“Van Breda, 10 years on”: A Chat about the Conflict of Laws with the Honourable Louis LeBel and Paul-Erik Veel

Friends Who Argue

This episode features a conversation about private international law hosted by Gabriel Poliquin (Olthuis van Ert) with retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louis LeBel and Paul-Erik Veel (Lenczner Slaght). Marking the 10th anniversary of the foundational Supreme Court of Canada Club Resorts v Van Breda decision (written by the Honourable Louis Lebel on behalf of the Court) – which brought greater certainty to the question of when Canadian courts will assume civil jurisdiction, the guests discuss the positive nature of conflict of laws rules, the influence of civil law judges and the evolution of private international law in the internet age.

The Honourable Louis LeBel was appointed a justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal in 1984, and was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2000, retiring in 2014. He is now counsel at Langlois in Montreal and Quebec City. He received an honorary doctorate of laws degree from Laval University in 2001 and from the University of Ottawa in 2010, was awarded both the Medal of the Quebec City Bar and the Medal of the Quebec Bar, and was named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2017. He has been an honorary member of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 2004.

Paul-Erik Veel is a partner at Lenczner Slaght in Toronto, where he practices commercial litigation with a focus on class actions. He appears regularly before Courts across the country, including at the Supreme Court of Canada. Paul-Erik is known for his groundbreaking use of legal data analytics to inform the practice of litigation, for which he was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers of 2022 by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. In addition to his many activities, he also lectures in private international law at the University of Toronto. Paul-Erik clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada from 2009 to 2010 for the Honourable Louise Charron.

Gabriel Poliquin is counsel at Olthuis van Ert based in Ottawa. He focuses his practice on all aspects of civil and commercial litigation but with a special focus on public law including proceedings against the Crown. Mr. Poliquin is a trained mediator and offers alternative dispute resolution services in civil and commercial matters. When not acting in public or commercial law matters, Gabriel teaches private international law as a lecturer at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. Gabriel clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada from 2010 to 2011 for the Honourable Louis LeBel.

Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples. We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.