Nikolas heads the Real Estate Litigation practice group at the Montréal office. He practises real estate, commercial and contract litigation, including expropriations. He regularly appears before the civil courts and administrative tribunals in Québec and he has pleaded before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Real Estate Litigation and Expropriation
Nikolas heads the Real Estate Litigation practice group at the Montréal office. He has extensive experience, which covers many areas, including expropriation, commercial leases, municipal taxation (commercial, industrial and mining sites), co-ownership, real estate projects and transactions, zoning and urban planning, latent defects, soil contamination, real estate appraisals, neighbourhood disturbances, etc.
As a lawyer specializing in expropriation: Nikolas is one of the few lawyers in the firm to cover any aspect of expropriation. He has distinguished himself in the course of several expropriation cases and is presently active in over twenty expropriation files in which the overall value of the assets affected by the proceedings exceeds $1 billion. Nikolas initiated and chairs the conferences of the Québec Bar in expropriation law. He has set up an unrivalled team at Fasken in expropriation law. As part of the special parliamentary hearings on Bill 66 (acceleration of some infrastructure projects), Nikolas was recognized as a lawyer specializing in expropriation law before the Commission permanente des finances publiques of the National Assembly of Quebec. You can watch the video of his appearance before the parliamentary committee here (available in French only). In addition, Nikolas frequently gives conferences on expropriation matters. He was recently a speaker at the Fasken Institute's conference "L'expropriation - tout ce qu'il faut savoir: rudiments, enjeux et défis". The webcast of this conference is available by clicking here (available in French only). He is also an author in expropriation law and has been cited by the Quebec Court of Appeal (available in French only).
Construction Law
Nikolas has also acquired a particular expertise in construction law and uses his experience in this field to efficiently assist clients in carrying out their projects. He frequently advises both small and large companies in all their construction law matters, particularly in relation to dispute resolutions.
Contract and Civil Litigation
Nikolas is regularly asked to resolve contractual disputes. He has debated the scope of all kinds of complex contracts involving clients from different sectors of the business world. Over the years, he has become specialized in contract interpretation and regularly delivers training to his colleagues. As an example, he has published a feature article on the acte clair doctrine in Québec law, in the Revue du Barreau, and is an author cited by the Court.
Integrity. Determination. Justice.
Nikolas undertakes to expend every effort, with integrity and determination, to obtain justice for clients. He unabashedly raises the most creative and ingenious arguments in court with a view to successfully completing the mandates with which he is entrusted. His files often demand quick procedural interventions involving safeguard orders, seizures, injunctions, evictions, etc.
Nikolas regularly appears before the civil courts and administrative tribunals in Quebec, at both the trial and appellate levels. He has also pleaded before the Supreme Court of Canada.
