Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

BCF is an independent business law firm founded in 1995 by eight founding partners who wanted to practise law differently. Today, the firm brings together more than 600 people, including more than 320 legal and business professionals, who support companies in their growth, transformation, and sustainability ambitions by uniting law and business. The About page presents the firm's mission, values, and history, while the Team page allows visitors to discover all of its professionals and their areas of expertise.

BCF was founded in 1995 in Montreal. The firm celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025, a milestone marked by continuous growth and the gradual opening of new offices, including Quebec City and, later, Paris in 2018.

BCF has three offices: Montreal and Quebec City, as well as Paris, home to BCF Global, the firm's intellectual property team dedicated to Europe. Full contact details for each office are available on the Contact page.

Since 2023, the firm has been led by Me Julie Doré, managing partner, the first woman to hold this position in BCF's history. She is supported by the firm's executive committee as well as by Me Pierre T. Allard, partner and chair of the board of directors. Leadership profiles are available on the Team page.

No. While firmly rooted in Quebec, the firm supports companies from here and abroad, including in cross-border transactions, thanks to its Paris office and its international alliances with business law firms established in cities such as Boston, New York, London, Frankfurt, Toronto, Tokyo, and Singapore. This international presence also makes BCF a partner of choice for foreign companies looking to establish themselves, invest, or grow their operations in Quebec and Canada.

BCF has developed a structured approach to artificial intelligence, both in its own internal practice and in the advice it provides to companies navigating the legal issues related to AI. Details are available on the page Our Approach to Artificial Intelligence. 

BCF practises notably in business law, corporate finance, intellectual property, labour and employment law, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory permits and compliance, real estate law, as well as taxation and wealth protection. All practice areas are detailed on the website, each with a description of the services offered and the key contacts.

Yes. The firm advises companies at every stage of growth, from startup to complex transactions, including venture capital and private equity matters. More details are available on the Business Law page.

Yes. The litigation team covers a wide range of areas, including civil and commercial litigation, class actions, arbitration, crisis and reputation management, as well as business criminal law. The Litigation page presents all of these services and the key contacts for each type of service.

Yes. The firm supports companies in protecting patents, industrial designs, trade secrets, trademarks, and copyrights, as well as issues related to domain names and social media. See the Intellectual Property page for the full list.

Yes, notably in collective agreement negotiation, pension and benefits plans, and occupational health and safety. See the Labour and Employment Law page.

Yes. The firm supports companies throughout the entire transactional cycle, including family business transfers and management buyouts. See the Mergers, Acquisitions and Business Succession page.

Yes. BCF's tax group supports companies, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals in Canadian and international taxation, estate planning, asset protection, and taxation related to mergers and acquisitions. See the Taxation and Wealth Protection page.

Yes, year after year. BCF has ranked among Canada's Best Managed Companies every year since 2007, a unique distinction in the Quebec legal community that it has maintained for a 19th year in 2026.

Yes. BCF is recognized year after year in several leading legal directories, including Chambers Canada, Legal 500 Canada, and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, which highlight the strength of several of the firm's practice areas, notably litigation, life sciences, construction law, and employment law. The firm also regularly contributes to sector guides, for example Chambers Real Estate 2026, where it analyzed trends and issues in Quebec real estate law. The firm is also consistently ranked among Canada's leading litigation firms, for example in the Benchmark Litigation Canada 2026 rankings. See the Firm News section for all announcements.

Yes, also on a recurring basis. The firm is regularly recognized in international rankings such as IAM Patent 1000 and World Trademark Review 1000, two leading references in intellectual property. In 2026, BCF Global was also recognized in the French Leaders League rankings for industrial property. Our Paris office earned strong recognition in three strategic categories:

•        Electronics, Telecommunications, and New Technologies Patents

•        Patents (General)

•        Patents – Physics, Mechanics, and Construction

Yes. Each year, many BCF professionals are recognized by leading directories and rankings such as Chambers Canada, Best Lawyers in Canada, Benchmark Litigation, IP STARS, IAM Strategy 300: The World's Leading IP Strategists, IAM Patent 1000, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and World Trademark Review 1000. Some individuals also receive prestigious individual distinctions, notably "Lawyer of the Year" titles in their practice area.

For example, BCF received 181 recognitions in the 2027 edition of Best Lawyers in Canada across 35 different practice areas.

Each team member's individual distinctions are presented in their profile, available on the Team page.

Yes. The firm has notably been named among Montreal's best employers by Canada's Top 100 Employers, a recognition that highlights the quality of its work environment. Available positions and benefits offered are presented on the Careers page.

Several entry points are possible. You can contact the firm through the Contact page to briefly describe your needs, or reach out directly to a key contact. Each practice area and sub-area page displays its own key contacts, and each profile on the Team page provides the lawyer's full contact details. A member of the team will then follow up to discuss the matter and determine the best-positioned team to respond.

BCF puts together a tailored team based on the nature of the mandate, combining the relevant practice areas and industry sectors to precisely meet the client company's needs.

Each practice area page presents the key contacts responsible for it, along with their title, email address, and phone number. You can also visit the Team page directly and use the filter by practice area or sector to find the right person.

Yes. BCF regularly supports Canadian and international companies with their business projects in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. Thanks to its presence in Europe through BCF Global in Paris and its network of international alliances, the firm is able to offer coordinated support to companies looking to establish themselves, invest, or grow their operations in Quebec and Canada.

Yes, all of BCF's services are offered in both French and English, including legal and financial translation for business documents. BCF also has professionals able to serve clients in several other languages, notably Russian, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese.

Fees vary depending on the nature, complexity, and duration of the mandate. Terms, including the applicable billing structure, are discussed and agreed upon with the client before work begins.

Yes. Before work begins, our team discusses the scope of the mandate with the client and provides the necessary information to ensure a clear understanding of the anticipated costs.

BCF Global is the firm's European office, based in Paris and specialized in intellectual property. Its transatlantic team of lawyers and patent agents, qualified to represent clients directly in the United States, Canada, Europe, and France, coordinates the protection and valorization of client companies' technology assets on both sides of the Atlantic. The team speaks nearly ten languages and handles matters in both French and English. See the BCF Global page.

BCF Global supports companies in protecting, valorizing, and commercializing their technology and intellectual property assets, in both North America and Europe. Through its transatlantic approach and network of specialized professionals, the team develops tailored intellectual property strategies, builds and manages patent portfolios, protects trade secrets, implements data protection policies, and advises organizations on open-source software. It also handles intellectual property litigation and negotiates the agreements needed to commercialize intangible assets.

BCF Global works with companies from many leading-edge sectors, including mechanics, physics, optics, telecommunications, information technology, medical devices, biotechnology, aeronautics, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies. Through its presence in North America and Europe, BCF Global helps its clients protect, develop, and commercialize their innovations in an international business context.

The two key contacts at BCF Global are Philippe Therias and Marion Fauré. The BCF Global page includes a Key Contacts section linking to their profiles as well as to the entire Paris office team.

Yes. The firm offers internship opportunities as well as positions for early- and mid-career professionals. You can consult our page dedicated to student recruitment or the careers page at BCF to learn more.

Applications are submitted directly through BCF's Workday platform, where available positions in each office are listed. You can consult our careers page to learn more about the various benefits we offer.

You can fill out the form on the Contact page or reach out directly to the Montreal, Quebec City, or Paris office.

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