Head of Legal Affairs and Innovation, and Data Protection

Me Berdnikoff began his career with Lavery as a student, articled with the firm and t continued his career with the firm as a lawyer and finally a partner. He practiced in the areas of administrative law and constitutional law, as well as on privacy and access to information matters. In this capacity, he was frequently entrusted with matters involving the confidential nature of documents, the transfer and archiving of data on electronic platforms (information technologies), the safeguarding of privacy, and the enforcement of professional secrecy. He also acted in the context of administrative and constitutional proceedings before various authorities, including the Commission d'accès à l'information, superior and appellate courts, as well as the Supreme Court of Canada.

Education

• Leader in Law Firms, Harvard Law School Executive Education, 2024
• Quebec Bar Association, 2005
• LL.B., Université du Québec à Montréal, 2004

Significant Accomplishments

Between 2017-2020, he was director, professional development. He used his professional experience and in-depth knowledge of the legal community to put in place programs and resources required for the development of the firm's professionals. He was also responsible for both student and lateral recruitment.

Between 2020 and 2026, Me Berdnikoff served as Chief, Legal Operations and Compliance. In this capacity, he oversaw the management of conflicts of interest, as well as all aspects related to the firm's compliance. He was also responsible for the protection of personal information. In addition, Me Berdnikoff's role involved working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, the Practice Group Leaders, and the Partners in charge of the Québec, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières offices, among others, to contribute to the firm's day-to-day operations, the implementation of certain major projects, and the firm's strategic planning. In this capacity, he served on the firm's Executive Committee, Management Committee, Conflicts Committee, Partnership Committee, and Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Since April 2026, Me Berdnikoff serves as General Counsel, Chief Privacy Officer and Chief Innovation Officer. In this role, he combines the responsibilities he previously held as Chief, Legal Operations and Compliance with those of Chief Innovation Officer. With respect to innovation, Me Berdnikoff is responsible for developing and implementing the firm's innovation strategy, as well as for the development and deployment of AI solutions that directly support the practice of law by the Lavery Legal Lab on Artificial Intelligence (L3IA), which he oversees.

Lectures and Publications

• L'IA au service de la performance et de la stratégie : saurez-vous relever le défi, Journées du Barreau, June 15th, 2026
• Leveraging KM When Clients Say No to AI, Legal KM, May 21st, 2026
• Adapting to Artificial Intelligence, Northwind's Annual Law Leaders Invitational Forum, April 1st, 2025
• Bâtir le service juridique de 2030, Legal Innovation Forum, November 26th, 2025
• Adapting Law Firm Structures to AI : Workforce Transformation, Northwind's Annual Law Leaders Invitational Forum, April 2nd, 2024
• Façons dont l'IA contribue à la transformation de l'innovation juridique et de l'écosystème des affaires en général, Legal Innovation Forum, with Selena Lu, March 27th, 2024
• Remarques introductives, Legal Innovation Forum, February 23rd, 2023
• Accès à l'information: loi annotée, jurisprudence, analyse et commentaires, with Raymond Doray, Ad.E., Éditions Yvon Blais, 2014
• "Canada's Anti-spam Legislation: Phase 2 comes into force and first monetary penalty imposed," Need to Know, April 2015
• "New Anti-Spam Law: Better Act Quickly", with Guillaume Laberge, Raymond Doray, André Vautour, and Guillaume Laberge, Need to Know, June 2014
• Loi anti-pourriel: êtes-vous prêts? with Leïla Yacoubi, Magazine Sécurité financière, 2014
• Des assureurs prennent le virage de l'intelligence d'affaires : quels sont les risques pour les assureurs? with Raymond Doray, Ad.E., Journée de l'assurance de dommages, March 12th, 2014
• La protection des renseignements personnels, les médias sociaux et le milieu de travail : impacts et avenir, with Guy Lavoie, Groupe Alerte-Santé, March 23rd, 2014
• L'accès à l'information et la protection des renseignements personnels : grandeurs et misères, Association des archivistes du Québec Conference, May 29th, 2014
• "Privacy Issues and Post-Secondary Institutions: Practical Advice on 'Private' Matters, with Lorne Randa and Mandy Woodland, CBA [email protected]. series, June 11th, 2014
• La nouvelle législation anti-pourriel, with Joanne Desjardins and Myriam Duguay, Joint Conference with Lavery and KPMG, June 17th, 2014
• Le droit à la vie privée et la protection des renseignements personnels au moment de la réclamation : quelles sont les règles et comment s'y prendre pour qu'elles ne deviennent pas un obstacle insurmontable, with Guillaume Laberge, Lavery, October 23rd, 2014
• Mise au point sur la nouvelle législation canadienne anti-pourriel : où en sommes-nous quatre mois plus tard, Symposium on comliance in Québec by London Life, Great West, and Canada Life, October 29th, 2014
• Vendre sur les réseaux sociaux en toute conformité : comment éviter les faux pas, with Mary Delli Quadri, Insurance & Investment Convention, November 11th, 2014
• La protection des renseignements personnels dans le milieu ambulancier, with Guy Lavoie and Magali Cournoyer-Proulx, Corporation des services d'ambulance du Québec, November 19th and 20, 2014
• Atelier sur l'accès à l'information et sur la protection des renseignements personnels, Archivistes étudiants et diplômés du Québec, December 12th, 2014

Professional Associations
Canadian Bar Association, member of the Executive of the Canadian Bar Association's National Privacy and Access Law Section
Association de l'accès et de la protection de l'information (AAPI)
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
Young Bar Association of Montreal

Seminars/ Presentation
Des assureurs prennent le virage de l'intelligence d'affaires : quels sont les risques pour les assureurs, Journée de l'assurance de dommages (March 12, 2014 - with Raymond Doray, Ad.E.)
La protection des renseignements personnels, les médias sociaux et le milieu de travail : impacts et avenir, Groupe Alerte-Santé (March 23, 2014 - with Guy Lavoie)
L'accès à l'information et la protection des renseignements personnels : grandeurs et misères, Association des archivistes du Québec Conference (29 mai 2014)
Privacy Issues and Post-Secondary Institutions : Practical Advice on « Private » Matters¸ CBA [email protected]. series (June 11, 2014 - with Lorne Randa and Mandy Woodland)
La nouvelle législation anti-pourriel, Joint Conference with Lavery and KPMG (June 17, 2014 - with Joanne Desjardins and Myriam Duguay)
Le droit à la vie privée et la protection des renseignements personnels au moment de la réclamation : quelles sont les règles et comment s'y prendre pour qu'elles ne deviennent pas un obstacle insurmontable, Internal Conference (October 23, 2014 - with Guillaume Laberge)
Mise au point sur la nouvelle législation canadienne anti-pourriel : où en sommes-nous quatre mois plus tard¸ Symposium on conformity in Quebec by London Life, Great West and Canada Vie (October 29, 2014)
Vendre sur les réseaux sociaux en toute conformité : comment éviter les faux pas, 2014 Insurance & Investment Convention (November 11, 2014 - with Mary Delli Quadri)
La protection des renseignements personnels dans le milieu ambulancier, Corporation des services d'ambulance du Québec (November 19 and 20, 2014 - with Guy Lavoie and Magali Cournoyer-Proulx)
Atelier sur l'accès à l'information et sur la protection des renseignements personnels, Archivistes étudiants et diplômés du Québec (12 décembre 2014)

Accès à l'information : loi annotée, jurisprudence, analyse et commentaires, Éditions Yvon Blais - with Raymond Doray, Ad.E. (2014)
New Anti-Spam Law : Better Act Quickly, Lavery Newsletter - with Guillaume Laberge (2014)
Loi anti-pourriel: êtes-vous prêts, Magazine Sécurité financière - with Leïla Yacoubi (2014)