Jean-Simon Deschênes

• Corporate and Commercial Law
• Business Succession
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Commercial Agreements
• Financing
• Corporate Reorganization
• Corporate Services
• Corporate Governance
• Capital Markets

• Technology

Jean-Simon has represented various clients, including:

Acquisitions

• A seller in connection with the sale of his shares, an active corporation and a corporation holding the enterprise’s real estate. The sale was made in the course of a transaction between siblings, which required assistance in evaluating the enterprise and determining payment terms and the indemnification clauses applicable in this context.
• Liberty Security Systems Inc. in its acquisition of an Ontario-based company, Cairn Control Systems Inc.
• Chaussures Belmont inc. in its acquisition of Centre T.S. inc., a work clothing and footwear retailer in the Centre-du-Québec region.
• Chaussures Régence inc. in its acquisition of Raad Shop, a website specialized in online sales of custom footwear, to create a new division for the Régence group.
• Chaussures Régence inc. in its acquisition of Paragone Inc., a company specializing in the sale of work and utility clothing and footwear.
• Actif Santé Financière in its acquisition of a division of ESSOR Gestion du patrimoine.
• A buyer in its acquisition of the Francheville REMAX franchise, which operates a real estate brokerage in the Mauricie region.

Financing

• The Bank of Montreal in connection with financing the acquisition of a truck dealership in Victoriaville.
• A consortium of two banks in connection with a $75 million financing. His mandate included drafting the credit agreement, structuring the security granted in Canada, and supervising the taking of security in five foreign jurisdictions.
• Three banks in connection with an analysis of security for indebtedness totalling $96 million. His mandate included analyzing the security granted by the borrower to the banks and providing them with an opinion on its validity and enforceability, including security granted to a trustee holding the power of attorney of the lenders, and various other kinds of security.
• Three banks in connection with a $170 million financing required for the operations of an agri-business enterprise. The mandate included drafting the credit agreement and the agreements among the lenders, as well as structuring the security granted by the 30 co-borrowers carrying on operations on some one hundred different properties.

Litigation – Seizure in Revendication

• An unpaid vendor that no longer had access to the goods sold in order to obtain an urgent writ of seizure in revendication allowing the vendor to repossess the goods, regardless of their location.

Financing – Security in Canada and the United States

• A Canadian bank in connection with the extension of credit in the form of a $900,000 term loan to a Québec SMB with a US subsidiary. Worked together with a Vermont law firm to obtain a $900,000 guarantee from the US subsidiary as well as a general security agreement charging all its assets.

• Fidéides Award for Business event of the year, Québec City’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2017
• Event of the year Award, Québec City’s Ambassadors’ Club, 2017
• Le Soleil / Radio-Canada Personality of the week, 2016

• Veteran’s House Canada, Secretary and Director, since 2024
• Québec City’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Member, since 2006
• Junior Chamber International’s World Congress, President and Director, 2016
• Jeunes Philanthropes de Québec, President, 2009-2012
• Canadian Junior Chamber, President, 2008

• Co-author: “Business succession planning: five mistakes to avoid”, September 21, 2022.
• Co-author: “New rules for taxing intergenerational transfers: a major gain for small businesses”, October 15, 2021.
• Co-author: “CUSMA: A wind of change in copyright”, May 31, 2021.
• Co-author: “Businesses must now disclose who are their true owners”, April 8, 2021.
• Co-author: “Heritage Handoff Holdings, LLC v. Ronald Fontanella: the importance of fundamental representations and warranties in mergers and acquisitions”, June 22, 2020.
• Co-author: “The Quebec Government Launches a Public Consultation on Corporate Transparency”, October 8, 2019.
• Co-author: “Du souper de famille aux assemblées annuelles des actionnaires : les meilleures pratiques pour la gouvernance des entreprises familiales” [From Family Dinner to Annual Shareholders’ Meeting: Best Governance Practices for Family-Owned Businesses], Bulletin d’information juridique à l’intention des entrepreneurs et des décideurs, No. 9, June 1, 2011.
• Co-author: “Nouveau régime québécois des sociétés par actions” [New Regime for Québec Business Corporations], Bulletin d’information juridique à l’intention des acteurs du secteur des technologies de l’information et des communications, No. 4, February 1, 2011.

• Co-speaker: Les ingrédients essentiels d’un transfert réussi [The key elements for a successful business transfer], workshop organized by the Association de planification fiscale et financière (APFF), Québec City, May 23, 2024.
• Co-speaker: Questions commerciales et baux [Commercial matters and leases], legal webinar on commercial contracts, organized by the Conseil du patronat du Québec, April 8, 2020.
• Speaker: Structures corporatives et financement : le point de vue d’un avocat sur les avantages de la société par actions [Corporate structures and financing: The benefits of incorporating from a lawyer’s point of view], Centre d'études en droit économique, Université Laval's Law Faculty, March 30, 2016.
• Speaker: L’investissement socialement responsable peut-il réduire la criminalité économique? [Can socially responsible investment reduce economic crime?], Centre d'études en droit économique, Université Laval's Law Faculty, 2014.

University Certification in Corporate Governance, Collège des administrateurs de sociétés, 2024

LL.B., Université Laval, 2001