Canadian Lawyer

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 9 \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP I n September, the YMCA of Quebec awarded its annual peace medals, which are given to groups or indi- viduals who have shown their com- mitment to the values of peace through community action. Former laureates include as various and celebrated people as Montreal rock band Simple Plan and former general of the Canadian Forces and Senator Roméo Dallaire. One of the 2015 recipients was the Tax Mediation Association, a non-profit organization founded in February 2014 by five women: Natalie St-Pierre, tax part- ner at the financial advisory firm Richter LLP, and accountants Martina Krummen, director of taxation at SNC Lavalin, and Denise Dériger, tax consultant with Gaz Métro, and lawyer Christiane Maurice, sales tax manager with Richter s.e.n.c.r.l. — all tax experts with experience in big firms, led by Louise Otis, former Quebec Court of Appeal judge and a pioneer in the field of mediation. Otis is a distinguished fellow of the International Academy of Mediators and is president of several international administrative tribunals (including the OECD's). She has been involved in the reform of justice systems in several countries and international organiza- tions. A year and a half ago, the four tax specialists managed to convince Otis to help them set up the association and be its leading figure. In fact, the Tax Media- tion Association's purpose "is to develop a tax mediation program similar to the judicial mediation program developed by the Honourable Justice Louise Otis," it says on its web site. Is mediating legal disputes really a "commitment to the values of peace"? The following story, reported by justice Peace through tax mediation Continued on page 10 (l to r) YMCA Quebec president Stéphane Vaillancourt, Denise Dériger, Martina Krummen, Natalie St-Pierre, former justice Louise Otis, Christiane Maurice, and Brian Bronfman, co-president of the medal committee. C E N T R A L JUSTIN DESFORGES TDS LLP congratulates Jeff Hirsch on his election as President of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. The Federation is the national coordinating body for Canada's 14 provincial and territorial law societies. Jeff will continue to serve his clients, practising in the areas of administrative law with an emphasis on professional regulation for self-governing professions, commercial litigation and professional negligence. You can reach him at 204.934.2336 or jbh@tdslaw.com Learn more at TDSLaw.com President Federation of Law Societies of Canada Jeff Hirsch www.tdslaw.com/JBH Untitled-6 1 2015-10-26 12:25 PM

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