Ilia is cross-appointed to the Insolvency & Restructuring and the Disputes Departments. His practice involves corporate, commercial and civil litigation, with a particular focus and expertise on restructuring and insolvency and extraordinary proceedings. Ilia regularly represents debtors, creditors and appointed court officers in restructuring and insolvency matters before the courts. He is regularly called upon to enforce and provide advice regarding rights of lenders and other secured creditors. Ilia also represents a wide range of national and foreign clients in disputes involving complex commercial and contractual issues, including in the field of commercial real estate.
Areas of Expertise
Representative Work
- Xebec Adsorption Group
The Xebec Group in its cross-border restructuring and eleven plans of arrangement under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young as court-appointed Monitor of the Zenabis group and its sale to SNDL
- TELUS Health Solutions Inc.
TELUS Health Solutions Inc. in connection with the restructuring of ChronoMétriq Inc. and Health Myself Innovations Inc.
- Frank and Oak
Modasuite Inc., doing business as Frank and Oak completes sale transaction
- Veolia Health Operating Services
Veolia Health Operating Services in the design-build defect claims against the constructors of the new Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
- Deloitte Restructuring Inc.
Deloitte Restructuring Inc. in the CCAA Proceedings of Stornoway Diamond Corporation and affiliated entities (in 2013 and 2023)
- The Just For Laughs Group and its affiliates in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- Ernst & Young as court-appointed Monitor of IntelGenx Corp. and IntelGenx Technologies Corp
- PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. in its capacity as trustee in bankruptcy and receiver of the assets of Résidences Floralie in the sale of their assets under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- The Bank of Montréal, in its capacity as agent for the lending syndicate of senior lenders of Goli Nutrition Inc. and its affiliate in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Chapter 15 proceedings under the US Bankruptcy Code
- Groupe Airmédic Inc. and its affiliates in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- Xebec Adsorption Inc. and its US and Canadian affiliates in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Chapter 15 proceedings under the US Bankruptcy Code
- TELUS Health Solutions Inc. in connection with the restructuring of ChronoMétriq Inc. and Health Myself Innovations Inc.
- Veolia Health Operating Services in the design-build defect claims against the constructors of the new Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
- Reitmans (Canada) Limited, acting for Ernst & Young Inc. in its capacity as CCAA Monitor
- Le Château Inc., acting for PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. in its capacity as CCAA Monitor
- Stokes Inc. in its restructuring in the context of a Notice of Intention to make a Proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- Deloitte Restructuring Inc. in its capacity as proposal trustee in the proceedings of the Bouclair Inc. and Bouclair International Inc. under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- The Laurentian Bank of Canada in various restructuring matters
- Bloom Lake General Partner Limited and various affiliates in their insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in respect of the closures of two of the largest iron ore mines in Canada
- Restaurants Girorgio (Amérique) ltée in the sale of their assets and assignment of franchise agreements in the context of a Notice of Intention to Make a Proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- Komatsu International (Canada) Inc. in the enforcement of security and product liability actions in the Superior Court of Québec
- Bioamber Canada Inc. and various affiliates in their insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- KPMG Inc. in its capacity as Monitor in the proceedings of Gestion Maison Éthier inc. under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- Deloitte Restructuring Inc. in its capacity as Receiver to the assets of Transport Médicar
- Station Mont-Tremblant, Société en commandite, in a litigation involving characterization of contracts before the Superior Court of Québec and the Québec Court of Appeal
The Xebec Group in its cross-border restructuring and eleven plans of arrangement under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
Ernst & Young as court-appointed Monitor of the Zenabis group and its sale to SNDL
TELUS Health Solutions Inc. in connection with the restructuring of ChronoMétriq Inc. and Health Myself Innovations Inc.
Modasuite Inc., doing business as Frank and Oak completes sale transaction
Veolia Health Operating Services in the design-build defect claims against the constructors of the new Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
- Deloitte Restructuring Inc.
Deloitte Restructuring Inc. in the CCAA Proceedings of Stornoway Diamond Corporation and affiliated entities (in 2013 and 2023)
- The Just For Laughs Group and its affiliates in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- Ernst & Young as court-appointed Monitor of IntelGenx Corp. and IntelGenx Technologies Corp
- PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. in its capacity as trustee in bankruptcy and receiver of the assets of Résidences Floralie in the sale of their assets under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- The Bank of Montréal, in its capacity as agent for the lending syndicate of senior lenders of Goli Nutrition Inc. and its affiliate in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Chapter 15 proceedings under the US Bankruptcy Code
- Groupe Airmédic Inc. and its affiliates in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- Xebec Adsorption Inc. and its US and Canadian affiliates in their restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Chapter 15 proceedings under the US Bankruptcy Code
- TELUS Health Solutions Inc. in connection with the restructuring of ChronoMétriq Inc. and Health Myself Innovations Inc.
- Veolia Health Operating Services in the design-build defect claims against the constructors of the new Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal
- Reitmans (Canada) Limited, acting for Ernst & Young Inc. in its capacity as CCAA Monitor
- Le Château Inc., acting for PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. in its capacity as CCAA Monitor
- Stokes Inc. in its restructuring in the context of a Notice of Intention to make a Proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- Deloitte Restructuring Inc. in its capacity as proposal trustee in the proceedings of the Bouclair Inc. and Bouclair International Inc. under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- The Laurentian Bank of Canada in various restructuring matters
- Bloom Lake General Partner Limited and various affiliates in their insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act in respect of the closures of two of the largest iron ore mines in Canada
- Restaurants Girorgio (Amérique) ltée in the sale of their assets and assignment of franchise agreements in the context of a Notice of Intention to Make a Proposal under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act
- Komatsu International (Canada) Inc. in the enforcement of security and product liability actions in the Superior Court of Québec
- Bioamber Canada Inc. and various affiliates in their insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- KPMG Inc. in its capacity as Monitor in the proceedings of Gestion Maison Éthier inc. under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act
- Deloitte Restructuring Inc. in its capacity as Receiver to the assets of Transport Médicar
- Station Mont-Tremblant, Société en commandite, in a litigation involving characterization of contracts before the Superior Court of Québec and the Québec Court of Appeal
Latest Insights
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Osler Update Sep 15, 2023
Employees affected: Superior Court of Québec clarifies the status of employee claims in CCAA proceedings
Most restructuring proceedings include downsizing and terminations that invite claims from affected employees. A recent judgment from the Superior...
Read more
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Blog Nov 15, 2022
No special treatment: Securities class action stayed by CCAA Court
No special treatment: CCAA Court extends stay of proceedings despite an attempt by the applicants in a securities class action to limit its...
Read more
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Osler Update Apr 4, 2022
Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta concurrently approves sales process and transaction proposed by stalking horse bidder
On March 30, 2022, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta issued an order simultaneously approving a sales solicitation process and a transaction...
Read more
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Osler Update Dec 14, 2021
Supreme Court of Canada expands discretion of the Courts to allow pre-post compensation in ‘rare’ cases
Osler lawyers analyze a recent Supreme Court of Canada decision which provides courts with an additional tool to ensure fairness in the insolvency...
Read more
Awards and Recognition
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Best Lawyers: Recognized as “One to Watch” in Corporate and Commercial Litigation; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law
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Runner-up: category “Implication sociale et pro-bono,” Gala les Leaders de Demain, Young Bar of Montreal, 2018
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Finalist of the International Commercial Arbitration Paris Moot, École de droit SciencesPo, Paris, 2015
Community Involvement
- Corporate Secretary and president of the Governance Committee of Centre d’appui aux communautés immigrantes (CACI), a not-for-profit organization with a mission to accompany newly arrived immigrants with their settlement process and integration into the host society.
- Member of the Statutory Equivalence Committee of the Québec Bar.
- Ilia regularly gives legal workshops to high-school students within the Éducaloi program
Speaking and Writing
Speaking Engagements
Montreal 2024 Forum – Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals
Speaker (with Julien Morissette), “La responsabilité des administrateurs à l’aune de l’insolvabilité”, Montréal, April 8, 2024
Published Work
- “Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta concurrently approves a sales process and the transaction proposed by the stalking horse bidder”, National Creditor Debtor Review, Vol. 37, No. 2, June 2022 (with Randal Van de Mosselaer and Emily Paplawski).
- ““Hello, Bonjour”: Analysis of the Use of French in CCAA Proceedings”, 19th Annual Review of Insolvency Law – December 2021 (with Julien Morissette).
- “Being a Good Sport – A Comparative Analysis of Good Faith as a Statutory Obligation in Insolvency Proceedings”, 18th Annual Review of Insolvency Law 254, 2020 (with Julien Morissette and Cristina Cosneanu).
- “Pre- and Post- Set-Off in Insolvency Proceedings: Québec Court of Appeal Extends the Set-Off Limitations to Debt Resulting from Fraud”, National Creditor Debtor Review, Vol. 35, No. 3, September 2020.
- “Two-Year Anniversary of the Bloom Lake / Wabush CCAA Filing: Challenges and Lessons”, Journal of Insolvency in Canada, Vol. 6, p. 43, 2017 (with Bernard Boucher).
- “Deemed Trusts under the Excise Tax Act: Secured Creditors Beware”, National Creditor Debtor Review, Vol. 32, No. 3, September 2017.
Credentials
Education
- University of Oxford, MJur
- Université Laval, LL.B. (Dean’s Honour List)
- LSE, Intellectual Property and Cyberlaw Courses
- McGill University, B.Sc. (Microbiology & Immunology)
Languages
- Russian
- French
- English
Professional Affiliations
- The Montréal Bar
- The Young Bar Association of Montréal
- Canadian Bar Association, member of the Quebec Bankruptcy and Insolvency Executive Committee and Vice-Chair of the National Bankruptcy and Insolvency executive committee
- The Turnaround Management Association, member of the NexGen board in Montreal
- The Advocates’ Society
