Finally his own firm

Photo Agence QMI, Dario Ayala
The lawyer Agnès is known has opened his private office in October 2017.

Martine Turenne

Sunday, February 4, 2018 01:00

UPDATE
Sunday, February 4, 2018 01:00

Look at this article

The return to school went without a problem, but the job search, what a pain !

Before being sworn lawyer at the age of 53, in December 2016, Agnes is known had the usual twists and turns of a career.

In France, its country of origin, she has held several jobs, including the customer service of a company of marketing of radioactive products in the biotech industry.

Arrival in Quebec in 1996 at the age of 32 years, she has completed a certificate in administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), before becoming a financial consultant at Desjardins Trust, then load projects to the Ville-Marie borough, the CDEC Centre-Sud/Plateau-Mont-Royal, the Interaction of the quartier Peter McGill. And recently, she was commissioner of the CSDM.

And Agnes is known has also made a world tour in 2005, with her partner and their two daughters, visiting 10 countries in 14 months.

In short, she was not afraid of changes. But to return to school, at the dawn of the fifties, was undoubtedly his most daring.

What was the trigger ?

“We do not take this kind of decision on waking up in the morning,” she said. It’s been a long time since I felt the need to return to my studies. At the time of my certificate, I had not dared to push the study further, I lacked confidence in myself. “

She enrolled in law at UQAM, in particular because the university allows you to follow the law course part-time. She will get his degree in three and a half years, which is almost in the normal.

Even if she was kindly calling “mama Agnes” by his younger colleagues, fresh out of college, she didn’t feel age was a problem at school. That to research of his / her internship, she did for the federal ministry of Justice, where she worked in tax litigation.

“The big shock, I got it when I looked for work ! “

The questions in the interviews… ” Ah ! but if a lawyer in the thirties gives you an instruction or a directive, how will you react ? “Or again :” The young lawyers understand that they must work hard… And you ? “

When it was bidding for firms specializing in family law, she explained how her experience of life could help to better understand the customers, to better advise them also…

“I didn’t even acknowledgement !

“I felt that my maturity and my experience became a handicap. “

To move things, Agnes is known published an announcement in the Journal of the law society, inspired by another that she had read : “the Young lawyer seeks a mentor with whom to share his experience on folders, ready to pay rent. “

Agnès is known then receives a call from the firm of Gilbert, Séguin, Guilbault, specializing in banking law, bankruptcy and insolvency.

The lawyer has worked on it for a few months before leaving to open his own firm in October 2017.

“I rented an office in a legal study, in the Old-Montreal. I make folders of civil law and the family, and tax litigation. “This is not easy, she says, because there is a lot of competition.

“I try to develop a clientele that I service,” she said, which also went right for it.

“At my age, I do what I want. I am less in the rational decisions. In the background, that’s how I found myself, 50 years old, on the school bench. People say to me : “You are courageous.” I didn’t feel brave, but rather lucky to be able to go back to school. I made them by choice, and not because I was caught in the throat. It is a luxury… “

“I work a lot with the challenges. Is it that I will have the pleasure to do it in 10, 15 or 20 years ? We’ll see. My husband and I, we’ve plenty of interests, love to travel… But then, I’m going to get a little money to the house, I’m due ! “