Antoine Guilmain

Antoine Guilmain is a partner in Gowling WLG's Montréal office where he co-leads the firm's national Cyber Security and Data Protection Law Group and serves as a member of its Technology Group.

With an international background in Canada, the United States, and Europe, including high-level experience at one of the largest US technology companies, Antoine provides strategic and operational advice on a range of data protection and cyber security issues. His practice encompass privacy, European data protection regulation (GDPR), anti-spam compliance, risk management and cyber security compliance, access to information and consumer protection, among other areas.

Harnessing this broad experience, he routinely supports clients in the design and deployment of emerging technologies, including with respect to artificial intelligence automation, the monetization of megadata, immersion through virtual and augmented reality and connectivity through the Internet of Things or the metaverse.

Over the course of his career, Antoine has represented clients before various judicial and administrative courts, including the Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec, the Federal Court of Canada and other provincial courts. He also assists clients in investigations conducted by federal and provincial regulatory authorities, including in the context of security incidents.

Antoine holds two PhD's in Information Technology Law from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the University of Montréal, which earned him a citation of excellence and inclusion on the Dean's honour roll. As part of his doctorate, he received merit scholarships that allowed him to pursue his research at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law, and the Fordham Center on Law and Information Policy.

He also holds numerous international certifications in the field of privacy, including Certified Information Professional (CIPP/c, CIPP/e, CIPP/us), Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) and Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) from the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Recognized as an innovator and thought leader in this ever-evolving area of law, Antoine regularly contributes to public debates and discussions on privacy by publishing opinions in daily newspapers and magazines, filing submissions with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and intervening in parliamentary committees on various bills or reports. In addition, he has authored numerous publications in his field, the most recent being The Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector in Québec: Looking Back and Thinking Forward. He is also a frequent lecturer in Canada, Europe and the United States, and has taught at several universities, including the Université de Sherbrooke's Faculty of Law for several years.

Prior to joining the firm, Antoine held various positions at one of the largest US technology companies, including Associate General Counsel and Head of Privacy Legal for Canada. During his tenure, he worked closely with product teams and engineers on the design and launch of new software and hardware, while also collaborating with public relations and communications teams in interactions with regulators and the general public. He has also worked at another international law firm where he launched a ground-breaking European data protection compliance practice.

Career & Recognition

Filter timeline:
  • 2024

  • 2018

    • Qualifications (Year of Call/Admission, etc.)
       2018
      Year of Call, Paris
  • 2017

    • Education
       2017
      Université de Montréal, PhD in law (rector's honor list)
    • Education
       2017
      Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, PhD in law (citation of excellence)
  • 2016

    • Education
       2016
      Fordham Center on Law and Information Policy, (visiting scholar)
    • Qualifications (Year of Call/Admission, etc.)
       2016
      Year of Call, Québec
  • 2014

    • Education
       2014
      Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for International, European and Regulatory Procedural Law, (guest researcher)
    • Education
       2014
      Berkeley Center for Law and Technology, (chercheur invité)
  • 2013

    • Education
       2013
      Université de Montréal, LL.B. (by equivalent standing)
  • 2012

    • Education
       2012
      Université de Montréal, LL.M. (business law)
  • 2011

    • Education
       2011
      Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, licence in Political Science
    • Education
       2011
      Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, LL.L.
    • Career
       
      CIPM
    • Career
       
      CIPP/C
    • Career
       
      CIPP/E
    • Career
       
      CIPP/US
    • Career
       
      FIP

Memberships

  • Member of the Canadian Advisory Board of the IAPP (since 2022)
  • Member of the Editorial Committee of the Revue de droit de l'Université de Sherbrooke (since 2022)
  • Member of the Audit Committee of the Foundation of Greater Montréal (since 2022)
  • La commission d'accès à l'information passe à la vitesse supérieure, La Presse +, March 2023
  • Responsable de la protection des renseignements personnels : un pour tous, tous contraints, Les Affaires, September 2022
  • Incidents de confidentialité: une règle de trois avant de signaler, Les Affaires, September 2022
  • Coauthor with Eloïse Gratton, The Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector in Québec: Looking Back and Thinking Forward, foreword by Jennifer Stoddart (OC, CQ, Ad.E.), Montréal, Yvon Blais, 2020.
  • Le principe de proportionnalité procédurale, foreword by the Honorable Jean-Louis Baudouin (OC, Ad.E.), Montréal, LexisNexis, 2018.