Background

Alexander De Zordo is a partner at our Montréal office. Alexander was admitted to the Québec Bar in 1993 and is a graduate of the Université de Sherbrooke Law School. He also has an undergraduate degree in Honours Political Science from Concordia University and completed the Canadian Securities Course from the Canadian Securities Institute.

Areas of Practice

• Alexander practises in our Commercial Litigation Group.
• He is the regional leader of the Fraud Law Group in Montréal and is also an active member of the following groups: Banking Litigation, Insolvency and Restructuring, Intellectual Property Litigation and Securities Litigation.
• His expertise in civil and commercial litigation matters is varied in areas of commercial and financial fraud, fidelity, lending and financing, bankruptcy and insolvency, commercial disputes, real estate, shareholder disputes and directors' liability, with a particular focus and expertise on civil and commercial fraud detection, investigation, recovery and prevention.

Professional Experience

• Has regularly pleaded before all courts of law in Québec and some administrative tribunals.
• Has represented and worked with several banks and other commercial lenders, corporate victims of fraud, forensic accountants, fraud examiners, investigators and police authorities, bankruptcy trustees, receivers and interim receivers, high tech companies, individuals and companies of every size in the context of seizures, injunctions, negotiations, trials, hypothecary recourses – moveable and immoveable, proposals and bankruptcies.
• Has specialized expertise in all matters of white collar fraud including: money and asset tracing, money laundering, occupational fraud and embezzlement, financial statement fraud, bank fraud, fraudulent transactions, preferences, settlements and conveyances in a bankruptcy context, paulian actions, unfair competition, IP fraud, copyright infringement, passing off, seizures before judgment and revendication, injunctive relief and Anton Piller orders.

Professional and Community Activities

• Member of the BLG Regional Management Committee in Montréal
• Regional leader of Fraud Law Group in Montréal
• Regional Chair of the BLG Pro Bono Committee in Montréal and member of the National Pro Bono Committee
• Member of the Canadian Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Division
• Active member of the International Bar Association
• Member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
• Member of the International Association of Financial Crime Investigators
• Volunteer board member of St-John's Ambulance, Québec Council
• Volunteer board member of the Équipe de competition de ski de St-Sauveur
• Volunteer board member of Pro Bono Québec

Speaking Engagements and Publications

• Lecturer (professional development) for the Québec Order of Chartered Accountants (since 2004): Internal fraud; detection, investigation and legal aspects
• Speaker for the IBA, International Sales Committee and Litigation Committee
• Speaker and lecturer for professional development seminars offered to members of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners: 'How to gather information in a fraud investigation from a legal and forensic point of view'; 'Legal recourses that maximize recovery'; 'Identity Theft, mortgage fraud and money laundering'
• Speaker for the Montreal Institute of Internal Auditors on the role of counsel in fraud matters.
• Guest lecturer for MBA Litigation Management course at Concordia University (since 2006)
• Speaker at the 2006 annual TMAC conference in Montréal: 'Identity Theft – protect your treasure'
• Speaker and panellist for the Annual Canadian Institute Conference on Money Laundering: Assuring Compliance Through the Implementation of Concrete Measures
• Articles and conference materials: Fraud Fighting Remedies in Canada vs. those in the U.S.: which forum offers better recourse for victim of fraud (2008); Fraud Concerns for Treasury Managers (2008); Dealing with an investigation by outside authorities (2007); Keeping your client out of jail: Canadian perspectives on compliance (2006); Civil Proceedings in a Fraud context (2005); Priorité de l'État : Inopposable en cas de prise en paiement , L'Extra Judiciaire, December 1999; Plaideurs : Quoi faire (et ne pas faire) devant les tribunaux - conseils pratiques , L'Extra Judiciaire, October 2000.