Beware!
Before you hire a lawyer, make sure that he or she is a member in good standing of the Barreau du Québec and has a license to practise law. This free and easy verification can save you time, money and most importantly, many problems.
To check whether a person is a member in good standing of the Barreau du Québec and does have the right to exercise the profession of lawyer:
- First confirm the identity and contact information of the person whose services you wish to retain.
- Validate the information by consulting the Directory of lawyers of the Barreau du Québec, ensuring that the telephone number, e-mail address and professional address provided correspond to those indicated in the Directory.
- If you do not find the person’s name in the Directory or in case of any doubt, contact Info-Barreau: 514 954-3411 (Montreal area) or 1 844 954-3411 (toll-free) or infobarreau@barreau.qc.ca.
Examples of acts reserved for lawyers
Here are some examples of acts that only a lawyer can perform on behalf of others, which are frequently reported or complained of to the Bar of Montreal, since they are performed by non-lawyers. Notaries can also perform some of these acts for others:
- to give legal advice and consultations on legal matters (notaries as well);
- to prepare and draw up a document (notice, motion, proceeding) intended for use in a case before the courts (notaries as well, but only for non-contentious proceedings);
- to plead or act before any tribunal, with exceptions (see section 128. 2) of an Act respecting the Barreau du Québec for a complete list of exceptions) (notaries as well, but only for non-contentious proceedings);
- to incorporate a legal person (notaries as well);
- to make collections or make any claim with costs or to imply that judicial proceedings will be taken.
ATTENTION! This list is not exhaustive. For a complete list of acts that are the exclusive prerogative of the practising lawyer, please refer to section 128 of an Act respecting the Barreau du Québec.
Good to know
A lawyer must preserve the professional secrecy
In order to achieve this, he or she must use a closed consulting room to ensure the confidentiality of conversations, which must not be heard from outside.
If the person asks you to meet in a public place (café, restaurant, shopping mall) or offers to go to your home or workplace for a professional discussion, be suspicious.
A lawyer must hold a trust account
A lawyer must hold a trust account to deposit the sums of money he or she requests as advances, for services to be rendered or future expenses. If the person asks you for a cheque or transfer in their name only, without the mention “in trust”, be vigilant.
If you are making a payment to a company, make sure that the company’s name appears under the name of the lawyer in the Directory of lawyers of the Barreau du Québec.
Fake Lawyers and Fake Lawyers’ Websites
Fake lawyers’ websites look real, are well-designed and look polished. The so-called lawyers are courteous, polite and convincing. Some will even use the name of a person registered in the Directory of lawyers and invite you to check it. If in doubt, call the person back at the number listed in the Directory of lawyers or write to the e-mail address listed in the Directory (not the contact information the person gave you).
The fake lawyers and the administrators of fake lawyers’ websites use many other strategies to lend credibility to their operations:
- They are active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
- In immigration law in particular, they use the official logos of the governments of Québec and Canada or other official organizations.
- They post positive testimonials on websites (e.g., user communities, blogs, Google) and social media platforms.
- They reply systematically to victim testimonials and warnings, are reassuring and respond that services are provided by qualified and competent people.
- They make people sign credible administrative documents.
Warning lists of fake lawyers’ websites with an address in Québec and of fake lawyers reported to the Barreau de Montréal
Those lists are not exhaustive. They contain only the names of websites and so-called lawyers that we have received complaints about and whose owners or so-called lawyers have refused to cooperate with the Bar of Montreal. Some fake lawyers’ websites or so-called lawyers are not included in this list either because they have not yet been brought to our attention or their names have been modified. Stay informed!
Fake lawyers and/or cases of identity theft of real lawyers:
| Name(s) used | Contact Information | Other details |
|---|---|---|
| « Wade Farrow » Montreal Pierce Firm | LinkedIn : https://ca.linkedin.com/in/wade-farrow-2255b8231 Email : wade@patscomachines.com | Operating Mode: The fake lawyer contacts his potential victims via LinkedIn to tell them about a business opportunity to act as an intermediary between a European company and its clients in Canada. “Wade Farrow” claims to be a retired lawyer who practised with a number of Montreal firms. On his LinkedIn profile, he uses the photo of a real American lawyer (https://www.vjglaw.com/mark-r-patterson). There are no lawyers by the name of Wade Farrow in Quebec. |
| « Me Millard Boivin Douffet » No such lawyer in Quebec « Millard Avocats » | Phone numbers used : 450-497-8582 +33 6 46 98 78 80 Address : 1015 Rue Hyman, Dollard-des-Ormeaux Web site : www.millardavocats.com Email : Millard.douffet3@gmail.com douffet@millardavocats.com cabinet@millardavocats.com Instagram Account : millard_douffet | Operating Mode: Via Instagram messaging, a person introducing herself as Marceline Gosselin claims to have chosen her correspondent to inherit her fortune since she has no other heirs and is about to die. She asks you to contact her lawyer/notary in France, Me Millard Boivin Douffet, but with an office in Montreal, Millard Avocats. She sends photos of her bank balance and even makes video calls. |
| “The name of a true Quebec lawyer” | Phone number used (prepaid card) : 450-465-0403 438-324-2416 438-470-0334 | Operating Mode: “Grandparent scams” The potential victim receives a phone call from a caller claiming to be their child or grandchild and that he has been arrested because he was in a car accident while talking on his cell phone. He asks the potential victim for bail money and tells him that a lawyer will call him. The fake lawyer then contacts the potential victim using the name of a real member of the Bar: arrangements are made for the bail payment. The potential victim is then visited by a fake bailiff who collects the cash. For more information on this type of fraud, please consult the detailed description available on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website (https://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/scams-fraudes/emergency-urgence-eng.htm). |
| Facebook Page « Global mfera immigration, avocats spécialisés dans l’immigration » | Phone number used on the fake Facebook page : 226 840-6483 Email address used on the fake Facebook page : mferaglobalimmigration | Operating Mode: A Facebook page in the name of “Global mfera immigration, avocats spécialisés dans l’immigration” has usurped the identity of Mr. Charlemagne Mfera, an active member of the Collège des consultants en immigration et en citoyenneté. There is no lawyer by the name of Mfera who is a member of the Quebec Bar. Here is the actual contact information for M. Charlemagne Mfera : 372 Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest Bureau 221, Montréal QC, H3B 1A2 + 1 514 844 7460 globalmferaimmigration@bell.net |
« Mtre Didier Ferguson » Aucun avocat de ce nom au Québec. Other name used: « Mtre Alain Fergusson » | Il utilise ou il a utilisé les numéros de téléphone et les courriels suivants : Me Didier FergusonAssocié M&A Transaction Services Deloitte DTTL S.E.N.C.R.L. / s.r.l. Phone. 438-448-3977 – 1-438-448-6177 dferguson@deloittedttl.com ceo@iv-uh.com The website « deloittedttl.com » does not exist | Operating Mode: Une personne non identifiée écrit à un employé-clé d’une entreprise (destinataire) en se faisant passer pour un de ses collègues de travail. Cette personne non identifiée réfère alors à une transaction confidentielle et elle invite le destinataire à collaborer avec « Maître Didier Ferguson » ou « Maître Alain Ferguson » de la firme Deloitte, et de suivre ces directives : le tout est présenté comme hautement confidentiel. Le destinataire est également invité à transmettre les « liquidités bancaires » à la personne non identifiée, afin que « Maître Didier (Alain) Ferguson puisse établir les différentes analyses requises ». Cette personne n’est pas associé à Deloitte |
| « David Jean-Louis » Usurps the identity of David Jean-Louis, a true Belgian lawyer. | Use the contact information of the real David Jean-Louis, Belgium lawyer, except the phone number and email address. Phone : (450) 497-4986 Courriel : | Operating Mode: in connection with false advertisements offering purebred dogs on several sites in Quebec (advertiser’s tel: (450) 235-0964). The potential buyer is advised to pay additional amounts up front. When the buyer refuses, he receives an email from the fake “David Jean-Louis” demanding payment and threatening to prosecute. In some cases, the fake “David Jean-Louis” calls to pressure the buyer to pay the amounts. Letter from the real lawyer David Jean-Louis confirming the usurpation of his professional identity. |
Fake Lawyers’ Websites
| Name(s) used | Contact Information | Website(s) and other details |
|---|---|---|
| www.alexanderhudsonllp.com « Alexander Hudson » « Alexander Hudson LLP » | Adress used : OACI’s parking 629 rue Saint-Antoine O Montréal, Qc H3C 6J7, Canada Other adress indicated on the website : Philip Heymans Alle 17, 2900 Hellerup, Copenhagen, Denmark Phone : +1-705-2431-383 Fax : +1-705-4008-248 Emails used : info@alexanderhudsonllp.com ahudson@alexanderhudsonllp.com alexhudsonllp@protonmail.com | Website: www.alexanderhudsonllp.com Operating mode : The person who operates this site sends letters on which he identifies himself as Alexander Hudson lawyer in Montreal. Letter used (fake) Warning: This website uses the names of real lawyers practicing in the United States. |
| Cabinet Immigration Canadienne Me Abbeh Delp (fake lawyer) | Adress used : 2101 rue Sainte-Catherine O Montréal (Québec) H3H 1M6 Canada Phone : (+1) 438 795 9515 (438) 488-5391 (438) 255 3318 (not in service) Email : contact@cabinetimmigrationcanadienne.com | Website: cabinetimmigrationcanadienne.com (fake) |
| Desjardinlaw.com anciennement : www.deefactolegal.com www.postelnikassociates.com | Phone: (514) 545-6176 Phone: (438) 500-4550 Email: info@desjardinlaw.com | Warning: ce site utilise le nom et l’adresse de véritables avocats : seuls les numéros de téléphone et l’adresse courriel sont faux. Faux site : Desjardinlaw.com Facebook (faux compte) : www.facebook.com/OdetteDesjardinsLaw?_rdc=1&_rdr |
| MEHREZ LAW | Adresses used : 41 rue Saint-Paul Ouest, Montréal, Québec, H2Y 2Y6 1111, rue Saint-Urbain MO4, Montréal, Québec, H2Z 1Y6 Phone: (438) 500-4550 Email: inquiries@mehrezlaw.ca | Website: mehrezlaw.ca Facebook Page: www.faebook.com/pg/MehrezLaw/about Usurps the identity of real lawyers (including Hazem Mehrez and Nicolas Aubin), none of whom practice at the addresses used by “Mehrez Law”. |
| LLOYD & HOLMES SOLICITORS LLP Other names used: « Peter LLOYD »« Peterson LLOYD » « Yvonne SMITH HOLMES » | Phone : +1 581 704 1804 Adress (non-existent) : Emails: | Website (hosted in Russia): www.lloydholmeslawfirm.com Documents used to legitimize activities:
Use of the name of a legitimate financial company :
|
| LLOYD & SHAKESPEARE LAW OFFICE LLP : Other names used: « Peter LLOYD » « Peterson LLOYD » | Tél.: +1 438 299 6770 Adress: 600 de Maisonneuve West, Suite 1910, Montreal, Quebec H3A 3J2 Canada 2100 – 1075, West Georgia LLP Vancouver, BC V6E 3C9 Canada Emails: plloydjohan@gmail.com info@lloydshakespearellp.com lloydshakespearellp@gmail.com pl.attorney.22@gmail.com llopeter.attorney@gmail.com petersonlloyd55@gmail.com | Website: www.lloydshakespearellp.com Documents used to legitimize activities:
Use of the name of a legitimate financial company :
|
| SHAKESPEARE LAW FIRM LLP Other names used: « Peter LLOYD »« Peterson LLOYD » | Adress: 2100 – 1075, West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6E 3C9 Canada Emails: | |
| procanadamigrate.com Other name used : procanada.net | Whatsapp +1 438 300 1537 Phone: +1 514 613 5413 Email: info@procanadamigrate.com | Website: www.procanadamigrate.com Facebook: procanadaofficiel |
IMMIGRATION LAW
ATTENTION! Several fake lawyers’ websites target an international clientele seeking professional immigration assistance. In Quebec, only the following people can represent or advise you in an immigration process:
- Lawyers who are members in good standing of a law society of a province of Canada;
- Regulated immigration consultants who are members of the ICCRC;
- Notaries who are members in good standing of the Chambre des notaires du Québec;
- Any other person acting on a gratuitous basis.
Precautions to be taken
If the person identifies himself or herself as a regulated immigration consultant member of the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC), make sure that his or her contact information matches those appearing on the ICCRC registry. If in doubt, call the person back at the number on the ICCRC registry (not the one he or she gave you). The ICCRC has developed a web page on fraud prevention.
As for lawyers, if the person claims to be a notary, make sure that he or she has a licence to practice as a notary by consulting the Roll of the Order of the Chambre des notaires du Québec. To verify if a person is a member in good standing of the Chambre des notaires, call the following number: 514 879-1793 or 1 800-263-1793 (toll-free).
If the person mentions that he or she will represent you free of charge, make sure that this is really the case. The person should not ask you to pay more than the administrative fees necessary to process your application, as provided by the government concerned :
- Fee list (in Canadian dollars) for submitting applications to the Government of Canada (federal); or
- Fee list (in Canadian dollars) for submitting applications to the Government of Quebec (provincial).
If a person asks for a donation or gift or offers to barter or volunteer for their services, they are not doing so for free.
Other useful resource is the Government of Canada’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Internet, email and telephone scams help page, which reads:
“It’s easy for criminals to copy a real website or build one that looks professional. Websites may claim to be official Government of Canada sites or their partners. Others may claim to offer special immigration deals or guaranteed high-paying jobs. They do this to trick people into paying them money.”
