Over the years, Bernard has acted for several financial institutions and trustees in bankruptcy, pleading numerous cases on their behalf before the Quebec Superior Court, the Quebec Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Bernard has acted for several companies as business counsel regarding any issues that might arise on a day-to-day basis. He also practises commercial litigation, and is fluent in French and English. He has represented many different parties affected by the insolvency process in both domestic and cross-border cases. Bernard is the author of a book entitled Faillite et Insolvabilité, une perspective québécoise de la jurisprudence canadienne (Bankruptcy and Insolvency: A Quebec Perspective on Canadian Jurisprudence), considered by many as being the most authoritative book on this topic in Quebec.
Recent matter/case highlights:
- Representation of Quebecor World Inc. in a dispute with Quebecor Media Inc. in which the parties had reciprocal claims of CDN$44 million and CDN$175 million, respectively.
- Representation of David Gottlieb, trustee appointed in the United States to manage the bankruptcy of Georges Marciano, to obtain recognition of the American bankruptcy in Canada, with the aim of obtaining seizure of the debtor's assets. Ultimately, this process resulted in the recovery of over $120 million for the benefit of the creditors. The team led by Bernard won the M&A Turnaround Award in the Cross-Border Restructuring Deal of the Year category.
- Representation of Credit Suisse AG, Cayman Islands division, as administrative agent for the banking syndicate that was the principal secured creditor of Aveos Performance aéronautique Inc. in the CCAA proceedings initiated by this company.
Representation of Énergie RB Inc. and Québec Lithium Inc., mining companies operating iodine and lithium mines, in CCAA proceedings.
- Representation of Bloom Lake General Partner Limited and various other companies owning two of Canada's largest iron ore mines in CCAA proceedings. This case lasted nearly 8 years, and ultimately resulted in the distribution of nearly $300 million to the creditors.
Key practice areas:
- Bankruptcy
- Commercial
- Commercial and transactions
- Commercial disputes
Year joined firm: 2024
Academic qualifications:
- LL.B., Université Laval, 1985
- LL.M., Cambridge University, 1987
Bar Admissions:
