Administrative lawyer | Sébastien Laprise

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.

Representative Work

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.
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

Books

Video

2015 – TVA television network program Salut Bonjour!, Interview on the Proposed Tolls for the New Champlain Bridge

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

Events

Langlois Knowledge

External Conferences

Other Events

2016 – “Projet de Loi 108 : L’Autorité des marchés publics : menaces ou opportunités?” [Bill 108 establishing the Autorité des marchés publics: threats or opportunities?], in collaboration with Mylany David, Conference of the Quebec electrical industry

2014 – “L’évaluation du rendement des entrepreneurs et des fournisseurs municipaux” [Assessing the Performance of Municipal Suppliers and Contractors] to the Corporation des officiers municipaux du Québec (Quebec Association of Municipal Officials)

2014 – “La Conformité en matière d’appel d’offres : une gestion de risques” [Compliance in Calling for Tenders and Awarding Public Contracts: How to Manage the Risks] to the Corporation des officiers municipaux du Québec

2014 – “L’attribution de contrats par voie d’appel d’offres : 5 règles à respecter pour une meilleure gestion des risques” [Awarding Contracts Following the Tendering Process: Five Risk-Management Rules to Follow] to SODES

2014 – “ABC de l’approvisionnement scolaire québécois ” [A Primer for Educational Procurement in Quebec] to the Centre collegial des services regroupés

2014 – “Les commissions scolaires à l’ère des regroupements d’achats” [School Boards in the era of Collective Procurement] to the annual convention of the Quebec Association of Senior Educational Administrators

2014 – “Conformité des soumissions – 7 vérités à retenir” [Bid compliance – Seven Rules to Remember] to Contech

2013 – “Legal aspects of group purchasing”, day-long seminar on group purchasing, Professional Commission for Procurement Services, Auberge Godefroy

2013 – “Evaluating suppliers – the impacts of Bill 8”, J.A.M. 2013 – Let’s combine our expertise, Union of Quebec Municipalities, Montreal Convention Centre

2013 – “The ABCs of procurement for Québec educational institutions”, training sessions in Montréal and Quebec City for the CCSR, a non-profit education-sector group-purchasing association

2013 – “Compliance in tendering matters: managing the risk”, breakfast seminar in Quebec City for the Quebec Association for Logistics and Procurement in the Health-Care Sector (AQLASS)

2013 – “The legal aspects of procurement”, Laval University institute for mental health (IUSMQ), Quebec City

2013 – “Contract Rules Compliance Monitors (CRCMs): Who they are, and what are their roles, powers and jurisdiction”, 3^rd Symposium on the procurement chain – Procurement professionals: key managers for the organization, Quebec City

2013 – “Awarding a municipal contract – what a manager needs to know”, The University of Public Administration (ÉNAP) – Seminar for future municipal managers, Quebec City

2013 – “Breakfast conference – The Integrity in Public Contracts Act”, Corporation of Quebec Procurement Professionals, Quebec City

2012 – “Why you should be doing business with municipalities and other public entities”, Breakfast with Procurement Champions, Hotel Plaza Québec, Quebec City

2012 – “Selection Committee, defining criteria of quality, ethics, transparency and access to information, and various issues involved in qualitative assessment of bids”, Quebec Association of Education-Sector Executives, Manoir Saint-Sauveur

2012 – “Professional services affected by a decree, or the false impression of anticipating costs”, Quebec Association of Education-Sector Executives, Manoir Saint-Sauveur

2012 – “Procurement in the era of sustainable development”, for the CCSR, a non-profit education-sector group-purchasing association, Hotel Rimouski

2012 – “Some principles involved in Canadian public markets”, Defence Construction Canada, Montréal

2012 – “The ABCs of Canadian public markets”, Defence Construction Canada, Montréal

2012 – “Ethics and deontology in contracting”, conference of the Quebec Procurement Professionals Corporation (CAQ) – Quebec City, Delta Hotel

2012 – “Know the ground rules better, so you can do business differently”, day-long seminar on how to become a supplier to Quebec municipalities

2012 – “Reducing the upstream risks involved in the tender process”, Canadian Institute conference on provincial and municipal liability

2012 – “The Plan Nord: opportunities and constraints”, 68^th annual meeting of the Quebec Association of Road and Major Infrastructure Contractors, Quebec City Convention Centre

2011 – “Innovating in an environment of stricter and more sophisticated rules for awarding public contracts: a new challenge”, Canadian Public Procurement Council Forum 2011, Quebec City, Château Frontenac

2011 – “Ethics in procurement matters”, dinner presentation to the Corporation des approvisionneurs du Québec, Quebec’s professional purchasing managers’ body

2011 – “Selection committees”, annual meeting of the Quebec Association of Education-Sector Executives

2011 – “The law and politics of procurement: getting out of a contract… or how to break with a now unsavory supplier”, Corporation of Quebec Procurement Professionals, Quebec City

2010 – “Succeeding where others have failed: preventing and thwarting collusion, bid rigging and influence peddling aimed at public procurement officials and members of selection committees”, Journée des acquisitions (Procurement Day) of the Centre de services partagés du Québec, a provincial government entity that facilitates the procurement of services by public bodies

2010 – “Asset and facilities management: new responsibilities for municipalities”, annual convention of the Quebec Federation of Municipalities

2010 – “Recent developments in procurement law”, annual meeting of the CCSR, a non-profit education-sector group-purchasing association

2010 – “Bill 76: what you need to know about pending measures for governing the awarding of municipal contracts”, Corporation of Quebec Procurement Professionals

2010 – “The Act respecting contracting by public bodies: learning the rules of the game”, trade show of the Canadian Sanitation Supply Association

2010 – “The ABCs of compliance in public tender matters and exceptions to the tender process rules”, Corporation of Quebec Procurement Professionals

2010 – “Developing a code of ethics, and the effect of Bill 76 on sound contract management and greater transparency in municipal administrations”, Corporation of Quebec Procurement Professionals

Involvement

Since 2011 – Sébastien has been active on social media, having created and currently managing a professional group on LinkedIn called Contrats publics Québec. The group currently has over 1,600 members and shares news and ideas on issues related to contract management and public procurement in Québec and at municipal levels.

2009-2012 – Member of the Quebec City Regional Council. the Taxation Committee and the Urban Planning Committee of the Urban Development Institute of Québec (QCRCUDIQ)

2009-2012 – Member of the executive of Centre de Plein Air Lasallien Inc. (summer camp for the hearing-impaired)

2006 – Member of the executive committee of the Québec Foundation for the Deaf (FSQ)

Sébastien Laprise

Lawyer, Partner