior counsel, mediator and arbitrator in Langlois lawyers’ litigation group in Montréal. Mr. Rolland was a Justice of the Superior Court of Québec from 1996 to 2015, and Chief Justice from 2004 to 2015. He presided numerous trials in all areas of the law, including commercial law, class actions, insolvency and corporate reorganizations, as well as matrimonial disputes. He also presided many settlement conferences in civil...
James A. Woods , senior partner of the firm, practises in litigation and arbitration and pleads at all levels of federal and provincial courts in Ontario and Québec including the Supreme Court of Canada. Once again, named by Lexpert® 2017 as one of the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada – Montreal, Corporate and Commercial Litigation. Recognized by the Best Lawyers Directory since 2006 for his expertise in the fields of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Class Action Litigation, Corporat...
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