Eric C. Lefebvre

Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Eric C. Lefebvre

Eric C. Lefebvre

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Biography

Eric Lefebvre's litigation practice involves a broad range of commercial litigation matters, including competition law, class actions, banking, consumer law, corporate disputes and commercial contracts. He has particular experience in urgent remedies such as seizures and injunctions of various kinds. He has been retained both by petitioners and respondents in many high-stakes shareholder oppression cases and has defended parties facing cartel and bid-rigging accusations before criminal courts.

Eric represents clients before the Québec and federal courts as well as before regulatory bodies such as the Competition Tribunal. He has been involved a great many searches and seizures conducted by the Competition Bureau as well as ensuing internal investigations and litigation. In addition, he acts in commercial arbitration proceedings.

Eric was the head of our Montréal litigation group between 2016 and 2020.


Professional experience

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LL.L., University of Ottawa, 1995
B.Adm., University of Ottawa, 1992
Canadian Securities Course, Canadian Securities Institute

  • Quebec 1996

Competition and antitrust

  • Bausch Health in defending a class action filed before the Federal Court relating to allegations of market allocation and price fixing in the generic drug market across Canada
  • Century 21 in defending a class action filed before the Federal Court relating to allegations of conspiracy to price fix buyer brokerage sales commissions in the Greater Toronto Area
  • Canadian Hockey League in defending a class action filed before the Federal Court relating to an alleged conspiracy to unreasonably limit the professional opportunities of hockey players
  • Metro in defending multiple class actions across Canada relating to allegations of conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread

Consumer law and banking

  • Wayfair in defending a class action relating to allegations of purported violations of the Québec Consumer Protection Act (extended warranties)
  • Activision Blizzard in defending class actions in Québec and British Columbia relating to allegations of purported misrepresentations in violation of both the Competition Act and the Québec Consumer Protection Act (loot boxes)
  • Expedia and Hotwire in defending class actions in Québec and British Columbia relating to allegations of purported misrepresentations in violation of consumer protection legislation (online ticket sales – drip pricing)
  • Royal Bank of Canada in defending class actions in Québec and Ontario relating to allegations of purported violations of consumer protection legislation (NSF Fees)

Technology and the digital economy

  • SkipTheDishes in defending a class action relating to allegations of purported violations of the Québec Consumer Protection Act (merchant commissions), as well as a class action relating to allegations of purported violations of employment legislation (worker classification)
  • Groupe Jean Coutu in defending a class action relating to allegations of a purported privacy breach
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Corporate and Commercial Litigation, 2020-2025, Competition / Antitrust, Class Action Litigation, 2024-2025
  • Chambers Canada, Quebec: Litigation: General Commercial, Chambers and Partners, 2020-2025
  • Chambers Canada, Nationwide: Competition/Antitrust: Litigators, Chambers and Partners, 2024-2025 
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2021-2024: recommended in Class Actions; 2019-2024: recommended in Competition Law; 2020-2024: recommended in Litigation - Corporate Commercial
  • Acritas Stars 2019-2021 – Designated as an "Independently rated lawyer"    
  • Global Competition Review – Cartels 2022 Canada
  • Chambers Global Practice Guide – Cartels 2022 Canada
  • JurisClasseur Québec, Droit de la consommation et de la concurrence, "Recours et procédure en matière de concurrence," 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2022, LexisNexis Canada, fasc. 31
  • Revised Canadian Immunity and Leniency Program FAQs – highlights, October 2013
  • Supreme Court of Canada denies leave in "refusal to deal" case, December 2011
  • Indirect purchaser class actions: Québec Court of Appeal decision highlights disparity in Canadian law, November 2011
  • Bar orders in price fixing class action settlements: the uncertainty continues, September 2011
  • "National Colloquium on Collective Action 2022," Quebec Bar Association, Montreal, Quebec, November 10th and 11th, 2022.
  • "The Impact of COVID-19 on the Pharma Industry and Recent Developments Involving Biosimilars and Generics Webinar," Canadian Bar Association Competition Law Section, Montreal, Quebec, October 2020.
  • "Recent Developments in Class Actions and Competition Law," Canadian Bar Association Competition Law Section, Montreal, Quebec, April 2018.
  • "Competition Law," Les Éditions Yvon Blais with the collaboration of the Centre d'études en droit économique (CEDE), Laval University, Montreal, November 2016.
  • "The carrot and stick approach: the Commissioner of Competition is taking a growing interest in your corporate compliance program," Norton Rose Fulbright, Montreal, Quebec, 2015.
  • "Bid-Rigging - The Criminal Provision," Competition Law Spring Forum, Canadian Bar Association, Toronto, Ontario, June 2015.
  • "Les différentes formes de cartel," Centre d'études en droit économique (CEDE), Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, May 28, 2014.
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • American Bar Association