Category Archives: Media Recognition

Mark Warner was quoted in the August issue of Condo Business Magazine about the Canadian Competition Bureau investigation of allegations of price-fixing and bid rigging in the supply of condominium refurbishment services in the Greater Toronto Area. (August 23, 2016) Mark is a former Acting Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services which administers the Condominium Act (Ontario) and in that role was responsible for prosecutions under the Consumer Protection Act (Ontario). The Ministry is also responsible for two administrative authorities that enforce certain real estate-related consumer protection laws – the Real Estate Council of Ontario and Tarion Warranty Corporation.

Mark Warner was quoted in the Globe and Mail, the Chronicle Herald, the Winnipeg Free Press,  CBC News, CTV News, and Global News about Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s threats to renegotiate or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the prospects prospects for resurrecting the 1987 Canada-U.S. FTA (CUSFTA) if US withdraws from NAFTA. (August 14, 2016)

Theoretically, NAFTA could remain in force between Mexico and Canada if both parties choose to do so. Canada considers CUSFTA as “suspended”, not terminated. It isn’t clear that the United States agrees with that characterization. Ultimately, the question of whether CUSFTA is suspended or terminated comes down to the intent of the parties as a matter of international law. As a practical matter, CUSFTA would only snap back if the new U.S. President agreed to that, and that could also easily be the subject of litigation in the U.S. or internationally. In any case, CUSFTA would likely have to be updated in some respects before it could come back into force and that would require negotiations and room for the “art of the deal” to be put to the test.

Mr. Warner, a Canadian and U.S. lawyer, has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations and previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate. Mr. Warner was Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade and advised Ontario in the Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations and on several NAFTA Chapter 11 Investor-State Arbitrations. He is co-author of a leading Canadian trade law treatise, has also published numerous articles and has been invited to speak at conferences around the world.

Mark Warner was quoted in the Canadian Bar Association National Magazine article about the new British Columbia 15 per cent penalty tax on non-Canadian purchasers of residential real estate in the Greater Vancouver Regional District on all purchases registered from Aug. 2, 2016. (August 11, 2016) Mr. Warner, a Canadian and U.S. lawyer, has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations and previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate. Mr. Warner was Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade and advised Ontario in the Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations and on several NAFTA Chapter 11 Investor-State Arbitrations. He is co-author of a leading Canadian trade law treatise, has also published numerous articles and has been invited to speak at conferences around the world.

Mark Warner was quoted in this article carried in Reuters, CNBC, the Daily Mail and Yahoo Finance on Brazil’s threat to challenge the Quebec Government’s financial support for Bombardier in the World Trade Organization (WTO). (July 15, 2016) Mr. Warner was Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade providing strategic legal advice with respect to the Ontario’s economic development, research and innovation grants and loans to corporations including Bombardier. In addition, Mr. Warner provided advice to the Government of Ontario on the design of the Green Energy Act and related WTO dispute settlement proceedings, participated in the Canada-European Union Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations, and advised on various North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Chapter 11 investor-state arbitration matters involving Ontario. Mr. Warner, a Canadian and U.S. lawyer, has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations and previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate. He is co-author of a leading Canadian trade law treatise, has also published numerous articles and has been invited to speak at conferences around the world.

Mark Warner was asked to comment in the National Post (June 28, 2016) and CBC News (June 30, 2016) about Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump’s protectionist trade policy speech threatening to renegotiate or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). Mr. Trump also promised to ramp up the use of trade remedy laws and “Buy American” preferences for steel used in U.S. infrastructure  projects. Mr. Warner, a Canadian and U.S. lawyer, has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations and previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate. Mr. Warner was Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade and advised Ontario in the Canada-EU Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations and on several NAFTA Chapter 11 Investor-State Arbitrations. He is co-author of a leading Canadian trade law treatise, has also published numerous articles and has been invited to speak at conferences around the world.

Mark Warner was interviewed about the June 23, 2016 United Kingdom referendum on leaving the European Union (Brexit) and the Canada-European Union Trade Agreement (CETA) in print on TVO (May 24, 2016),  Financial Post, CBC on television on CBC Power & Politics (June 24, 2016),  BNN and CBC The National (June 27, 2016). Mr. Warner was Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade and advised Ontario in the CETA negotiations and on several NAFTA Chapter 11 Investor-State Arbitrations. Mr. Warner, a Canadian and U.S. lawyer, has  previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate. As a partner in a leading boutique law firm in Brussels specializing in European and international law, Mr. Warner negotiated with European Commission Competition officials the first ever notified merger of companies from accession countries (Polish and Czech oil companies) following EU expansion in 2004.

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Mark Warner was quoted in a Tax Notes International Article on the recent decision of the WTO Appellate Body on Panama’s challenge to certain Argentinian “defensive” measures on financial services and service providers from certain jurisdictions that do not cooperate or agree to information sharing in tax  enforcement. (April 19, 2016) The WTO Appellate Body circulated its decision on April 15th. The panel decision is particularly important in light of the recent threats by the G20, the European Union and the United States to sanction tax havens after the Panama Papers scandal. As counsel at the OECD Trade Directorate, Mr. Warner advised on harmful tax competition issues and previously worked on other trade and competition issues. Mr. Warner was Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade participated in the Canada-European Union Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations including the chapters on investment and trade in services. Mr. Warner advises governments and business clients on trade policy, trade disputes and trade negotiations.

Mark Warner is quoted in this article about the reasons for Canada’s record in NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-state dispute settlement arbitration cases. (February 11, 2016) As Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade, Mr. Warner participated in the CETA negotiations and advised on several NAFTA Chapter 11 Investor-State arbitrations. Mr. Warner has advised businesses and governments on trade and investment policy and law, trade negotiations and trade disputes. He also previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate where he participated in the negotiations of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment and represented the OECD at meetings of the WTO Working Group on Trade and Investment.

Mark Warner was quoted in this article about the threats to cancel NAFTA by US Presidential candidates Trump (R) & Sanders (D). (February 10, 2016) Putting aside the messy diplomatic and economic questions, Article 2205 provides that a NAFTA party can withdraw with six months notice, the trickier question is whether a congressional-executive agreement can be terminated by the President alone or whether majority votes in both houses of Congress would be required. I think the better view is that unlike with a “treaty” the President can notify the NAFTA partners on his own but unraveling the domestic commitments would require congressional action. Mr. Warner advised on NAFTA trade and investment issues as Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade and Ministry of Research & Innovation and participated in the Canada-European Union Trade Agreement (CETA) negotiations . Mr. Warner has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations and previously worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate.

Mark Warner is quoted in this Canadian Bar Association National Magazine  article on Canada’s challenge in lifting economic sanctions against Iran. (February 4, 2016) Mark is a former Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade and has worked on trade and competition issues as counsel in the OECD Trade Directorate. He advises on foreign corrupt practices, foreign asset controls, anti-money laundering and export controls issues, including assisting various multinational firms in developing compliance programs in these areas. Mark has also participated in an international arbitration relating to the expropriation of the assets of a U.S.-based oil company in Libya and related issues under applicable sanctions and foreign asset control rules.