New CPC – Biographies

Mtre Richard McConomy
Attorney since 1971, Richard McConomy practiced family law and general litigation for 38 years. He has been a mediator since 1986 and he was bâtonnier of the Bar of Montreal in 1996-1997. A pioneer in the mediation movement, he pleaded cases that established jurisprudence in many areas. He has assisted in training almost 1000 mediators in Canada, USA, Belgium and France. He helped to create the Child Support Guidelines. He is the Former President of Centraide Montreal, Former President of United Way Canada and Former President of the Family Law Committee of the Canadian Bar Association.

Mtre William Brock, lawyer at Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg
Bill Brock is a partner in the Litigation practice. His focus is on complex commercial, corporate and securities litigation, fraud and misappropriation claims (including Mareva type injunctions), shareholders’ rights disputes, unfair competition and defamation claims, communications and media issues, arbitration (both as counsel and arbitrator) and international disputes. He conducts litigation at both trial and appellate levels, including before the Supreme Court of Canada, and advises Canada’s leading companies.

Mtre Lynne Kassie, lawyer at Robinson Sheppard Shapiro
Lynne Kassie is head of RSS’s Family Law Department. She has outstanding experience with all aspects of matrimonial and family law, as well as in related fields of civil law, including succession and protective supervision. Ms. Kassie focuses her practice on complex litigation, and on cases involving high-net-worth issues, division of property and other financial issues related to business interests and trusts. Ms. Kassie also advises parties prior to their marriage or cohabitation and has extensive experience in the preparation of prenuptial agreements and marriage contracts. She has considerable skills in negotiation and mediation proceedings and appears regularly before the Superior Court and Court of Appeal. She has also appeared before the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada on several occasions.

Mtre Catherine McKenzie, lawyer at Irving Mitchell Kalichman
Catherine McKenzie is a partner and member of IMK since 1997. She is a talented jurist who manages her litigation files with remarkable effectiveness. She has enviable experience in several large-scale litigation files. Among other things, she has made her mark in several class action proceedings, as well as in the areas of employment and telecommunications law. She is recognized in the fields of commercial and corporate litigation as well as class actions by Best Lawyers in Canada. She has represented clients before all levels of Quebec courts, and has also appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Mtre Peter Kalichman, lawyer at Irving Mitchell Kalichman
Peter Kalichman has been a partner at IMK since 2000. HIs practice is focused primarily on commercial litigation, including breach of contract disputes, shareholder disputes, securities and banking law as well as litigation in the areas of class actions, real estate, product liability, telecommunications and construction. He has pleaded before the Supreme Court of Canada, all levels of Quebec courts, the Federal Court of Canada, as well as before several administrative tribunals. He was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2013.

Mtre Michael Bergman, lawyer at Bergman & Assoc.
Michael N. Bergman is the founder and principal of Bergman & Associates, lawyers. He is a veteran legal strategist, a tenacious negotiator, and a seasoned litigator. In his 37 years of law practice, he has pleaded before the trial and appellate Courts of Québec, Ontario, the trial and appellate Federal Courts, the Supreme Court of Canada, the United States District Court and diverse administrative bodies. Mr. Bergman has represented clients before official committees of the Parliament of Canada and the National Assembly of Québec. He has steered and coordinated international litigation between several countries.

Mtre George Hendy
George Hendy is a retired partner of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, with 42 years of experience before the courts, specializing in corporate and commercial litigation, including pension fund litigation, unfair competition, product liability, class actions, commercial fraud, shareholder disputes, oppression remedies, fiduciary duties of departing employees, unjust dismissals and contractual disputes of all kinds.

The Honourable Pierrette Sevigny
Pierrette Sevigny is an attorney since 1975, a retired judge of the Superior Court of Quebec – Montreal district. For 17 years, she was a Superior Court judge – Montreal district. She is an accredited civil and commercial and family mediator and arbitrator. She has 12 years of experience in the firm McConomy & Sevigny in corporate, family and general litigation. Former professor at Concordia University, Lasalle College and Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal. Founder and former president of “Résidence Project Chance Inc.”, former delegate to the National Conference on the Status of Women Report, delegate to the National Conference on Women and the Constitution. Founder and Member of the Board of Directors of Montreal Catholic Counseling Inc.