Caroline Deschênes

Lawyer, Partner

Québec Bar 2007

T +1 438 844 7827

Caroline Deschênes

Lawyer, Partner

Caroline Deschênes is a partner in the Montréal office of Langlois Lawyers. Her practice is focused on civil and commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on class actions, privacy issues, access to information, construction law, product liability and professional liability. She represents various corporations before courts of first instance and appeal in Quebec, and before administrative tribunals. Caroline has acted in several class actions involving the protection of personal information, pharmaceutical liability, consumer law and civil liability. She has also participated in proceedings involving insurers and professionals, including before disciplinary bodies.

Caroline holds the CIPP Certification (Certified Information Privacy Professional / Canada) from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. She is vice-chair of the executive council of the “Privacy and Access” section of the Canadian Bar Association. She also sat on the advisory committee for the review of the Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector which gave rise to Bill 64. In the course of her practice involving privacy matters, Caroline advises clients on various issues, including the collection, use, communication, retention, disposal and trans-border transfer of personal information, as well as cyber-security, access to information and electronic communications. She frequently speaks at conferences and continuing legal education seminars on a variety of topics related to these areas. She has been recognized by her peers for her expertise in the protection of personal information.

Before joining Langlois Lawyers, Caroline practiced for 10 years at an international law firm.

Representative Work

Caroline has represented the following clients:

– An international company in a class action arising from a personal information leak following a security incident.
– A Crown corporation in connection with class actions and individual lawsuits based on consumer law.
– Pharmaceutical companies in connection with class actions involving product liability.
– An entity in connection with class actions based on allegations of sexual assault.
– An aeronautical corporation in connection with injunction proceedings where millions of dollars were at stake.
– A petroleum company in connection with numerous commercial disputes, and in environmental and real estate matters.
– Engineering firms in construction law matters and proceedings involving professional liability.

Publications

Articles

Nouvelles

2018 – Caroline Deschênes Joins Langlois’ Litigation Group in Montréal

Other Publications

2021 – Contributed to the DataGuidance “Quebec: Quebec’s privacy legislation is growing teeth – What businesses need to know before they get bitten” to explain the main aspects of Bill 64 aimed at modernizing Quebec’s legal framework for the protection of personal information.

2021 – Contributed to the DataGuidance “Québec – Data Protection Overview | Guidance Note” with co-author Cynthia Chassigneux.

2019 – “GDPR and Canada’s Privacy Regime: What Are the Differences?”, co-authored with Pascal Archambault, E-newsletter, Soulier avocats, March 2019

2019 – “Cyber-risques: la gestion d’un incident de sécurité” (Cyber-risks: managing a security incident), in Barreau du Québec, Service de la formation continue, co-authored with Jean-François De Rico and Marie-Pier Desmeules, Développements récents en enquêtes internes et réglementaires (2019, vol 457, Montréal (QC), Y. Blais, 2019, 45.

2018 – “Five steps to minimize privacy class action”, Canadian Lawyer, November 5, 2018

2018 – What should Canadian businesses know about GDPR

2018 – Mandatory privacy breach reporting requirements coming into force in Canada November 1^st

2017 – The CRTC determines that Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation is constitutional and reduces the first penalty handed out under the legislation to $200,000

2017 – Draft mandatory data breach reporting regulations released for comment

2016 – “Commentaire sur la décision Lalande c. Compagnie d’arrimage de Québec ltée – La Cour supérieure interprète le nouvel article 221 C.p.c. sur l’interrogatoire préalable” (Commentary on Lalande v. Compagnie d’arrimage de Québec ltée – The Superior Court interprets new Article 221 CCP regarding examinations on discovery), Repères, EYB2016REP2080 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

2016 – Quebec Superior Court dismisses the first class action tried on the merits in the pharmaceutical area

2016 – “Chronique – Les actions collectives et la vie privée : comment les éviter? ” (Class actions and privacy: how to avoid them?), Repères, EYB2016REP2032 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

2016 – “Commentaire sur la décision Gagnon c. General Motors of Canada – La suspension d’une demande d’autorisation d’une action collective multiterritoriale en vertu du nouveau Code de procédure civile et la considération de l’intérêt des membres québécois” (Commentary on Gagnon v. General Motors of Canada – staying an application for authorization to institute a multijurisdictional class action under the Code of Civil Procedure and taking into account the interest of the Quebec members), Repères, EYB2016REP2032 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

2015 – Regulated contracts: Quebec Court of Appeal confirms applicable laws and regulations of public order are not external clauses

2015 – “Commentaire sur la décision Léonard c. Québec (Procureure générale) – Le fait que le recours soit intenté et dirigé par les avocats en demande n’a pas d’impact déterminant sur l’analyse du critère de l’article 1003d) C.p.c. ” (Commentary on Léonard v. Quebec (Attorney General) – The fact a class action is instituted and led by plaintiffs’ counsel does not have a determining impact on the analysis of the criterion set out in Article 1003(d) CCP), Repères, EYB2015REP1637 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

2014 – “Chronique – L’interrogatoire des membres du groupe : rappel des principes et application jurisprudentielle” (Examination of class members: summary of case-law principles and application), Repères, EYB2014REP1581 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

2014 – “Commentaire sur la décision Cooperstock c. United Air Lines inc. – La Cour d’appel a de nouveau l’occasion de préciser l’application des articles 54.1 et suivants C.p.c. ” (Commentary on Cooperstock v. United Air Lines inc.), RepèresEYB2014REP1513 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

2013 – “Commentaire sur la décision Lorrain c. Petro-Canada – La preuve de préjudice statistique dans le cadre d’une demande d’autorisation d’exercer un recours collectif : la Cour d’appel se prononce”, (Commentary on Lorrain v. Petro-Canada), Repères, EYB2013REP1346 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

2012 – “Chronique – La preuve appropriée au stade de l’autorisation d’exercer un recours collectif : qu’en est-il du rapport d’expertise?” (Appropriate evidence at the class action authorization stage: where does the expert report fit in?), Repères, EYB2012REP1268 (La Référence), Éditions Yvon Blais

Events

Langlois Knowledge

2021 – Langlois Workshop | Preparing for new privacy legislation in Quebec
2020 – Langlois Workshop | Preparing for the reform of the law governing personal data protection in Quebec
2018 – Second Symphony | GDPR: The First 100 Days
2018 – Cyber-Risks

External Conferences

2020 – Caroline Deschênes and Jean-François De Rico to take part in a legal information session about the Bill 64 draft

Other Events

2021 – “Canada Privacy – Updates on Laws and Regulatory Developments”, presented in collaboration with OneTrust, September 16, 2021

2021 – “Quebec Privacy Law Reform – What Businesses Need to Know”, presented in collaboration with IAPP Canada, Privacy Symposium Online, June 21, 2021

2021 – “Update on Canadian Privacy Landscape”, presented in collaboration with the Canadian Bar Association, June 3, 2021

2019 – “Privacy in Québec”, presented in collaboration with the Canadian Bar Association, Access to Information and Privacy Law Annual Symposium, October 19, 2019

2019 – Cyber-risks: managing a security incident, joint presentation with Jean-François De Rico, Recent developments in the law governing internal and regulatory investigations, Québec Bar, April 12, 2019

2018 – Demystifying the GDPR for Quebec enterprises, presented in collaboration with Jean-François De Rico, eCommerce Québec, October 5, 2018

2018 – GDPR 101: What Canadian businesses need to know about the new European Regulation, continuing legal education session offered by Langlois Lawyers

2017 – Cybersecurity: a legal kit to prepare for the inevitable, GoSec Conference, Montréal

2016 – Big Data and The Internet of Things

2014 – The Reform of the Code of Civil Procedure

Involvement

Since 2019 – Lecturer, “The law of Civil Investigation” given in the context of a program named “Certificat en enquête et renseignement”, Continuing Education Faculty of the Université de Montréal

Professional Associations

Since 2018 – Member of the executive committee of the Privacy and Access Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association

Since 2016 – International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)

Canadian Bar Association

2017-2019 – Member of the advisory committee on the revision of the Act respecting the protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector

Education

LL.M., University of Cambridge, 2006

B.C.L./LL.B., McGill University , 2004

Rankings & Recognitions

John Williamson Frederick Peacock Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a McGill student having a good academic record, in order to pursue graduate studies abroad, 2005

“Great distinction” designation, 2004

Allan Neil Assh Memorial Award, awarded to the student having the highest standing in the Business Associations course, 2004

Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt Prize in corporate and commercial law, awarded to a student who has achieved distinction in the fields of Corporate and Commercial Law, 2004

Hans Hermann Oppenheimer Scholarship, awarded to a student who has shown particular promise in the field of public international law, 2003

Harry Batshaw Prize, awarded to the student having the highest standing in the Foundations of Canadian Law course, 2001

Dean’s Honour List, Faculty of Law, McGill University, 2001-2004

Areas of Practice

Industries

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