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friend to ask a federal minister to recom- mend he be appointed a judge. Lavigne fired Archambault after junior lawyers were assigned to his case, but that didn't stop the lawyer from sending the sena- tor a bill for $24,950.12 in March 2006. Unable to reach the lawyer, Lavigne filed a complaint with the barreau. Archambault testified before the committee that it wasn't him seeking to be named a judge, but rather Roxane Hamelin, an associate and his spouse at the time. Many other former clients told com- mittee members they were under the impression Archambault was personally working on their cases when it turned out it was often less-experienced interns even though they were still being billed at Archambault's much higher rate. He explained in his defence that cli- ents' money wasn't put in a trust fund as required by the barreau because he didn't consider it an advance. Archambault also admitted he preferred being paid in cash since cheques from clients in criminal cases often bounce. Maria Cianni, one of his former lawyers, recalled Archambault handled all the finances in his office where he kept cash-stuffed envelopes in a locked drawer. Former articling student Sonia Di Sotto testified there were rarely written contracts for advances, acknowledged Archambault preferred cash, and said he always charged a flat fee rather than bill- ing by the hour. Archambault, at one time the young- est criminal lawyer in the province, was suspended by the barreau for two months in July for overcharging clients for legal services and was ordered to compensate them $15,64. He is appealing. Besides his ongoing problems with the regulator — he was convicted in 1991 of inciting a witness to commit perjury and fabricate evidence, which led to being struck from the barreau for six months — Archambault is battling the provincial, federal, and municipal governments over unpaid taxes. Last year, Archambault began dodging former law partners, clients, and creditors and in December dropped his longtime Kent_CL_Nov_09.indd 1 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com NO VEMBER / DECEMBER 2009 9 10/27/09 3:11:59 PM No, we don't really think of ourselves as superheroes (although, we do regularly appear just in time to save the day) E-discovery requires expertise, strategic understanding, diligence and a uniquely collaborative approach. Fortunately, we have access to the most talented litigation support experts through our broad network of industry leaders and our ever-expanding database of over 30,000 legal professionals. Keep your e-discovery requirements in-house by recruiting our e-discovery experts. For seamless integration with the shortest possible search time – whatever your needs … whether it be one expert, a team, direct hire, temporary or contract. lawyer Julius Grey. Up until 2008, he was paying $20,000 a year to advertise on the back of the Yellow Pages. Unlike in past editions, the last one featured only his name and not that of his team of lawyers. Once the lawyer of choice for Quebec celebrities and attracted to high-profile cases, the 1964 Université de Montréal law graduate is best known for his work in defending Micheline and Laurence Lévesque. The sisters from Jonquière, Que., were charged with drug traffick- ing in Rome in 1986 after heroin was found in false bottoms in their suitcases. Archambault got them acquitted a year later. — MIKE KING mking@videotron.ca