The Government of Canada is a major purchaser of goods and services. In 2012, the Federal Government purchased approximately $15 billion worth of goods and services through 386,601 contracts. Undoubtedly, the Government of Canada is potentially an important customer that can make a real difference to a seller’s bottom line. Procurements by the Government of Canada differ from purchases by private sector corporations because the Government entities are subject to specific obligations that are intended to make the procurements competitive, fair and open to reduce purchasing costs and to support the growth of a strong economy. It is therefore extremely important for sellers to be aware of their rights, understand the process, and have access to the tools required to create a winning bid. This brief guide to Government Procurement and CITT Bid Challenges (available under our publications section – https://www.wl-tradelaw.com/government-procurement-and-citt-bid-challenges-a-brief-guide/) will provide current and potential sellers with all the relevant information....
Read MoreExporting to Canada – U.S. Commercial Services’ Webinar
The Canada-U.S. trade and economic relationship is the largest and richest in the history with over $1.6 Billion in trade a day. The Woods, LaFortune LLP team is proud to be participating in the bi-lateral partnership and looks forward to presenting at the U.S. Commercial Services’ Webinar on Wednesday November 12, 2014 on the topic of exporting into the Canadian market and what U.S. firms and companies need to know to be successful. Catherine Walsh and Michael Woods of Woods, LaFortune LLP will be speaking to U.S. companies on a number of topics that should be considered before beginning to export including: The Canadian Market Developing an export plan and a marketing strategy Entering the market and managing your goods Shipping International standards and contracts Protecting your intellectual property To view the full outline and for further details please visit:...
Read MoreCanada-U.S. Trade – Canadian American Business Council on the State of the Relationship
On November 6, 2014, Michael Woods, Senior Partner at Woods, LaFortune LLP, attended the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) Annual Summit and Award Dinner here in Ottawa. He was honoured to be the guest of iPolitics – a leader in smart, fast, informed and objective electronic journalism [http://www.ipolitics.ca/about]. Veteran TV journalist Tom Brokaw animated a terrific evening that featured informative exchanges with Finance Minister Joe Oliver and Ambassador Gary Doer, and the CEO of Campbell Soup Company, Denise Morrison. Ms. Morrison was awarded the prestigious CABC Canadian American Award for Business Achievement. Woods, LaFortune LLP extends its sincere congratulations to her and her team at Campbell...
Read MoreGovernment Procurement and CITT Bid Challenges – A Brief Guide
*By Gordon LaFortune – Managing Partner at Woods, LaFortune LLP The Government of Canada is a major purchaser of goods and services. In 2012, the last year for which full year data is available, the Federal Government purchased approximately $15 billion worth of goods and services through 386,601 contracts. By any measure, the Government of Canada is potentially an important customer that can make a real difference to a seller’s bottom line. Procurements by the Government of Canada differ from purchases by private sector corporations because the Government entities are subject to specific obligations that are intended to make the procurements competitive, fair and open to reduce purchasing costs and to support the growth of a strong economy. These rules are set out in law in the obligations concerning government procurement in Canada’s Free Trade Agreements and in Canada’s Agreement on Internal Trade. Government of Canada procurements can be reviewed by the Courts under Canadian law or can be reviewed by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) through its bid challenge procedure. The CITT reviews government procurement in light of the procurement obligations in the Free Trade Agreements and in the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). As a result of the obligations imposed on government and the ability to enforce those obligations through the Courts or the CITT, potential suppliers have rights and remedies that they can rely on to ensure that they benefit from fair and open procurement. Although government is bound by these obligations, it is up to potential suppliers to make sure that government lives up to these obligations. Only by understanding these rights and how to effectively enforce them can potential suppliers gain the maximum benefit from their efforts to sell to the Government of Canada. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of the procurement obligations imposed on the Government of Canada and how CITT bid challenge review can be used by potential suppliers. This publication does not however address the separate question of how the Courts can be used to enforce procurement obligations. Trade Agreements Canada has negotiated a number of Free Trade Agreements, such as the NAFTA, with...
Read MoreConference on the CETA – McGill University
Gordon LaFortune and Michael Woods, partners of Woods, LaFortune LLP, attended the McGill University Conference on the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) on October 31 and November 1, 2014. The conference was held at the Faculty of Law and special thanks is due to Professor Armand de Menstral (Emeritus Professor Jean Monnet Chair in Law) and Professor Andrea Bjorklund (L. Yves Fortier Chair in International and International Commercial Law) as well as the faculty members and students who participated and organized the event. The conference addressed Regional Trade Agreements and EU Policy and the Investment and Investment Dispute Settlement provisions of the CETA. The Chatham House Rule applied to the interesting and wide ranging discussions, and therefore the details of our discussions cannot be provided. What we can share however, is that the discussions provided an important opportunity for critical thought and exchange which we hope will be reflected in some of our upcoming commentaries on CETA and other free trade agreements and...
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