Faubourg Mena'Sen: Me Serge Dubois Officially Suspended by the Barreau — $19M, Five Accused, and a Legal Scheme Undone by the Courts

The Suspension: What the Barreau Says

By decision rendered on March 3, 2026, effective as of March 4, the Conseil de discipline of the Barreau du Québec provisionally suspended Me Serge Dubois's right to practise law (member no. 180167-8), as well as his right to use the title reserved for members of the Order. The decision was rendered under article 122.0.1 of the Professional Code. The suspension is enforceable as of March 4, 2026, pursuant to article 122.0.3, and remains in effect until the first of the eventualities set out in article 122.0.4.

The official suspension notice, signed on March 6, 2026, by Josée Roussin, interim Director General of the Barreau, confirms that Me Dubois practised in the district of Saint-François.

In the Conseil de discipline's decision, as reported by Radio-Canada, the Council is unequivocal:

"The criminal offence of fraud with which the respondent is charged, without prejudging its merits, contravenes the very essence of the legal profession. It undermines the values expected of a lawyer, namely integrity and honour, as well as the obligation to uphold the rule of law and serve justice."

The Council adds that the offence "also contradicts the lawyer's role as an officer of justice within society" and that "public confidence in the members of the Barreau would be at risk" without this suspension.

Me Dubois is represented by Me Giuseppe Battista.

Faubourg Mena'Sen: How $19 Million Disappeared

Faubourg Mena'Sen was a residential rental complex for seniors in Sherbrooke, administered by a non-profit organization founded in 1976. The central question in this case is straightforward: how did five administrators manage to appropriate the proceeds of a non-profit's sale?

The answer, documented by Radio-Canada from dozens of internal documents, reveals a scheme planned over several years.

Tightening control. The non-profit originally had up to 15 board members and general assembly members. In 2018, the number of directors was reduced to five. In 2022, a bylaw change made membership inseparable from board membership. The five men became the only members and the only directors. The tenants — seniors — were neither informed nor consulted.

Removing the dissolution clause. Normally, when a non-profit is dissolved in Québec, its assets must be redistributed to an organization with a similar mission. In March 2022, the five directors amended the letters patent to remove this obligation. The non-profit was renamed "Orientation éphémère" and its address was transferred to Me Dubois's office at the Monty Sylvestre firm in Sherbrooke.

Dissolution and distribution. On March 1, 2022, the five directors decided to close the organization and divide the assets into five equal shares — to themselves. The notice of dissolution was published in Le Devoir on April 4, 2022. The dissolution was finalized the next day.

The legal opinion. As early as 2020, Me Dubois had sought a legal opinion from Me Paul Martel, recognized as a leading authority in non-profit law. The opinion — whose conclusions are currently being challenged in court — concluded that redistribution could be carried out among the members. But the members were also the directors.

A Sixth Member Who Refused to Participate

A sixth member of the organization, Raynald Bélanger, resigned before the sale. In his sworn statement, he says he was not informed of the sale plans and indicates that the five board members refused to grant him a reasonable period of reflection and pressured him to submit his resignation.

After his departure, the five directors were able to plan the sale behind closed doors, without any tenant being informed.

UPAC, the Courts and the Seizures

In December 2025, the Unité permanente anticorruption (UPAC) arrested the five former administrators: Serge Dubois, Michel Fortin, Patrick Fortin, Jocelyn Morissette and René St-Amant. They are charged with fraud over $5,000. All have pleaded not guilty.

The investigation mobilized more than fifty police officers and several police forces over more than two years. Following the arrests, authorities ordered the freezing of 57 bank or investment accounts, the seizure of four properties and three vehicles, targeting a total of 25 individuals, legal entities or trusts.

The Court of Appeal of Québec had already upheld, in October 2025, the annulment of the non-profit's dissolution — a decision rendered in the context of a civil action led by Me Louis Fortier, the tenants' lawyer.

Five Ongoing Legal Proceedings

The Faubourg Mena'Sen case is currently the subject of five separate proceedings:

A class action filed in September 2022 by Me Louis Fortier, seeking the annulment of the sale and reparations for tenants, authorized by the Court in January 2024. A civil lawsuit filed in October 2022 by Me Frédéric-Antoine Lemieux on behalf of Les Habitations l'Équerre, which argues that the funds should have been transferred to a housing organization. A derivative action filed in May 2024 by Me Fortier, in the context of the litigation that led to the Superior Court judgment by Justice Martin F. Sheehan in December 2024 annulling the dissolution of the non-profit, upheld by the Court of Appeal on October 10, 2025. The criminal fraud charges brought by UPAC in December 2025. And the disciplinary proceeding before the Conseil de discipline of the Barreau, which led to Me Dubois's provisional suspension on March 3, 2026.

What This Case Illustrates

The Faubourg Mena'Sen case is unprecedented in scope in Québec. It involves a lawyer and member of the Barreau who allegedly used his legal expertise to design the very scheme that is now the subject of criminal charges. A legal opinion solicited by this lawyer allegedly served as the foundation of the operation. And to the extent that civil professional liability claims could eventually be contemplated, the question of the role of the FARPBQ — the Barreau's professional liability insurance fund — could theoretically arise.

For the tenants of Faubourg Mena'Sen — seniors who lost their living environment — Me Dubois's suspension is a first signal. But the question of compensation remains unanswered.

Related Articles on Justice-Quebec.ca

• The FARPBQ: An Institutionalized Conflict of Interest Since 2020?
• Another Lawyer Disbarred, Another Forgotten Victim: The Maze of Indifference at the Barreau du Québec
• When a Lawyer Uses the Threat of Criminal Proceedings to Collect Money: The Conseil de Discipline Rules

Sources: Official suspension notice, Barreau du Québec, March 6, 2026 — Decision of the Conseil de discipline, March 3, 2026 (file no. 06-26-03655) — Radio-Canada, Antoine Desrosiers, March 6, 2026 — Radio-Canada, February 17, 2026 — UPAC — Professional Code (art. 122.0.1, 122.0.3, 122.0.4) — Court of Appeal of Québec, October 2025 — Previous article by Justice-Quebec.ca on Faubourg Mena'Sen.

This site does not provide legal advice. The information published is based on public documents, disciplinary decisions, cited journalistic sources and accessible court records. In accordance with the presumption of innocence, the alleged facts have not yet been established before a court. All accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.