Bernard P. Quinn

Biography

Bernard Quinn practises primarily in construction law, product liability and commercial litigation. He is Chair of our Construction, Engineering and Infrastructure Team and our Product Liability Team.

Mr. Quinn frequently advises and represents project owners, engineers, financial institutions, manufacturers and builders before all civil jurisdictions. His expertise in construction law includes the preparation of tender documentation, construction agreements and professional services agreements. Mr. Quinn has also participated in the mediation and arbitration of a number of commercial and construction matters and has acted as a mediator.

Year of Call

• Quebec Bar 1986

Law School

• LL.M., University of London, 1986
• LL.L., University of Ottawa, 1984

EDUCATION

• Certificate in Philosophy, Université Laval, 1981

Selected Client Work

• Advising owner of petrochemical facility and reviewing contract documents in the context of a boiler upgrade project
• Representing a structural engineer and a builder in contesting a latent defect and design defect suit by owner following the collapse of the roofing structure of a very large twenty-five year old commercial building after the 1998 ice storm in the Montreal region
• Acting for a rail transporter in a suit against a performance bond issuer following the insolvency of the contractor which had undertaken the modernization of railcars, leading to a settlement
• Successfully representing 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
• Advising owner and drafting and reviewing contract documents for the construction of a natural gas pipeline under the St. Lawrence river at Bécancour, Quebec
• Representing a gypsum board manufacturer against a suit based upon alleged latent defects in the product, leading to an abandonment of the suit against the manufacturer
• Preparing contract documents between an owner and a contractor for the process and mechanical portion of a paper mill expansion
• Acting for a Canadian chartered bank in leading bankruptcy proceedings against an insolvent offshore condominium project and during the administration by the trustee in bankruptcy
• Reviewing and drafting construction agreements and services agreements for an owner of quarries in connection with upgrades and expansions
• Representing an industrial plant owner before a coroner's inquest following the death of a professional diver during inspection work on the owner's dam located on a river adjacent to the plant
• Reviewing and drafting a construction agreement and a professional services agreement for the owner for the expansion of a flexible plastic packaging manufacturing facility
• Advising owner and reviewing documents in connection with the expansion of pharmaceutical research laboratories
• Advising hospital in the construction of a new medical research centre
• Representing 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
  

Publications

• "A Review of the Quebec Act Respecting Contracting by Public Bodies, and its Regulation Respecting Construction Contracts of Public Bodies," Journal of the Canadian College of Construction Lawyers, Toronto, Carswell, 2010.
• Les problèmes en cours de construction et les réclamations (course outline and casebook) (co-author), Canadian Bar Association, Quebec Branch, Practical Course #3, February 1, 2006.
• "L'autonomie de l'entrepreneur dans le choix des méthodes et des moyens de réalisation de l'ouvrage," Continuing Education Service, Quebec Bar, Développements récents en droit de la construction, vol. 223, Cowansville, Les Éditions Yvon Blais, p. 43, 2005.
• "Les nouvelles règles d'adjudication des contrats municipaux au Québec," Continuing Education Service, Quebec Bar, ed., Développements récents en droit de la construction, vol. 189, Cowansville, Les Éditions Yvon Blais, pp. 1-28, 2003.
• "Les règles de l'art," Continuing Education Service, Quebec Bar, ed., Développements récents en droit de la construction, vol. 170, Cowansville, Les Éditions Yvon Blais,  pp. 1-66, 2002.
• L'edification du nouveau droit de la construction, Montréal, Éditions Thémis, 2000.
• "L'autonomie de l'entrepreneur dans le choix des méthodes et des moyens de réalisation de l'ouvrage," G. Lefebvre, Ed., L'édification du nouveau droit de la construction:  Les journées Maximilien-Caron 1999, Montréal, Éditions Thémis,  pp. 22-42, 1999.
• "Les règles de l'art," O. Kott and C. Roy (ed.), La construction au Québec :  perspectives juridiques, Montréal, Éd. Wilson & Lafleur ltée, 1998.
• "L'hypothèque légale," O. Kott and C. Roy (ed.), La construction au Québec :  perspectives juridiques, Montréal, Éd. Wilson & Lafleur ltée, 1998.
• La construction au Québec : perspectives juridiques, (co-author), Éd. Wilson Lafleur, 1998.
• Les Dommages :  comment les réclamer et comment les contester (co-author: Olivier F. Kott), Canadian Bar Association, Recueil 1, 1996.
• Les Dommages :  comment les réclamer et comment les contester (co-author: Olivier F. Kott), Montréal, The Canadian Institute, Recueil 11, 1994.
• Le droit des entrepreneurs et des sous-traitants impliqués dans un projet en difficulté financière, Montréal, Institut international de recherche, Recueil 10, 1992.

Speaking Engagements

• "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'utilisation de contrats types de construction, comment éviter certaines sources de réclamations," 4e Journées de conférences sur les réclamations en construction, Centre de Conférences Federated Press, November 13-14, 2008.
• "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," 7^e journée d'étude sur les réclamations sur contrats, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Université Laval, Québec, February 27, 2008.
• "L'utilisation de contrats types de construction," Conference, Urban Development Institute of Quebec, Montreal, November 1, 2007.
• "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

• Lexpert / American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers for Canada - Most frequently recommended for Construction Law
• The Best Lawyers in Canada, 2010 - 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