
Sébastien Laprise
Lawyer, Partner - Quebec City
Sébastien Laprise has cutting-edge expertise in the law applicable to public contracts. A strategic advisor, author and speaker in this area, he counsels and represents a number of public and para-public entities subject to the Act Respecting Contracting by Public Bodies as well as several municipalities and municipal bodies. His innovative approach helps his clients improve their contracting practices and better manage the upstream risks inherent in awarding contracts. Eager to share his expertise, thoughts and reflections, in 2011 he founded Contrats publics Québec, a public-procurement discussion group on LinkedIn which today has an ever-growing number of participants interested in keeping abreast of developments and best practices in this area.
He has published a manual on optimum strategies for municipal contracting, with Wolters Kluwer CCH entitled Contrat municipaux – Manuel sur les meilleures strategies, for use by officials in charge of awarding municipal contracts, as well as a companion guide entitled Contrat des organismes publics – Manuel sur les meilleures stratégies for the benefit of public bodies subject to the Act Respecting Contracting by Public Bodies.
Education
Licentiate in Laws, LLL, University of Ottawa (concentration in Public Law), 1997
Rankings & Recognitions
- Best Lawyers in Canada 2024
- The Best Lawyers in Canada 2023
- The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022
- The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021
Lexpert Zenith Award 2010 – Corporate Law in Non-Profit Sector
Areas of Practice
Representative Work
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Langlois Represents the Union des municipalités du Québec Before the Supreme Court of Canada
On February 20, 2019 Sébastien Laprise and Jean-Benoît Pouliot represented the Union des municipalités du Québec before the Supreme Court of Canada in the matter of Ville de Montréal v. Octane Stratégie inc. (file 38066), in which the UMQ is an intervenor.
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Represented the City of Lac-Mégantic in contesting an injunction sought by a dissatisfied bidder
On May 27, 2016, Quebec Superior Court Justice Martin Bureau the dismissed a motion for a provisional injunction and a safeguard order seeking to suspend work on the reconstruction of the downtown core of the City of Lac-Mégantic.
Strategic advisor on public contracts (developing policies, codes of ethics, directives or procedures, deciding on the process for tendering and awarding contracts, etc.)
Contract-management support and advice (financing, cost overruns, performance assessments)
Opinions on the process for awarding public contracts (division of contracts, interpretation of the rules and exceptions applicable to public calls for tenders and invitations to tender
Opinion on eligibility and compliance of bids
Opinions on various issues involving the role, responsibilities and powers of municipalities (general power, economic development, taxation, zoning, nuisances, contracts, watercourses, environment, etc.)
Opinions and other representations involving planning bylaws
Drafting and reviewing municipal bylaws
Support and advice to municipal stakeholders during investigations or audits by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy
Support and advice to elected officials on various issues involving ethics and conflicts of interest
Appearances before administrative, civil and penal tribunals having jurisdiction in municipal matters
Training sessions and conference presentations in these specialized areas
Publications
Articles
- 2020 – Bill 61: Acceleration measures for certain public projects in order to restart Quebec’s economy
- 2018 – Proposal for the Codification of the Rules Governing Public Contracts in Quebec
- 2016 – Time Limit for Publication of an Amendment to a Call for Tenders – Reflections on the Impact of Recent Legislative Amendments on Your Contractual Strategy
- 2016 – Court Orders Suspending the Awarding or Performance of a Public Contract: a Risk Worth Considering?
- 2015 – Information Technology: the Quebec Government Changes its Procurement Rules
- 2012 – Ability to Obtain Public Contracts Denied to “Rogue” Businesses
- 2012 – Capitalizing on the Opportunities Afforded by the Plan Nord: a Rocky Road Ahead?
News
- 2018 – Retrospective of Langlois’ 10 Most Representative Mergers & Acquisitions Mandates of 2017
- 2018 – Sébastien Laprise and Jean-Benoît Pouliot Publish an Article Proposing a Quebec Code of Public Contract Rules
- 2016 – Sébastien Laprise and Jean-Benoît Pouliot Publish a Book on Contracting by Public Bodies
Books
Video
Other Publications
2011 – “Access to information: Microsoft forced to show its hand”, Marché municipal (Vol. 6, No. 1 / January-February 2011)
2011 – “Contract management in the sights of MAMROT” (Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy), Marché municipal, (Vol. 6, No. 2 / March-April 2011)
2010 – “Open-source software and public markets: a shot across the bow of a quasi-monopoly” (Marché municipal (Vol. 5, No. 5 / September-October 2010)
2010 – “Combating collusion – how to succeed where others have failed”, Marché municipal (Vol. 5, No. 3 / May 2010)
2009 – “Retour sur l’affaire Double N Earthmovers ltd” (Revisiting the Double N Earthmovers Ltd case), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 4, No. 6
2009 – “Décision cruciale dans l’exécution d’un contrat: une résolution du conseil était-elle requise?” (Making crucial decisions during the performance of a contract – is a board resolution required?), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 4, No. 5
2009 – “Le droit d’un fournisseur à la confidentialité de sa soumission” (The supplier’s right to the confidentiality of its bid), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 4, No. 4
2009 – “Condition “obligatoire” ou “essentielle” : laquelle entraîne le rejet d’une soumission?” (“Mandatory” and “Essential” conditions: which will result in rejection of a bid?), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 4, No. 3
2009 – “Obligation de renseignement et risques environnementaux” (The duty to inform and environmental risks), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 4, No. 1
2008 – “L’évaluation de la structure de prix : une condition implicite à l’appel d’offres” (Evaluating Price Structure : A Key Step in Tendering), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 3, No. 5
2008 – “Garantie de soumission : Attention à l’excès de formalisme” (Bid Guarantees: Avoid Excess Formalism), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 3, No. 4
2008 – “Les obligations entre soumissionnaires. L’acceptation d’une soumission n’emporte pas leur exonération” (Obligations Between Tenderers. Accepting a Bid Doesn’t Waive Them), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 3, No. 3
2008 – “L’affaire des voitures de métro Alstom. Contrat avec un fournisseur “unique” : une exception à la portée des municipalités” (The Alstom Metro Cars Affair. A Contract with a “Single” Supplier: An Exception Municipalities Can Take Advantage Of), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 3, No. 2
2008 – “Équipements de loisirs: Plusieurs options, de mêmes obligations” (Recreational Equipment: Many Options, The Same Obligations), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 3, No. 1
2007 – “L’approvisionnement municipal à l’ère du développement durable” (Municipal Purchasing in the Age of Sustainable Development), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 2, No. 5
2007 – “Dans quelles circonstances une soumission est-elle “reçue en retard” et doit-elle être rejetée?” (When Is a Bid “Late” and Must It Be Rejected?), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 2, No. 4
2007 – “Des incitatifs à la réhabilitation des terrains contaminés” (Incentives to Rehabilitate Contaminated Land), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 2, No. 2
2007 – “Parcs, terrains de jeux et équipements de loisirs : La responsabilité des fabricants et vendeurs, des municipalités et des utilisateurs” (Parks, Playgrounds, and Recreational Equipment: The Liability of Manufacturers, Vendors, Municipalities, and Users), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 2, No. 1
2006 – “Les cas d’exception aux règles d’appel d’offres et leur application en haute technologie” (Exceptions to Bidding Rules and Applying Them to High Technology), published in Marché municipal, Vol. 1, No. 3
2003 – “Analyse des critères de pondération d’une soumission : droit à l’erreur?” (Analyzing the Criteria for Weighing Bids: Are You Entitled to Make a Mistake?), published in Droit de cité, Éditions Yvon Blais, Vol. 10, No. 4
2003 – “Les clauses importantes à inclure aux devis municipaux” (Important Clauses to Include in Municipal Estimates), published in Droit de cité, Éditions Yvon Blais, Vol. 10, No. 3
