Antoine

Martin

Counsel

Education and Bar Admission

  • Master of Business Administration, HEC Montréal, 2004
  • Diplôme d’études approfondies (Master of Advanced Studies) in International Law, Université libre de Bruxelles, 1995
  • Called to the Quebec Bar, 1993
  • Licentiate in Law, University of Ottawa, 1991

Areas of Practice

  • Public infrastructure projects
  • Construction
  • Government procurement
  • Commercial law
  • Commercial aspects of intellectual property
  • Venture capital
  • Corporate law
  • Charitable organizations

Profile

A University of Ottawa graduate, Antoine Martin was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1993 before pursuing his education in Belgium, where he completed a Master of Advanced Studies in International Law at the Université libre de Bruxelles. A few years later, he completed an MBA at HEC Montréal.

Antoine Martin has an extensive experience in construction law, both in private practice and in-house. Over the course of his career, he has assisted and represented several public-sector clients, often acting as a trusted advisor from project inception to its completion.

His time at Infrastructure Québec, which would later become the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), enabled him to develop a highly specialized expertise in all aspects relating to public infrastructure projects, more specifically projects delivered using the design-build, design-build-finance and design-build-finance-maintain (public-private partnership) methods.

Over the years, he advised the SQI and the public bodies it represented on all aspects of the selection process used to pick the counterpart that will deliver the project (calls for bidders, calls for proposals with bilateral discussion workshops), as well as on the drafting, negotiation, closing and performance of the contract governing the project.

More recently, Antoine Martin worked with a major university healthcare institution in Quebec on a vast public-private partnership construction project.

He currently advises the Olympic Park on the procurement process for the replacement of the Olympic Stadium roof, including the calls for qualifications and proposals leading to the selection of the contractor for this major public infrastructure project.

A thoughtful lawyer, Antoine Martin proves his great versatility on a daily basis and adapts his practice according to his clients' needs, making him a major asset for Sarrazin Plourde.

Relevant Experience

Advised the Société québécoise des infrastructures(SQI), after Infrastructure Québec and the Société immobilière du Québec (SIQ) merged, in the performance of the public-private partnership contract when was finalized the design and construction of the new Sorel-Tracy Detention Centre. Antoine offered day-to-day advice to SQI’s internal team up to the facility’s substantial completion. He advised on how to share risk and liability according to the provisions of the public-private partnership contract when design and construction issues arose during the construction phase. In the transition to and during the operation phase, he would advise for instance on the application of the payment mechanism and the deductions it allows.

Advised Infrastructure Québec and the Agence métropolitaine de transport(AMT) during the selection process and contract negotiation for and commercial and financial close on the delivery of the Pointe-Saint-Charles Maintenance Centre. Worth more than $215 million, this public-private partnership covered the delivery of new buildings to carry out regular and major maintenance on the locomotives and cars of the AMT commuter trains running on the Canadian National Railway. Facilities included a wheel profiling shop and a train wash.

Advised Infrastructure Québec and Cité de la culture et du sport de Laval during the selection process, negotiation, closing and performance of the contract governing delivery of a multifunctional cultural and sports complex in Laval (Place Bell). Worth more than $150 million, the project used the design-build delivery method to construct a building that would house a 10,000-seat amphitheatre equipped with an NHL size skating rink that could also accommodate large-scale events, an Olympic-size rink with stands for 2,500 people and a community rink with stands for 500 people.

Advised Infrastructure Québec and the SIQ in finalizing the selection process and contract negotiation for and commercial and financial close on the delivery of the new Sorel-Tracy Detention Centre. Worth more than $275 million, the public-private partnership was set up on behalf of the Ministry of Public Security to replace the existing detention centre with a modern facility safe for inmates and prison staff alike.

Advised Infrastructure Québec and the AMT during the selection process, negotiation, closing and performance of the contract governing the delivery of the Lachine Maintenance Centre. Worth more than $75 million, the project used the design-build-finance delivery method to construct a train wash and new buildings to carry out regular and major maintenance on the locomotives and cars of the AMT commuter trains running on the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Advised Infrastructure Québec and the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine(CHUSJ) on the selection process, negotiation, closing and performance of the contract governing the design-build-finance segment of its Growing Up Healthy modernization project. Worth more than $450 million, it delivered buildings for specialized care units and patient rooms, the new research centre and the new thermal power plant.

Advised as in-house legal counsel one of the largest printing companies in the world regarding the legal aspects of the sale of its European operations, spread over 14 countries, and the corporate and fiscal restructuring of the 18 subsidiaries through which they were conducted.

Advised as in-house legal counsel one of the largest printing companies in the world during the negotiation and drafting of the most important printing services contracts in the United States for catalogues (Sears), directories (Yellow Book, Dex Media) and books (Hachette Book Group).

Professional and Community Involvement

  • Lecturer at HEC Montréal for the marketing and accounting certificates (2005-2018)