Skip to main content
Sylvie Bourdeau associée/partner Montréal

Sylvie Bourdeau

Partner Fasken
Assessing the risks associated with a business transaction and the solutions put forward to properly allocate, control or mitigate them is a key element of its success.
Jurisdiction Québec, 1988
Language(s) French, English
Office(s) Montréal
Contact
Share
  • LinkedIn

Overview

Sylvie Bourdeau practising in the area of business and mergers and acquisition law. Over the years she has been involved in numerous mandates involving the financial products and services and life sciences/pharmaceuticals industries.

In addition to the numerous mergers and acquisitions and private financings mandates in which she has been involved in her practice, Sylvie’s also represented many clients in matters involving the drafting of complex commercial agreements, including  for joint ventures, franchises, collaboration agreements, outsourcing of services, licensing, distribution, manufacturing and limited partnerships.

Sylvie has acquired extensive experience in the regulations governing financial institutions (insurers, trust companies and deposit institutions) and advises many of them on a regular basis with respect to the regulations applicable in Canada and Québec. She counsels clients in connection with the creation of new financial institutions, reinsurance, rules governing investments and capital management, compliance, development of new products, consumer protection and the contracts and operations related to their activities. Her experience in the regulation of financial institutions, combined with her in-depth knowledge of business law, make her a trusted resource for the “Fin Tech” industry in general. Sylvie also assists clients in their dealings with the competent regulatory authorities.

Sylvie advises a number of clients in the life sciences and pharmaceutical industries on commercial operations of all kinds and on issues related to the legislation of the health sector applicable in Québec.

Achievements

  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyers 2026
  • Recognized in Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice in Montreal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Corporate Commercial Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate Mid-Market and Life Sciences & Health, Lexpert 2018 to 2026
  • Recognized in Corporate Law in Montreal, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2025 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide as a Notable Practitioner in Corporate and M&A, Capital Markets, IFLR 1000 2022 to 2025
  • Recognized as Recommended in Insurance & Reinsurance, Lexology Index 2024 to 2025
  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (formerly known as Acritas Star™ lawyer), Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyers 2022
  • Received the award for Canadian Impact Deal of the Year 2020 for her work on the GenePOC sale to Meridian Bioscience, LMG Life Sciences Awards 2020
  • Named in Acritas Stars, Thomson Reuters 2017 to 2019
  • Named "Canadian Financial & Transactional Attorney of the Year" by the LMG Life Sciences Awards (2015), 12/31/2015
Ranking Block for Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters Named in Acritas Stars

Experience

  • An investment firm completed the acquisition of a leading provider of protection plan management, [Deal - Confidential], Acquisition of a leading protection plan provider by an investment firm.
  • Exceldor Cooperative sells its assets to Sofina Foods, [Deal - Exceldor Cooperative], Sale of assets of Exceldor Cooperative to Sofina Foods.
  • UV Insurance completes acquisition of a closed block of insurance contracts from BMO Insurance, [Deal - ], UV Insurance acquires a closed block of insurance contracts.
  • Equisoft sells Altus Consulting to Accenture, [Deal - Equisoft], Equisoft sells its Altus Consulting division to Accenture.
  • Agropur Cooperative sells its dairy products division in Newfoundland and Labrador, [Deal - Agropur], Sale of a division by Agropur Cooperative.
  • ABB completes acquisition of smart water technology company Real Tech, [Deal - ABB], ABB expands its strong presence in the water segment and complements its portfolio with optical sensor technology critical for the age of smart water.
  • Debiopharm Innovation Fund and Benchstrength co-lead a C$7.9 million seed funding round for Altis Labs Inc., [Deal - Debiopharm Innovation Fund], Funding round for Canadian AI-powered computational imaging company advancing precision medicine
  • Equisoft secures $125M in equity investment, [Deal - Equisoft Inc.], Equity investment for Equisoft
  • Merger of BDO Canada with FL Fuller Landau LLP, [Deal - FL Fuller Landau LLP], Merger of FL Fuller Landau LLP and BDO.

Career & Education

Education

  • LLB University of Montreal

Community involvement

  • Member of the Board of Directors and Chair , Ethics Committee Commission administrative des régimes de retraite et d'assurances 2019 to 2015
  • Member of the Board of Directors and Chair , Ethics Committee YWCA, Montreal 2013 to 2019
  • Member, Board of Directors Valeo Corporation Inc. 2010 to 2021
  • Member, Board of Directors Leucan 2008 to 2010

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Member Canadian Bar Association
  • Member Réseau Capital
  • Member Montreal Bar Association
  • Member Québec Bar Association
  • Member Association of Québec Women in Finance

Knowledge

  • Insurance Regulatory Year in Review and 2026 Outlook, 12/18/2025
  • Bill 92: New Omnibus Legislation is Changing the Regulatory Framework of Québec’s Financial Sector, 7/31/2025
  • Insurance Regulatory Year in Review and 2025 Outlook, 1/31/2025
  • Insurance Regulatory Year in Review, 12/21/2023
  • Draft Regulation Under the Insurers Act Respecting Disclosure Requirements for Segregated Funds, 11/14/2023
  • Bill 30: Government of Québec Introduces an Omnibus Bill Affecting the Insurance Sector, 6/28/2023
  • Recent Insurance Company M&A Transactions: Key Deal Terms and Trends, 9/22/2015

Events

  • Financial Services Regulatory Developments - Looking Ahead to 2024, 11/28/2023
  • Insurance Law and Regulation Update, 5/31/2019
  • Insurance Regulatory Law Update, 5/30/2018
  • Under what circumstances is an asset acquisition appropriate and what are its main particularities?, 4/5/2017
  • Montréal Fasken Martineau Symposium (4th Edition), 5/8/2012

News

  • Fasken will Attend the 2023 IBA in Paris, 7/21/2023
  • Fasken Wins Four LMG Life Sciences Awards, 9/23/2020
  • Fasken Recognized at the LMG Life Sciences Awards, 9/26/2019
  • Fasken Celebrates International Women’s Day 2019, 3/8/2019
  • The 2018 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory recognizes 200 Fasken lawyers, 4/12/2018
  • Fasken Martineau awarded the “Impact féminin Grande entreprise 2016” by the Réseau des Femmes d’affaires du Québec, 11/15/2016

Publications

  • Space Law 2024 : Trends and Developments, 7/11/2024
  • The Canadian Insurance M&A Environment, 12/3/2015
  • Life Line, 8/1/2013
  • Extended Warranties and Insurance, what is insurance? A Healthy Dose of Common Sense From the Alberta Court of Appeal, 9/1/2011
  • The new Regulation under the Act respecting insurance is now in force. What's new?, 9/25/2009
  • The Autorité des marchés financiers adopts new guidelines, 7/13/2009
  • Bill 34 Significantly Limits Operation of Specialized Medical Centres and Medical Imaging Laboratories, 5/27/2009
  • Bill 33 now in force… authorizing private clinics and private health insurance in Quebec, 2/29/2008
  • Various articles on commercial and corporate law published in the Bulletin of Réseau Capital, 1/1/2007
  • After Chaoulli... Bill 33 opens the door to private clinics and private insurance in Quebec, 6/1/2006
Article The Canadian Insurance M&A Environment Asian-Mena Counsel M&A Special Report
Life Line Life Sciences Newsletter

Speaking Engagements

  • The Framework Essentials of Fintech in Canada (Les essentiels de l’encadrement des FINTECH au Canada), 3/28/2017
  • Fintechs: What are the legal issues?, 3/17/2017
  • Consumer law: Analysis of recent developments and their impact on financial institutions, 1/31/2013
  • Consumer Law: Analysis of recent developments and their impact on financial institutions, 11/28/2012
  • L'impact de la modernisation du cadre législatif de la Loi sur la protection du consommateur pour les institutions financières (impact that modernizing the legislative framework of the Consumer Protection Act has had on financial institutions), 1/25/2012
  • La vente de produits d'assurance en ligne; Conformité réglementaire pour les services financiers" (the on-line sale of insurance products; regulatory compliance for financial services), 12/2/2011
  • Promoting Clean Technologies and a Green Economy: Regulatory and Contractual Trends, 6/8/2010
  • New legal framework for private health care in Québec, 9/24/2008
  • 1st Summit on the Privatization of Healthcare in Québec, 11/22/2006
  • Modifications de la Loi sur la protection du consommateur et ses impacts sur les contrats de crédit – Adopter la vigilance nécessaire
The Framework Essentials of Fintech in Canada (Les essentiels de l’encadrement des FINTECH au Canada) Presented at the Journée stratégique sur les enjeux juridiques et d'affaires des fintechs organized by Open Forum Ouvert location location Montreal Hotel Omni Mont-Royal
Fintechs: What are the legal issues? Presented at the the conference on Recent Developments in Banking Law organized by the Continuing Education of the Barreau du Québec.