Passion. Experience. Diligence.

Mr. Christmas is the Managing Partner, of the Bernd Christmas Law Group.  His areas of practice include corporate and commercial law as well as Indigenous Peoples law.

Prior to that he was the Chief Executive Officer and General Counsel of Gitpo Storms Corporation as well as a Partner at the law firm of Cassels Brock LLP.  

Mr. Christmas was the Senior Vice-President and National Aboriginal Practice Leader at Hill & Knowlton Canada.  He also held the position of Chief Executive Officer, Fort McKay Oil Sands. 

As an Aboriginal lawyer, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Membertou Band of Nova Scotia and the Membertou Corporate Division, and as a negotiator for several First Nations bands, Mr. Christmas brings a deep understanding of Aboriginal perspectives. He also brings extensive experience on national and international boards and commissions.

The first Mi'kmaw to become a lawyer in Canada, Mr. Christmas obtained his law degree in 1991 from Osgoode Hall at York University. In 1993, he accepted a position in corporate and commercial law with Lang Michener, where he also expanded the firm's Aboriginal practices.

In 2003, he was appointed by Prime Minister Chrétien to the External Advisory Committee on Smart Regulation. From 2000 to 2002, he was one of three Canadian commissioners to the International Commission for the Conservation of Tuna. He is a former member of the National Aboriginal Economic Development Board and of the executive committee organizing the Governor General's Conference on Leadership and Diversity. He is a former member of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Board, CBC Pension Board and Keltic Petrochemicals Board.  He was also on the Government of Nova Scotia’s $500 million Industrial Expansion Fund. He currently sits on the boards of Investors Group, Canada Post Corporation, Nch’kay Development Corporation, Paskwayak Business Development Corporation, and AgriMarine Technologies.

For the Membertou band, Mr. Christmas has negotiated contracts or agreements with Georgia Pacific, Sodexho Canada, Clearwater Fine Foods, Lockheed Martin Canada, Jacques Whitford Engineering, Dexter Construction, Grant Thornton, Boeing, and SNC Lavalin.

Mr. Christmas is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society and of the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario). He is a former commissioner for the Cape Breton-Victoria Regional School Board and sat on the Board of Governors of the Nova Scotia Community College.