Posted by Woods LaFortune LLP on Dec 15, 2014

On December 10, 2014, the Organization of Women in International Trade (OWIT)-Ottawa held its annual Holiday Business Panel event. The panel, which represented the legal, trade and business communities, answered a panoply of questions on the topic of what Canadian businesses can expect from the numerous free trade agreements recently concluded between Canada and other countries, and how the business community can benefit from these agreements. The panelists, Anne Finlayson (CEO & CFO for Standard Innovation Corporation), Johane Seguin (EDC Sector VP for the Extracting and Resources Group), and Wendy Wagner (partner at Gowlings) provided valuable input on the topic and covered everything from legal implications and the current state of the economy, to opportunities for growth in the market. Both a very successful and informative event for all who attended. For more information on OWIT-Ottawa visit –...

Posted by Woods LaFortune LLP on Dec 9, 2014

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has recently announced that it has initiated an investigation into the alleged dumping and/or subsidization of solar modules and laminates originating in or exported from China. The investigation was launched in response to complaints from four Ontario-based companies, namely Eclipsall Energy Corporation, Heliene, Silfab Ontario and Solgate, that Chinese companies have imported dumped and/or subsidized solar modules and laminates into the Canadian market, to their detriment. The CBSA’s investigation closely follows both the EU and the U.S. in their recent imposition of Anti-Dumping tariffs on solar modules from China. The U.S. ruling on injury is due in mid-January and is said to potentially have a great impact on the Chinese solar industry. For a copy of the Public Complaint see...

Posted by Woods LaFortune LLP on Dec 2, 2014

Au cours des prochaines semaines, l’équipe de Woods, LaFortune LLP fournira des bulletins de publication sur l’accord économique et commercial global (AECG) récemment négocié entre le Canada et l’Union européenne. En tant que point de départ, nous allons tout d’abord repasser à travers une série de présentations préparée par une équipe d’anciens collègues, que nous avons donné à la faculté de droit de l’Université d’Ottawa le 8 avril 2013. Michael Woods de Woods, LaFortune LLP se compte parmi cette équipe, ainsi que l’ancien premier ministre du Québec, Pierre Marc Johnson, Véronique Bastien, et Julie Robinson.  Le thème abordé comprenait le droit Commercial International avec un accent sur le libre-échange ainsi que sur le chapitre 11 de l’ALENA. Maître Johnson, est maintenant associé au cabinet montréalais Lavery de Billy au bureau de Montréal, Véronique Bastien travaille pour l’OCDE à Paris, et Julie Robinson est auxiliaire juridique pour l’honorable France Thibault de la Cour d’appel du Québec. Elle complète également une maîtrise en droit dans le domaine du droit constitutionnel et du droit de l’environnement à l’Université Laval. Les deux présentations sont disponibles sous notre section de publication: https://www.wl-tradelaw.com/alena-chapitre-11-nafta-chapter-11/ https://www.wl-tradelaw.com/droit-commercial-international-international-commercial-law/   Over the course of the next few weeks, the Woods, LaFortune LLP team will be providing informative publications on the recent Canada – European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). As a starting point, we will first revisit a series of presentations prepared by a team of old colleagues that was given at the University of Ottawa’s Law Faculty on April 8th, 2013. Michael Woods of Woods, LaFortune LLP was one of the team members, as was former Premier of Quebec, Pierre March Johnson, Veronique Bastien and Julie Robinson. The topic of these presentations was international commercial law, as a whole, with a particular focus on free trade and NAFTA Chapter 11. Mr. Johnson is now counsel at Lavery Lawyers in Montreal, Veronique Bastier works for OECD in Paris, and Julie Robinson is clerking for the Honourable France Thibault of the Quebec Court of Appeal. The presentations, made in French, are available at the links above....

Posted by Woods LaFortune LLP on Nov 27, 2014

Woods, LaFortune LLP attended the very successful Startup Canada Economic Club of Canada Luncheon on November 25, 2014 at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. The topic of discussion at the Luncheon was “Growing Canadian Entrepreneurship: Reducing The Startup Failure Rate and Improving Financial Management”. Specifically, the need to encourage and achieve financial literacy among entrepreneurs in Canada was addressed as an important way to ensure their continued growth and success in various market sectors and locations. A recent study conducted by Intuit Canada identified financial illiteracy as one of the largest barriers to the success of entrepreneurs. In response to this finding, the Startup Canada Financial Literacy Committee was launched to provide private sector-led initiatives to increase financial literacy among Canadian entrepreneurs. The panelists identified and explored some of the key challenges faced by startup companies and discussed the best approach to creating more resilient and high-growth companies. Overall a well attended and highly informative event. Speakers and panelists included the Honourable Kevin Sorenson  (Minister of State (Finance) for the Government of Canada), Lucie Tedesco (Commissioner of Financial Consumer Agency of Canada), Jeff Cates (President of Intuit Canada), Cairine Wilson (Vice-President, Member Services and Publisher, CPA Magazine, CPA Canada), and Laura O’Blenis (Chair, Startup Canada Task Force). The panel was moderated by former BNN Anchor and Startup Canada Board Director Andrea Mandel...

Posted by Woods LaFortune LLP on Nov 23, 2014

On November 20, 2014, Gordon LaFortune, Catherine Walsh, and Michael Woods attended a reception at the Rideau Club in Ottawa marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT). The CITT was established in 1988 and began operations in January 1989, is the work of the amalgamation of four federal tribunals – the Tariff Board, the Canadian Import Tribunal, the Textile and Clothing Board, and the Procurement Review Board of Canada. An independent quasi-judicial body operating within Canada’s trade remedy system, the main legislation governing the work of the CITT is the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Act (CITT Act), the Special Import Measures Act (SIMA), the Customs Act, the Excise Tax Act, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Regulations, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Procurement Inquiry Regulations and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Rules. As the trade remedies area (anti-dumping, countervail and safeguards) is one of the most visible of the CITT’s mandates, it is interesting to note that Canada was the first country to enact anti-dumping legislation. That was in 1904 and following the completion of the GATT Kennedy Round Negotiations, Canada set up the Anti-Dumping Tribunal (ADT) in 1968. The ADT became the Canadian Import Tribunal and then the CITT. The National Commodity Tax, Customs and Trade Section of the Canadian Bar Association organized and hosted the reception and Woods, LaFortune LLP was pleased to serve as one of the sponsors for the successful event. We congratulate current and former Members, the many trade lawyers who have appeared before the CITT, and especially the hard-working and very effective staff members, past and present. Woods, LaFortune LLP have appeared in a large number of trade remedies matters before the CITT (see https://www.wl-tradelaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Complete-List-of-Trade-Remedies-Cases.pdf) in addition to several government procurement...

Posted by Woods LaFortune LLP on Nov 18, 2014

We are pleased to announce the release of Part II of the articles series on Canada’s International Air Transport by Daniel de Bellefeuille. These articles set out key elements of Canada’s Air Transport Agreement policy – a critical element in Canada’s overall international policy making. The Woods, LaFortune LLP team thanks Daniel for his valuable contribution and we encourage any follow-up questions and comments. Part I in the series can be found under our Canadian Trade Law Blog section at https://www.wl-tradelaw.com/canadas-international-air-transport-policy-and-the-reality-of-agreement-negotiations-part-i/ . Part II in the series can be found under the same tab at...