City lines up lawyers for megacity closure

The firm — Cain, Lamarre, Casgrain, Wells — specializes in contract law. It is the first time they have been retained by Westmount.

“We’ve never been in this kind of case before,” Director-General Bruce St. Louis explained.

It has come about because the closing and opening balance sheet of Westmount and the former Montreal megacity has not yet been completely settled following the demerger at the end of 2005.

The Transition Committee’s auditors established a first balance and now both sides are examining the proposed settlement in minute detail.

“It involves all the buildings and other assets and is immensely complicated, but every penny counts,” said St. Louis.

The law firm will advise the City on how to interpret the information prepared so far.

“We want to be ready if it develops into a litigious situation,” St. Louis added. “Council must authorize the mandate and is not scheduled to meet again for another seven weeks. We want to be ready to move quickly, if it becomes necessary.”