About Bernard

Bernard F. O'Brien founded his firm more than 40 years ago after earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Guelph and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor, graduating first in his class. He went on to earn a Master of Laws with distinction from Harvard Law School, then practiced in Vancouver with a large international firm while teaching as an adjunct law professor at UBC. Over his career, Bernie has conducted dozens of homicide trials as senior counsel, along with hundreds of other serious criminal cases and appeals to the Ontario Court of Appeal, plus major civil trials involving serious personal injury. He has served as appointed counsel on several provincial and federal Commissions of Inquiry, including the Kaufman Commission into the Guy Paul Morin case and the O'Connor Inquiry into the Maher Arar matter. He is a past Director of the Criminal Lawyers' Association of Ontario and a past President of the Durham Region Law Association.

Practice areas

Criminal Defence Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Education & credentials

Law school
University of Windsor
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Arts, University of Guelph
Other degrees
Master of Laws (LL.M., with distinction), Harvard Law School

Listing compiled from public sources in July 2026. Confirm Bernard F. O'Brien’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗