Français : Avocat en constitution de société à Montréal

Incorporation Lawyer in Montreal, Quebec

Amar Legal Inc. is a Montréal business law firm that incorporates companies for founders, entrepreneurs and small and mid-sized businesses across Quebec. We help you choose between a federal and a Quebec corporation, set up your shares and shareholders, register your company name in line with Quebec’s French-language rules, and put the founding documents in place, so your company starts on a clean legal footing.

Incorporate your company quickly in Montreal

Most founders want to be incorporated before they sign a lease, open a bank account or send their first invoice. The fastest incorporations are the ones where the key decisions are made early, so we start with a short call to settle them: the company name, federal or Quebec incorporation, who the shareholders and directors are, and how the shares will be split.

Once we have that information, we prepare and file the articles of incorporation, then complete the organizational documents: by-laws, the share register, the first resolutions of the directors and shareholders, and the share subscriptions. Government processing times vary, but a straightforward incorporation can often be completed within a few business days of receiving everything we need. If you have a deadline, such as a lease signing or a contract start date, tell us at the start and we will plan the steps around it.

Do you need a lawyer to incorporate in Quebec?

You can file articles of incorporation yourself. The filing is the easy part. What a lawyer adds is everything around it: choosing the right jurisdiction, designing a share structure that works for founders, investors and taxes, preparing proper by-laws and resolutions, and making sure the minute book is complete from day one.

These choices are hard to undo later. A share structure that does not fit, missing founder agreements or an incomplete minute book often surface at the worst moment, when you raise money, bring in a partner or sell the business. Fixing them then usually costs more than doing it right at the start.

How much does it cost to incorporate in Quebec with a lawyer?

The cost of incorporating has two parts:

• Government fees, set by Corporations Canada for a federal corporation or by the Registraire des entreprises du Québec for a Quebec corporation. A federal corporation that does business in Quebec must also register in Quebec.
• Legal fees, which depend on how much is involved: one founder with simple common shares takes less work than several founders with different share classes, a holding company or a shareholders agreement.

Plan for the ongoing costs too, such as annual declarations and keeping the minute book up to date. Ask us for a quote: we explain the full cost, including government fees, before any work starts.

Federal or Quebec incorporation: how to choose

Both options give you a corporation that can operate in Quebec. The right choice depends on where you plan to do business and who will sit on your board.

• Quebec incorporation under the Business Corporations Act (Quebec) suits companies that will operate mainly in Quebec. You deal with one registry, and there is no requirement for directors to be Canadian residents.
• Federal incorporation under the Canada Business Corporations Act protects your company name across Canada and can suit businesses planning to operate in several provinces. It generally requires at least 25% of directors to be resident Canadians, and the company must also register in Quebec, which means filings with both governments.

We look at your plans, your founders and your investors, then recommend the option that fits, and explain why.

Startup incorporation and founder agreements

For startups, incorporation is also the moment to agree on how the founders work together. We set up the share structure with growth and future investors in mind, and we prepare the founder documents that protect the company: share vesting, what happens if a founder leaves, ownership of intellectual property, and decision-making between founders.

These terms usually live in a shareholders agreement. Read more on our shareholders agreement lawyer page.

Incorporating in Montreal as a foreign founder

Founders based outside Canada can incorporate a company in Montréal. A Quebec corporation has no Canadian residency requirement for its directors, which often makes it the simpler route for foreign founders. The company still needs a registered office address in Quebec, and you will need to register for tax numbers before you start invoicing.

We guide you through the documents required, the choice between a Quebec and a federal corporation, and practical steps such as the registered office and the information banks usually ask for when you open a business account.

Setting up shareholders and share classes for a small business

How you issue shares at the start affects control, dividends and taxes for years. We help you decide who holds which shares, whether you need more than one class of shares, whether a holding company should own your shares, and how to leave room for a future partner, key employee or investor.

Your accountant should be part of this conversation, especially if a holding company or a family structure is involved. We are used to working alongside accountants so the legal structure and the tax plan match.

A corporate lawyer for small and mid-sized companies

Most of our clients are start-ups, entrepreneurs, small and mid-sized businesses, real estate investors and family offices. Incorporation is often the first file we open with them, followed by contracts, commercial leases, financing, and buying or selling a business.

Because we also handle commercial real estate, we can incorporate your company and review the lease for your first location in the same firm. See our commercial lease lawyer page and our business lawyer page for the support we offer after incorporation.

Company names and French-language rules (Bill 96)

Quebec’s Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96, sets rules for how businesses name themselves and communicate in Quebec. A company that does business in Quebec must have a French version of its name for use in Quebec, and names in other languages can only be used together with that French version, subject to limited exceptions such as recognized trademarks.

The same rules reach beyond the name. Standard-form contracts, for example, must now be provided in French first. We check your proposed name before filing, suggest a compliant French version where needed, and make sure your founding documents and key contracts respect these rules. We work in both English and French.

Why businesses choose Amar Legal

• Business and real estate focus. Founder Gabriel Amar (B.C.L./LL.B., McGill University; Quebec Bar, 2018) previously served as legal counsel and strategic advisor to one of the largest private real estate organizations in Canada.
• A team that covers the whole business. Lawyers Kelsey Solomon and Nicoletta Saviolidis (Quebec Bar, 2021) advise on commercial leasing, acquisitions, dispositions and real estate financing.
• Who we work with. Start-ups, entrepreneurs, small and mid-sized businesses, real estate investors, hotel operators and family offices.
• Quick and reachable. We generally respond within one business day, in English or French.

Frequently asked questions

Related services

• Shareholders agreement lawyer
• Business lawyer for new and growing companies
• Commercial lease lawyer in Montreal