Yann Bernard

Lawyer, Partner - Montréal

Québec Bar 1994
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Yann Bernard

Lawyer, Partner - Montréal

Yann Bernard represents, since 1994, private and public institutions, and particularly school boards, at all judicial and quasi-judicial levels, from administrative tribunals to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Possessing a wealth of experience – 20 years in private practice combined with four years as director of legal affairs and secretary general for major anglophone and francophone school boards – Yann offers his clientele a concrete approach centred on the management needs of the education community. Furthermore, he takes special care to provide his clientele with advice in line with their institution’s strategic vision. 

Yann distinguishes himself by his ability to understand complex labour relations issues and the impact of each grievance arbitration or workplace injury case on employer-employee relations. The media and communications experience he gained while working as secretary general is much appreciated by his clients, especially in crisis management situations arising from labour conflicts or other high-profile confrontations. 

Yann also practices sports law. He gives strategic and legal advice to sports federations and athletes. He also represents Canadian anti-doping authorities, sits on the disciplinary committee of the laboratories of the World Anti-Doping Agency, and acts as ombudsman for the Canadian Olympic team at the Winter and Summer Olympic games.

A much appreciated conference speaker and training instructor, Yann is often asked to comment on the latest developments in labour and education law.

In 2013, he concluded the second major writing project of his career, managing the Langlois lawyers team in charge of updating the 7th edition of Le Droit du travail du Québec (Quebec Labour Law), originally written by Robert P. Gagnon, updated by Langlois lawyers LLP. 

Heavily involved in the world of high-performance sports, Yann acted as the ombudsman for the Canadian delegation to the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto. He performed the same role at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sotchi. He is the current Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Fencing Federation and a member of the Legal Commission of the International Fencing Federation.

Education

LL.B., Civil Law University of Montréal, 1993

Rankings & Recognitions

Areas of Practice

Industries

Teams

Publications

Articles

News

Books

Other Publications

2018 – Treatise on labour and employment law in the Québec Bar School’s collection of instructional materials

2007 – “Les antécédents judiciaires des employés du milieu scolaire” (Criminal Records of Employees in the Education Sector) in Développements récents en droit du travail en éducation 2007 (Recent Developments in Education Labour Law), Cowansville, Les Éditions Yvon Blais

1995 – “Les récents jugements de la Cour d’appel en matière d’intégration des enfants handicapés” (Recent Court of Appeal Decisions Concerning the Integration of Handicapped Children) in Développements récents en droit scolaire 1995 (Recent Developments in Education Law), Cowansville, Les Éditions Yvon Blais

Events

Langlois Knowledge

Others

2019 – Presentation to administrative and financial managers of the Quebec association of private schools on collective labour relations, March 20, 2019.

2019 – Presentations to human resources managers of Montérégie-Estrie school boards of a review of 2018 jurisprudence in education law, March 15, 2019.

2018 – “Les devoirs et obligations d’un commissaire” (Duties and obligations of a commissioner), presentation to the Montreal School Board, Montreal, December 17, 2018.

2018 – “Jurisprudence récente en matière d’ordonnances de sauvegarde” (Recent case law on safeguard orders), conference presentation together with Paule Veilleux, Développements récents en droit du travail en éducation, Barreau du Québec, November 15, 2018.

2018 – “Développements jurisprudentiels, lanceurs d’alerte et effet cannabis” (Case law developments, whistleblowers and the cannabis effect), presentation to law firm Séguin Racine, Estérel, June 21, 2018.

2018 – “Le secret professionnel : qu’en est-il dans l’exercice de la profession dans les écoles privées?” (Professional secrecy: how does it apply to the exercise of the profession for private schools?), presentation to the Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec, Drummondville, May 24, 2018.

2018 – “Cadre de référence sur la présence policière dans les établissements d’enseignement” (Frame of reference for the presence of police in educational institutions), joint presentation with the City of Montreal Police Department to the Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec, Montreal, May 14 and 23, 2018.

2018 – “L’effet cannabis : enjeux pour les collèges privés et comment en gérer les impacts RH et éducatifs” (The cannabis effect: issues for private colleges, and how to manage the HR and educational impacts), presentation to the Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec, Trois-Rivières, April 20 and 27, 2018, and Quebec City, May 4, 2018.

2017 – “Impacts of Bill 105 amending the Education Act”, presentation to senior management and commissioners of the English Montreal School Board, September 26, 2017.

2017 – Presentation to the annual general meeting of managers of educational institutions, for the Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec, May 4, 2017.

2017 – Training session for commissioners of the Lester B. Pearson School Board on the legal framework applicable to the duties and functions of a commissioner, March 18, 2017.

2016 – “Le harcèlement psychologique et sexuel au travail” (Psychological and sexual harassment at work), presentation to the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, May 18, 2016.

2016 – “Les relations de travail en contexte de syndicalisation” (Labour relations in a unionization context), presentation to the Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec, Montreal, March 10, 2016.

2015 – Conference presentation on privacy rights and protection of personal information in private educational institutions, Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec.

2015 – Conference presentation on the negotiation of local agreements: how to improve results without undermining the climate.

2010-2018 – Presentations on education law jurisprudence, Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec.

2013 – ”Le processus de révision de décision prévu aux articles 9 à 12 L.I.P.” (The decision review process under section 9 to 12 of the Education Act), Table des secrétaires généraux de la Montérégie et de l’Estrie. 

2011 – ”La prévention des échecs en droit du travail” (Preventing setbacks in labour law),presentation given in Montreal for the Regroupement des organismes nationaux de loisir et de sport du Québec, June 2, 2011.

2010 – Conference presentation on management concepts and procedures regarding individuals with criminal records in the educational system.

2007 – ”Notions of matrimonial law and access to information in the school context”, presentation given in La Sarre, at the request of the Lac Abitibi School Board.

2007 – ”Education law jurisprudence review, 2006″, presentation given in Drummondville to the Human Resources management team of the Fédération des établissements d’enseignement privés du Québec.  

2007 – “Amendments to the Education Act – Bill 32″, presentation given in Montreal, at the request of the Quebec English School Boards Association.

2006 – ”Presentation of a disciplinary case to an assembly of commissioners”, presentation given in Quebec City at the request of the Commission professionnelle des ressources humaines, Association des cadres scolaires du Québec. 

2006 – ”2006 Case Review in Education“, presentation given in Montreal at the request of the Quebec English School Boards Association.

2006 – ”Education law jurisprudence review, 2005″, presentation given in Quebec City at the request of the Association des cadres scolaires du Québec.

2001 – ”Discrimination at school”, presentation given in Quebec City for Lorman Education Services.

2001 – ”Disciplinary measures towards a student “, presentation given in Montreal for Medical Educational Services Inc.

2000 – ”Handicap and Illness: One and the same thing in the eyes of the law?” presentation given in Montreal for Lorman Education Services.

2000 – ”Discrimination in School – Frequent queries about education law in Quebec”, presentation given in Montreal for Lorman Education Services.

1999 – ”The new dimensions in the financing of public education”, presentation given in Sainte-Adèle for Quebec English School Boards Association.

Professional Associations

Since 2018 – Vice-chair of the board of directors of Collège André-Grasset

Since 2018 – Chair of the board of directors of the Canadian Fencing Federation

2016 to 2018 – President of the Quebec Fencing Federation

Since 2016 – Member of the Montreal Bar’s 2016-2017 Liaison Committee with the Conférence des arbitres du Québec.

Since 2016 – Member of the board of directors and governance committee of Collège André-Grasset

Since 2015 – Member of the board of directors of Théâtre Sibyllines

2015 – Ombudsman for the Canadian team at the Pan American Games in Toronto

2014 – Ombudsman for the Canadian Olympic Team – Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games

2012 – Ombudsman for the Canadian Olympic Team – London 2012 Summer Olympic Games

2010 – Ombudsman for the Canadian Olympic Team – Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games

2007 – Ombudsman for the Canadian Olympic Team – Rio de Janeiro 2007 Pan American Games

Since 2007 – President of the organization Escrime internationale de Montréal

2006-2011 – Vice President of Théâtre Aux Écuries

2005 – Secretary on the executive of the Quebec School Boards’ Secretary Generals Professional Commission

2004-2005 – Vice President of the Canadian Fencing Federation

2000-2004 – President of the Quebec Fencing Federation

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