Mr Sylvain Rigaud > Woods LLP > Montreal, Canada > Lawyer Profile

Woods LLP
2000 MCGILL COLLEGE AVE, SUITE 1700
MONTREAL, QUEBEC H3A 3H3
Canada

Position

Partner

Career

Sylvain Rigaud heads the firm’s insolvency and restructuring practice and is a member of the firm’s Management Committee. In his thirty-year legal career, he has handled corporate and commercial disputes, especially banking and insolvency issues, and has established himself as a leading practitioner. Sylvain has acquired a wide range of experience both before the civil courts of first instance and appeal, including before the Supreme Court of Canada.

The experience he has acquired representing insolvent debtors, creditors, court officers, purchasers of distressed assets, interim lenders, directors and officers, boards of directors and shareholders, puts him in a position to offer practical and innovative advice tailored to the specific issues of each case. Sylvain is widely recognized for his ability to handle complex cases with skill and tact before the courts, as well as in the context of developing and negotiating arrangements.

A regular speaker, he is also a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, the Liaison Committee of the Superior Court of Montreal (Commercial Division), the Turnaround and Management Association, the American Institute of Bankruptcy and has served as Chair of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Section of the Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Division. He is listed as one of Canada’s leading insolvency practitioners in the most reputable legal directories, including Chambers Canada, The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory and The Best Lawyers in Canada.

Languages

English, French

Memberships

  • Liaison Committee of the Superior Court of Quebec (Commercial Division)
  • Canadian Bar Association – Quebec Former president of the bankruptcy and insolvency section of the Quebec division
  • Insolvency Institute of Canada (Selection Committee and Intervention Committee)
  • Turnaround Management Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute

Education

London School of Economics and Political Science, Master of Laws (LL.M.), 1991

Dalhousie University, Schulich School of Law, Bachelor of Laws in Common Law (LL.B.), 1989

Université de Montréal, Law Faculty, Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), 1988

Dalhousie University, Schulich School of Law, Certificate in common law, 1987

Lawyer Rankings

Canada > Dispute resolution: Quebec

Montreal-based boutique litigation firm Woods LLP demonstrates strength in insolvency, class action and commercial agreement disputes, as well as in corporate liability and governance disputes. Sylvain Rigaud, who leads the insolvency and restructuring group, heads the team, along with Richard Vachon and Marie-Louise Delisle, who is highly active on class action defence and professional liability matters, with a focus on telecommunications law, competition affairs and civil liability. Louis Seveno handles litigation and arbitration relating to construction and PPP disputes. Other key members include international arbitration specialist Stephen Drymer and Eric BédardPatrick Ouellet was appointed as a Judge of the Superior Court of Quebec for the district of Montréal in April 2023. Managing partner Caroline Biron departed the firm in August 2023.