Mr Clifford Sosnow > Fasken > Ottawa, Canada > Lawyer Profile

Fasken
SUITE 1300
55 METCALFE STREET
OTTAWA, ON K1P 6L5
Canada
Clifford Sosnow photo

Position

Partner

Career

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.

Lawyer Rankings

Canada > International trade

(Leading partners)

Clifford Sosnow – Fasken

During 2023/24, Fasken’s international trade practice kept particularly busy advising on economic sanctions — mainly Russia-related sanctions — and customs law issues, including matters relating to customs valuations and tariff classifications. The team also continues to handle trade remedies and trade treaty-related work. Clifford Sosnow, who splits his time between Toronto and Ottawa, chairs the international trade and investment group and specializes in trade, investment and anti-bribery law. Ottawa-based associate Christopher Little is also noted.