Partner

Clifford Sosnow is the Chair of Fasken’s International Trade and Investment Group. He is an internationally recognized trade, investment and anti-bribery law advisor, strategist and advocate. He is ranked among the best of the best, a leading trade law practitioner by Canadian and international directories on anti-bribery law, export/import licensing compliance, national security reviews, controlled goods requirements and audits, economic sanctions, Cuba blocking law, dumping/countervail investigations and customs issues.

Clifford leverages his rankings as a leading practitioner to provide strategic advice to corporations, governments and industry associations. He is a seasoned advocate before Canadian trade regulators, government agencies and departments, and NAFTA and WTO arbitrators, but also issues opinions on complex cross-border matters including sanctions, export control and anti-bribery law and conducts anti-bribery, export control, national security and sanctions due diligence of sophisticated, high profile and high value M&A transactions. Clifford also regularly counsels clients to minimize their enforcement risk through sanctions and export control compliance audits and the development of best practice anti-bribery and trade controls internal policies.

Clifford Sosnow has over three decades of experience in advising clients on several of the key criteria Canadian regulators examine in conducting national security reviews of proposed acquisitions. These include the transfer of sensitive technology, the involvement of Defence Production Act and other controlled goods and technology and Canada’s defence capabilities and interest. Clifford has been invited to speak at conferences on the subject and has participated in proposed acquisitions raising Canadian national security issues.

Having previously clerked at the Federal Court of Canada, acted as in-house counsel with the Department of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Development (Global Affairs Canada), and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Clifford leverages this experience and understanding of Canadian government to minimize enforcement risk including the strategic use of voluntary disclosures and requests for sanctions permits.

Clifford advises Canadian businesses (operating both inside and outside of Canada), on how to best manage the risk of human rights impacts in their operations and supply chains, as well as guiding them on corporate reporting obligations, including those under Canada’s new Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act.