Lawyers at Blakes in Montreal unite to contribute to the Fondation du CHUM and the McGill University Health Centre Foundation's Joint Corporate Campaign!

MONTREAL, June 6, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The Fondation du Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and the McGill University Health Centre Foundation (MUHC) announce an important donation to their Joint Corporate Campaign in support of the project to modernize Montreal's university hospitals. This contribution is the result of the involvement of all the Blakes Partners, Associates and executive personnel in Montreal.

"I am delighted to witness the generosity of my colleagues," said Patrick M. Shea, the firm's coordinator for the joint campaign. The team, made up of dedicated legal specialists at Blakes and a general sense of enthusiasm for the cause, helped get everyone's cooperation to back the creation of new state-of-the-art medical facilities. Medicine and science in Québec will find themselves revolutionized over the course of these next decades.

"This group's outstanding gift perfectly illustrates the firm's philosophy in support of initiatives for the common good. Whether it means helping entrepreneurs see growth in their business or helping the community find access to better health care, we believe it is possible to achieve more through a joint effort. I wish to express our gratitude to the Blakes Montreal team for this noteworthy accomplishment," added Robert Torralbo, Managing Partner of Blakes for Montréal.

TWO MAJOR PROJECTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF PATIENTS

The construction of both the new CHUM and the new MUHC is quickly moving forward. These facilities are the result of consultations and reflections which will allow for continued excellence in medical care, teaching, and research, in an environment where the patient is at the heart of every decision. These new state-of-the-art university health centres will be places of learning for future physicians and healthcare professionals and at the same time, a hub for research and innovation. Thanks to their strategic location and their capacity to recruit and retain scientific and medical excellence, they will be a catalyst for research activities in science and medicine.

The new MUHC and CHUM are hospitals of the future and drivers of economic development. The need to rally the business community behind this cause is essential for both the development and the sustainability of each project. Tomorrow is at our doorstep and now, more than ever, is the time for the business community to get involved in projects that will transform care for all of Quebec.

"More than a hospital, the new CHUM is a genuine social undertaking that will work to meet the needs of both present and future generations. At the same time, it represents an important magnet for international companies. This means we are now living a historic moment in time. More than ever, we need the backing of the business community," explained Guy Savard, president of the major fundraising campaign for the Fondation du CHUM. "Through their concerted effort in making this donation, the members of Blakes are sending us a clear message: they believe in this project Thanks to people who are sensitive to the CHUM's cause, we are fashioning a better future for ourselves, our children and grandchildren. In response, we would like to say to each and every one of you: THANK YOU!"

"This generous contribution from Blakes is a perfect example of what the business community can achieve when its members work together for a common cause," said John A. Rae, chairman of the MUHC's Best Care for Life Campaign. "We are extremely grateful for the generosity and leadership shown by Blakes and we hope that other law and accounting firms will follow suit and participate in the Joint Corporate Campaign of the MUHC and CHUM.

In recognition of this contribution, the McGill University Health Centre will dedicate the firm's name to a cognitive assessment room at the new Centre for Innovative Medicine (CIM) at the Glen site.

A PERSONAL INVESTMENT

Through their generosity, the associates, attorneys and staff members at Blakes, a Canadian leader in business law, have shown their spirit of philanthropy. All of the Montreal lawyers of this world class firm have, without exception, given to this project. Their personal investment is crucial for the corporate campaign currently underway between the CHUM and the MUHC. It is a clear demonstration of their dedication and commitment to both healthcare modernization projects.

One thing is certain: this contribution will make a genuine difference in the day-to-day activities of healthcare professionals and in the daily lives of our patients, both today and tomorrow.

About Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

At Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, we serve a diverse national and international client base and our integrated office network provides clients with access to the Firm's full spectrum of capabilities in virtually every area of business law. Blakes has offices across Canada and in New York, Chicago, London, Bahrain, Beijing and associated offices in Al-Khobar and Shanghai. In 2012, Blakes was named "Canada Law Firm of the Year" for the fourth consecutive year by Who's Who Legal and "Law Firm of the Year: Canada" for the third time by Chamber and Partners. For the last five years, Blakes was the busiest Canadian M&A law firm, according to Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters league tables.

About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and The Best Care for Life Campaign

One of the world's foremost academic health centres, the MUHC offers exceptional and integrated patient-centric care, research teaching and technology assessment. Highly committed to the continuum of care in its community and affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, the Montreal Children's Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute and the Lachine Hospital of the MUHC value multidisciplinary service throughout the lifespan, innovative technologies and practices, strategic partnerships and leadership in knowledge transfer. The MUHC is currently carrying out a $2.355-billion Redevelopment Project on three sites—the Montreal General Hospital, the Glen site and the Lachine Hospital—designed to provide healthcare professionals with an effective environment in which to ensure patients and their families benefit from The Best Care for Life.  The sites are also anchored in best sustainable-development practices, including LEED® and BOMA BESt guidelines. muhc.ca muhc.ca/construction

The Best Care for Life Campaign is an unprecedented philanthropic effort aimed at raising the funds needed to complete the McGill University Health Centre's Redevelopment Project as well as the Capital Development Plan. muhcfoundation.com

About the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and its Foundation                               
The Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) is the largest francophone teaching hospital in North America. Known for excellent care and the expertise of its specialists, every year it welcomes more than half a million patients not only from the greater Montreal region but also the entire province of Quebec. The essence of its mission is the application of innovative approaches to healthcare, the search for new knowledge, the promotion of health and the transfer of knowledge. Boasting a rich history, the CHUM is looking to the future with the ongoing construction of new facilities and its research centre in downtown Montreal, a comprehensive project on a single site valued at approximately $2.5 billion. The CHUM Research Centre will open its doors in 2013. It will be followed in 2016 by the unveiling of the new CHUM, a world-class teaching hospital in tune with its community where it plays a major role, in a socially aware perspective of sustainable development and concerted urban approach. It is also an active member of the Réseau universitaire intégré de santé (RUIS) de l'Université de Montréal. chumontreal.com

The Fondation du CHUM's mission is to provide the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal with an ongoing source of private funding to complement its public funding in order to contribute to the continuous improvement of patient care, allow for the acquisition of advanced equipment and support the CHUM's research, education and health promotion activities. fondationduchum.com

Image with caption: "John A. Rae, Chairman of the MUHC's Best Care for Life Campaign (CUSM); Alain Massicotte, Partner; Sophie Tremblay, Associate; Patrick Shea, Partner; Robert Torralbo, Montreal Office Managing Partner (Blakes); Irène Marcheterre, Chief of Staff and Director of Communications of the CHUM; Guy Savard, Chairman of the Fondation du CHUM Capital Campaign Cabinet (CNW Group/FONDATION DU CHUM)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120606_C6488_PHOTO_EN_14803.jpg

For further information:

Élodie Grange
Director, Communications and marketing
Fondation du CHUM
Tel.: [phone]
[e-mail]

Stacy Patenaude (MHUC)
Jonathan Goldbloom & Associates
Tel.: [phone] x 100
Cell.: 514 795-9940
[e-mail]