Quebec City lawyer David Bourgoin is attempting to launch a class action suit against six engineering firms that have confessed to collusion designed to score public contracts in Montreal.

Bourgoin filed his papers Friday in the first step of the process, which he hopes will return millions to Montreal taxpayers.

Bourgoin is shooting for $38 million in punitive damages from six engineering firms and their leaders who testified at the commission.

Those who testified at the Charbonneau Commission thus far include: Rosaire Sauriol (Dessau), Yves Cadotte (SNC-Lavalin), François Perreault (Genivar), Pierre Lavallée (BPR), Michel Lalonde (Genius Counseil) and Robert Marcil (SM Group).

A judge is expected to examine the file in May and a hearing on whether the class action suit can go ahead or not should take place sometime in the spring or fall of 2014.

Bourgoin said that regardless of possible promises of criminal immunity, nothing should prevent the companies from being sued for their actions.