Bennett Jones has one of the most active and influential International Trade and Investment practices in Canada. We are specialists with a proven track record in all aspects of international trade regulation, compliance and dispute resolution, including trade in goods, services, intellectual property and investment. We are passionate about international trade and investment protection.
Our advocacy reflects our creativity and results-oriented focus. We tenaciously pursue proactive and pragmatic solutions for our clients. If a problem does not have an established or clear-cut solution, we help our clients forge a new path.
We look at the big picture in offering our clients comprehensive solutions that draw on the integration of our International Trade and Investment practice with the firm's extensive commercial, transactional, tax, banking, regulatory and dispute settlement practices. Our clients benefit from the shared cross-functional expertise of our lawyers across Canada, senior policy advisors, technical specialists and paralegals who collectively enable our clients to make strategic decisions about the risks facing their international business operations.
Our work situates us at the leading edge of macro-economic issues shaping global business and international trade which informs our thoughts and enhances our ability to best address the needs of our clients in a manner that is mindful of what is coming next.
Our International Trade and Investment lawyers work closely with members of Bennett Jones' exceptional Public Policy Group, who help navigate the internal workings of government decision-making. This collaboration facilitates the design of novel engagement strategies in an increasingly complex business environment.
Our experience spans domestic trade and investment laws, international rules and treaties and international dispute settlement in trade and investment matters. We provide advice and representation on the full scope of Canadian cross-border regulatory matters and disputes including:
- customs and border administration and appeals, including valuation, tariff classification, country of origin, supply chain/forced labour, duty relief/drawback and transfer pricing;
- trade and investment agreements, providing advice on structuring investments and treaty negotiations, providing advice and representation in dispute settlement, including investor-state arbitration and state-to-state disputes, providing advice on WTO law;
- trade remedies, including anti-dumping, countervailing (subsidy), and safeguard complaints, investigations and related litigation;
- export and import controls, including classifications, voluntary disclosures and permits;
- economic sanctions including compliance, due diligence, investigations, permits and voluntary disclosures;
- modern slavery and ethical supply chain regulation, including advice on compliance with forced labour and child labour laws, and advice and representation in connection with cross-border business and human rights issues, including judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings;
- anti-corruption/anti-bribery and foreign corrupt practices compliance advice, investigations and disclosures;
- cross border excise and commodity taxes, including GST, HST, PST, QST and excise duties;
- product regulation, including regulatory compliance, and marking and labelling requirements;
- defense and national security production including the Controlled Goods Program and the Contract Security Program; and
- government procurement and bid challenges.
For more information, see also:
Anti-Corruption Investigations & Compliance
Investment Treaty Arbitration