Matthew Bernardo

About Matthew Bernardo

Matthew Bernardo is a partner in Gowling WLG's Toronto office and part of its Infrastructure and Construction Industry Group. The client list covers both sides of the table on big projects: procurement agencies and owners, but also equity developers, contractors and the service providers who run facilities once they're built. Bernardo's work follows a project from start to finish, it isn't tied to a single delivery model, and it reaches into many corners of infrastructure in Canada as well as the United States.

Called to the Ontario bar in 2009, Bernardo went on to make partner in the Toronto corporate and infrastructure group of a large international firm, handling corporate and M&A deals alongside construction and infrastructure files. Matters from before Gowling WLG included advising the Regional Municipality of Waterloo on the RFP and project agreement for stage 1 of its ION light-rail system, and acting for Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx on the Finch West Light Rail Transit project.

A move in-house came next. As North American counsel to a multinational infrastructure and construction company based in Spain, Bernardo covered the legal, commercial and financing side of major bids in both countries, including work for Acciona Infrastructure Canada on its consortium pursuit of the Scarborough Subway Extension stations, rail and systems package. Since joining Gowling WLG, the partner has been co-lead counsel on consortium pursuits of two Ontario Line North packages, both under the progressive design-build model.

Bernardo also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a regular speaker and writer on Canadian construction law and infrastructure development. That included a 2023 breakout session at the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships' P3 conference on lessons from the Ottawa LRT inquiry. Away from client work, you'll find Bernardo coaching in a local club's junior rugby program.