Background
Christine Dubreuil Duchaine is a partner at our Montréal office and is the regional leader of our Environmental Law and Expropriation Groups. Ms. Duchaine was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1990 and is a graduate of the University of Montréal Law Faculty.
Areas of Practice
Ms. Duchaine practises principally in the field of environmental law, in both the commercial and litigation aspects. She provides advice on environmental matters to businesses involved in most industrial sectors, in the context of their daily operations and acts on behalf of parties involved in business and real estate transactions. As such, she advises waste management companies in all aspects of their activities such as collection, transport, recycling treatment and disposal of waste. She also assists her clients in all phases of the acquisition, construction, modification, operation and maintenance of waste management facilities.
In addition, Ms. Duchaine advises public and private sector clients, including governmental authorities, with respect to the application, drafting and interpretation of environmental legislation.
Professional Experience
Throughout her practice, Ms. Duchaine prefers the risk management approach in order to provide comprehensive, timely and effective solutions to any environmental problem. It manifests itself in the following areas:
- Environmental legal due diligence in respect to mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, real estate and refinancing transactions
- Drafting and negotiation of contractual clauses for commercial transactions
- Requests for environmental permits, including public hearings
- Supervision of decontamination work, including negotiations with the Ministry of the Environment and risk analysis
- Drafting and implementation of environmental and confidential policies and emergency plans
- Representation of businesses before the courts in civil, penal and administrative litigation, including recourses in injunction, claims in damages and expropriation proceedings
- Counsel to businesses regarding environmental matters in the context of their daily operations, including updates on the new legislation
- Representation of businesses which are the object of inquiries by governmental authorities, including access to information considered confidential
- Drafting of legislation concerning waste management and environmental assessment process
- Commenting draft environmental legislation, including waste management, contaminated soil and environmental assessment, for review by the government
Professional and Community Activities
- Member of the Environmental Law and Administrative Law Sections of the Québec Bar and Canadian Bar Associations
- Active Member of the Waste Management Committee and the Contaminated Soil Committee of Réseau Environnement
- Active Member of the Environmental Committee of the Association de l'industrie électrique du Québec (AIEQ)
Lectures
Ms. Duchaine regularly lectures at conferences on environmental matters, including waste management. She is also the author of several texts and articles on environmental issues, including the firm’s quarterly Environmental Law News. The most recent lectures and texts being:
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May 23, 2007 : Course by the Canadian Institute entitled : “ Management of litigations in the field of construction ”. The subject of her lecture was: “ The measures to take to ensure an efficient management of contaminated soils in any construction project ”.
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May 4, 2007 : Conference held by the Barreau du Québec entitled : “ Recent developments in Environmental Law ”. The subject of her lecture was : “Recourses aiming at the respect of environmental laws within citizens’ reach: the emergence of a societal authority control ”.
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December 11, 2006 : Course by the Canadian Institute entitled : “Environmental Law and Management in Quebec”. The subject of her lecture was: “Recent developments regarding management of residual materials ”.
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December 5, 2005: Course by the Canadian Institute entitled: “A practical analysis of the recent legal developments and strategies to ensure your conformity”. The subject of her lecture was: “Civil liability related to contaminated sites: What are the recourses between vendor and purchaser? ”.
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November 15, 2005: Seminar held for clients by Borden Ladner Gervais entitled: “The Environment, a field in constant evolution”. The subjects of her lectures were: “Overview of the new legislation pertaining to the management of residual materials”, “Lessons of the first three years of application of Bill 72” and “Possibility to claim damages from the Crown in the environmental field: Recent lessons from our Court of Appeal ”.
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September 15, 2005: Seminar held in Toronto for clients by Borden Ladner Gervais entitled: “Environmental Group client seminar”. The subject of her lecture was: “Recent lessons of the Quebec’s Court of Appeal on governmental liability in protecting the environment ”.
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March 23, 2005: Course by Insight entitled: “Forum on construction”. The subject of her lecture was: “Construction and Environment: The best cure is prevention ”.
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January 27, 2004: Course by the Canadian Institute entitled: “Environmental Law and Management in Quebec”. The subject of her lecture was: “Management of residual materials in a context of shortage of landfill sites: best strategies in a crisis situation ”.
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February 28, 2003, February 21, 2003, December 12, 2002 and October 3, 2002 : Seminars held for clients by Borden Ladner Gervais entitled: “Contaminated soils: New legislative context – New strategies”.
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January 27, 2003: Course by the Canadian Institute entitled: “Legislation and disposal of residual materials and contaminated sites in Québec”. The subject of her lecture was: “Civil recourses pertaining to contaminated sites ”.
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June 7, 2002: Conference held by the Canadian Association of Legal Assistants entitled: “General Assembly”. The subject of her lecture was: “Environmental Law: Overview”.
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May 3, 2002: Seminar held in Toronto by Borden Ladner Gervais entitled: “Brookfields Legislation: What’s New and Used Across Canada”. The subjects of her lectures were: “Due diligence in the environmental context” and “Contaminated Sites: The Québec perspective ”.
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March 25, 2002: Course by the Canadian Institute on Municipal Liability. The subject of her lecture was: “Bill 90 and draft regulation on the disposal of residual materials: the new role of the municipalities ”.
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January 30, 2002: Course by the Canadian Institute on recent developments in Environmental Law. The subject of her lecture was: “Bill 90 and draft regulation on the disposal of residual materials: the impossible quest ”.
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March 23, 2001: Course by the Federated Press on Compliance programs. The subject of her lecture was: “Environmental compliance programs ”.
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November 23, 2000 : Conference held by Réseau Environnement on recent legislative developments. Ms. Duchaine made a presentation on the legislative history and was a panellist commenting on the proposed regulation regarding the disposal of residual materials.
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June 9, 2000 : Speaker at a conference held by Borden Ladner Gervais on the legal obligations relating to contaminated soils.
