Eric Bedard

Area of Practices:
Administrative Commercial Contract and Business Disputes Corporate Employment Law Financial Services Investment Mining and Natural Resources Professional Liability Wrongful Dismissal

Eric is an experienced and highly successful trial and appellate lawyer who has developed a particular expertise in domestic and international arbitration, acting both as counsel and arbitrator (institutional and ad hoc). A partner of Woods, and a key member of the firm’s arbitration practice, Eric advises and represents parties in a wide range of industries, including in particular financial services, mining, and oil & gas, and frequently acts in shareholders or governance disputes. Eric also advises and represents employers and senior management in employment cases. He is fully bilingual (French, English) and holds degrees in civil and common law

Eric is an experienced and highly successful trial and appellate lawyer who has developed a particular expertise in domestic and international arbitration, acting both as counsel and arbitrator (institutional and ad hoc). A partner of Woods, and a key member of the firm’s arbitration practice, Eric advises and represents parties in a wide range of industries, including in particular financial services, mining, and oil & gas, and frequently acts in shareholders or governance disputes. Eric also advises and represents employers and senior management in employment cases. He is fully bilingual (French, English) and holds degrees in civil and common law.

In addition to representing parties in numerous commercial arbitrations, Eric’s arbitration experience includes representing Canada as a member of its legal team (under the auspices of the Trade Law Bureau - JLT) in the NAFTA Chapter XI case Lone Pine v. Canada and serving as assistant to arbitral tribunals in investor-State disputes in both ad hoc arbitrations and institutional proceedings administered by bodies such as the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. On account of his experience with matters of professional liability, including in the construction industry, he is on the roster of arbitrators for the Ordre des architectes du Québec since 2021.

Eric is actively involved in the Canadian and international arbitration community, notably as a North America Representative for the ICC Young Arbitration & ADR Forum (YAAF) and a member of the Arbitration Committee of ICC Canada. He has been an active member of the Board of Directors of Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners (YCAP), including as VP Events. He is also a frequent author and speaker on topics such as evidence, procedure, enforcement, and domestic and international arbitration generally, including as a contributor to Arbitration Matters, and he remains very involved with his alma mater, McGill University, through a variety of teaching and mentoring initiatives.

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