Business law

Sicotte Guilbault LLP's lawyers assist to help ensure the success and growth of our business clients and their operations.

Whether advising sole proprietorships, joint ventures, cooperatives, partnerships or corporations our business lawyers are focused on providing advice that is strategic, insightful and results driven.

We support our clients by providing a broad and varied array of services covering all aspects of business law. Our business law practice is the largest area in our firm offering our clients the benefit of our extensive knowledge and depth of experience.

We work with:

• Small business owners
• Partnerships
• Corporate entities
• Pension funds
• Governments and related agencies
• Cooperatives
• Joint ventures
• National and multi-national corporations
• Professional groups
• Athletic teams and organizations
• Chartered banks
• Insurance and trust companies

Services offered:

• Advising on and negotiating acquisitions merges and sales of business interests,
• Public and private financing,
• Real property and personal property financing and securitization,
• Corporate restructuring,
• Public and private offerings of securities,
• Intellectual property and technology law,
• Foreign investment,
• o Ontario, Canada and International Business arrangements and transactions including sales of goods and services, franchising, leasing, distribution and related corporate filings and activities.

Business - Practice Areas

• Intellectual Property

• Businesses spend a lot of money building a brand, yet often very little is spent protecting the brand. If your logo or trade name is not registered as a trademark, protection is often difficult and very expensive. If registered as a trademark, protecting and enforcing a trade name or logo is less expensive and much more effective.

  Team members for 'Intellectual Property':
  

  Maxime Desforges

  Lawyer , Ottawa

  

  Eireann Aldrich

  Legal Assistant , Ottawa

• Income Tax Planning, Administration and Enforcement

• Working with the accountants and advisers, our tax lawyers assist business owners with the structure their businesses to help minimize tax liabilities. Should you find yourself in a tax problem with the tax authorities, our tax lawyers are also ready to protect your rights and achieve the best possible resolution.

  Team members for 'Income Tax Planning, Administration and Enforcement':
  

  Denis Sicotte

  Business Development Partner , Ottawa

• Mergers and Acquisitions

• We handle the most complex business purchase and sale transactions. We help with every aspect of a transaction, including the negotiation, financing, due diligence, operational issues, and regulatory approval. We also assist with the planning and execution of ownership transitions to family and employees.

  Team members for 'Mergers and Acquisitions':
  

  Sylvie Patenaude

  Partner , Ottawa

  

  Nathalie Douville

  Assistant , Ottawa

  

  Denis Sicotte

  Business Development Partner , Ottawa

  

  Nicole Lefebvre

  Assistant , Ottawa

  

  Martin Robertson

  Lawyer , Ottawa

  

  Stephanie Carriere

  Lawyer , Embrun

• Commercial Financing

• Our commercial financing lawyers assist borrowers and lenders in structuring, negotiating and documenting commercial loans and loan modifications. Assisting with restructuring other complex financial arrangements, including leveraged buyouts, acquisition financing and recapitalization are other services our commercial financing lawyers are capable of.

  Team members for 'Commercial Financing':
  

  Sylvie Patenaude

  Partner , Ottawa

  

  Denis Sicotte

  Business Development Partner , Ottawa

  

  Nicole Lefebvre

  Assistant , Ottawa

  

  Martin Robertson

  Lawyer , Ottawa

• Bankruptcy and Debt Restructuring

• Businesses and individuals struggling with financial problems can seek protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. Debt restructuring allows one to settle a portion of the debt, and provides protection from creditors while regaining financial stability. We also advise creditors as to their rights in a bankrupt estate.

  Team members for 'Bankruptcy and Debt Restructuring':
  

  Nathalie Douville

  Assistant , Ottawa

  

  Denis Sicotte

  Business Development Partner , Ottawa

  

  Nicole Lefebvre

  Assistant , Ottawa

• Franchising

• We handle all aspects of franchising. We help aspiring business owners buy a franchise, and we assist with the financing. We also provide legal advice to franchisors of all sizes. Finally, if you are an entrepreneur with a great concept you may one day franchise, we can assist with your strategic plan and related advice to achieve your objective.

  Team members for 'Franchising':
  

  Sylvie Patenaude

  Partner , Ottawa

  

  Nathalie Douville

  Assistant , Ottawa

  

  Nicole Lefebvre

  Assistant , Ottawa

• Employment Law

• Our employment law lawyers protect business clients against employee-related legal issues before they arise. We perform an HR Health Check™ and review all workplace policies and agreements, and help you prioritize and implement the various elements of a solid HR department.

  Team members for 'Employment Law ':
  

  Émilie Leblanc Lacasse

  Lawyer , Ottawa

• Business Structures and Agreements

• From start-ups to large businesses, we set up corporations, partnerships, joint ventures, family trusts, shareholder and partnership agreements and any other commercial contracts.

  Team members for 'Business Structures and Agreements':
  

  Sylvie Patenaude

  Partner , Ottawa

  

  Denis Sicotte

  Business Development Partner , Ottawa

  

  Émilie Leblanc Lacasse

  Lawyer , Ottawa

  

  Cheryl Minniti

  Legal Assistant , Ottawa

  

  Eireann Aldrich

  Legal Assistant , Ottawa

  

  Martin Robertson

  Lawyer , Ottawa

  

  Stephanie Carriere

  Lawyer , Embrun

  

  Chantal Sabourin

  Partner , Embrun