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w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 33 Five days later, on Sept. 2, another unforeseen twist occurred when four former Quebec premiers, three of them lawyers — Lucien Bouchard and brothers Daniel and Pierre-Marc Johnson — wrote an open letter imploring the barreau not to reinstate Khuong. Doing so, they argued, "would go against the very ethics and respect for the law that the bar is supposed to espouse." That letter was met with a mix of bewilderment and outrage by many Que- bec lawyers. "It was an unacceptable and paternalistic interference in the affairs of the bar," said Latour. "Who are they to judge [Khuong]? I think it was part of a counter-offensive intended to minimize the overwhelming support for Khuong at the Aug. 24 meeting, and to stroke the ego of self-important people." Resignation Khuong grabbed the headlines back a few days later when she publicly released the surveillance tapes of her two alleged infractions at the Simons' stores. Obtained through an information request she made to the retail chain right after Doray's bomb- shell, the tapes fail to show any crimes being committed. Though the tapes appeared to put a dent in the barreau's case, the weeks of crisis and high emotions had taken a toll on Khuong. Having already spent $500,000 in the fight (compared to an estimated $1 million for the barreau, which refuses to reveal that information), Khuong said she realized that "someone needed to sacrifice themselves to end this insane situation, which was really hurting my family and the profession I love. And I knew it had to be me." She said she initiated the contacts that led to a second round of mediation with Rolland at the Montreal courthouse on Sept. 11. She and Bertrand spent the day shuttling back and forth there in meetings with the judge, who also met with Doray and other barreau representatives, trying to find common ground. "We talked about a lot of things," said Khuong. "When [Rol- land] told me [the barreau] had accepted to continue pushing my program, to write me a letter of apology, and to consider [new bâtonnière Claudia Prémont from Quebec City] as my replacement, I agreed to resign and end my lawsuit." Prémont, a board member from Quebec City who was on vacation in Europe when the crisis broke, was officially named bâtonnière on Sept. 15. She will serve the rest of Khuong's prescribed two-year term. Leaving the restaurant, which is just up the street from the original Simons store where Khuong got her first credit card at 17, using the money she earned working as a waitress at her parents' restaurant to build her first wardrobe, Khuong said she is happy with the deal and serene about her decision. She was already thinking about running for bâtonnière again in two years. "There are a lot of things we need to fix in our profession and in our society, and lawyers can play a big role if they get motivated and express their views," Khuong said. "I want to help make that happen. But right now I'm focusing on the many positive things in my life. And this is it for interviews. I'm leaving on a few days vacation to get away from all and relax, maybe do some shop- ping." THE MOST COMPLETE DIRECTORY OF ONTARIO LAWYERS, LAW FIRMS, JUDGES AND COURTS. With more than 1,400 pages of essential legal references, Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book is your best connection to legal services in Ontario. Subscribers can depend on the credibility, accuracy and currency of this directory year after year. More detail and a wider scope of legal contact information for Ontario than any other source: • Over 27,000 lawyers listed • Over 9,000 law firms and corporate offices listed • Fax and telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, office locations and postal codes Includes lists of: • Federal and provincial judges • Federal courts, including a section for federal government departments, boards and commissions • Ontario courts and services, including a section for provincial government ministries, boards and commissions • Small claims courts • The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario • Miscellaneous services for lawyers NEW EDITION Perfectbound Published December each year On subscription $80 One time purchase $83 L88804-764 Multiple copy discounts available Plus applicable taxes and shipping & handling. (prices subject to change without notice) ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY! Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation Untitled-2 1 2015-10-29 1:21 PM

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