Victory in Superior Court in the matter of Charest v. Dessau Inc. et al

This past May 6 the Québec Superior Court denied authorization to institute a class action in the matter of Charest v. Dessau Inc. et al, which was brought against various engineering consulting firms and their directors as a result of testimony before the Charbonneau Commission. The proposed class action sought damages on behalf of the taxpayers of the City of Montréal stemming from alleged collusion among various businesses and individuals that purportedly inflated the cost of services and infrastructure at the public’s expense. 

The Superior Court found that the petitioner lacked standing and could not show that he personally had suffered damages that would justify his claim. This finding entailed the dismissal of the proposed class action. Our litigators Bernard Jolin, who represented Le Groupe S.M. Inc., and Michel Jolin, who represented Pierre Lavallée, president of the firm BPR, were instrumental in having the case dismissed. 

To review the full text of the judgment (available only in French) click here.