Bernard Quinn practises in construction law, product liability and commercial litigation. He is a member of our Canadian construction, engineering and infrastructure team and our Canadian product liability team.
Mr. Quinn advises and represents builders, project owners, engineers, financial institutions and manufacturers before all civil jurisdictions in Quebec as well as in arbitration and mediation. His expertise in construction law includes reviewing and preparing call for tenders and RFP documentation, construction agreements and professional services agreements, with particular emphasis on industrial, institutional, mining, energy generation and commercial projects.
He teaches construction law in the master's program at the Université de Montréal and is a regular speaker on a variety of construction law topics. Mr. Quinn is a fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers.
Selected client work
Mr. Quinn has advised and represented the following clients recently:
· Computershare Trust Company of Canada, as trustee, in the taking of possession and sale of the Louis-Saint-Laurent Building located at 555 De la Carrière in Gatineau, Quebec
· Process engineers for the drafting of specialized service agreements for their professional activities
· An original equipment manufacturer of advanced naval communications systems seeking recovery of R&D and development costs
· An owner for the drafting of an engineering feasibility study agreement for a major Canadian mining project
· An engineer and a project manager in a suit by the owner of an industrial facility based upon allegations of latent defect and design errors following the death of a worker and serious injuries to another worker after a platform inside the facility collapsed
· An owner for the drafting and review of contract documents for the construction of a natural gas pipeline under the St. Lawrence River at Bécancour, Quebec
· A gypsum board manufacturer in defence against claims based upon alleged latent defects in the product, which resulted in the abandonment of the suit against the manufacturer
· An owner for the preparation of contract documents for the process and mechanical portion of a paper mill expansion
· A Canadian chartered bank in bankruptcy proceedings against an insolvent offshore condominium project and during the administration by the trustee in bankruptcy
· A multinational engineering firm in its claim in damages resulting from the cancellation by a Montreal regional municipal board of a design build agreement and a service agreement for the construction and operation of municipal waste-to-energy and recycling facilities
Speaking engagements
· "L'affaire l'Immobilière c. Évaluations BTF inc. et Ville de Saguenay, 2009 QCCA 1844 : analyse et réflexions sur les appels d'offres comportant des critères d'évaluation de la qualité des soumissions," Groupe des Acheteurs des Services Publics et Parapublics, Montreal, February 17, 2011.
· "Traitement intègre des concurrents, transparence et harmonisation des normes: revue des fondements et de certains mécanismes de la LCOP," Continuing Professional Education, Ogilvy Renault, June 2, 2010.
· "The Quebec Act Respecting Contracting by Public Bodies and Its Regulations Respecting Construction and Service Agreements," presentation to The Canadian College of Construction Lawyers Annual Conference, Halifax, May 29, 2010.
· "Négociations et contrats internationaux en génie et constructions" (co-author), Québec Engineers Annual Convention, Montreal, November 26, 2009.
· "La loi sur les contrats des organismes publics," Montreal, June 10, 2009.
· "La planification de votre projet: perspectives juridiques sur l'identification des objectifs et des risques," One-day conference on fundamentals of construction contracts, Lorman Education Services, Montreal, March 31, 2009.
· "L'élaboration de votre plan d'exécution de projet et votre structure de projet: perspectives juridiques," Gérer les projets de construction au Québec, Seminar, Lorman Education Services, Montreal, October 30, 2008.
· "L'utilisation de contrats types de construction, comment éviter certaines sources de réclamations," 7e journée d'étude sur les réclamations sur contrats, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Québec, February 27, 2008.
· "À quelles fins doit répondre la Conférence de règlement à l'amiable ? Point de vue de la magistrature" (moderator), Canadian Bar Association, May 22, 2007.
· "Les nouvelles règles d'adjudication des contrats municipaux au Québec" (with G. Perrault), Second Annual Construction Conference, Insight Information Co., November 6 and 7, 2002.
Rankings and recognitions
· Recognized by Benchmark Canada as a litigation star
· Best Lawyers in Canada, 2012 - Construction Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Product Liability Law
· PLC Which lawyer?, 2011 - Construction
· The International Who's Who of Product Liability Lawyers, 2010
· Lexpert / American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers for Canada - Most frequently recommended for Construction Law
· Fellow, Canadian College of Construction Lawyers
· BV Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
· National Post, 2007 - ranked as one of the best lawyers in Canada in his area of practice
· Lexpert Directory - leading lawyer in Construction Law
Memberships and activities
· Bar of Montreal
· Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Branch
- President, Construction Law Section (1999-2000)
- Executive, Construction Law Section (1994-2003)
· Guest lecturer, Construction Law, Master of Business Law program, Université de Montréal
Related Publications
Notices of qualification and applications for qualification governed by the Act respecting contracting by public bodies: the Court of Appeal clarifies the rules
Public bodies subject to the Act respecting contracting by public bodies may add a preliminary step to evaluate the qualifications of contractors and service providers interested in entering into contracts with them.
23/06/2011
The do's and don'ts of doing business with foreign suppliers
The decision to outsource manufacturing processes is a difficult one for many domestic companies.
30/10/2009
Related News
Bernard Quinn becomes a Fellow of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers
Ogilvy Renault is delighted to announce that Bernard Quinn, a partner of the firm, has been invited to join the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers (CCCL).
05/06/2009