Mark Warner was quoted in the Canadian Bar Association National Magazine about the timing and likelihood of the European Union’s carbon border adjustment mechanism proposal being implemented and similar Congressional efforts in the U.S. and what that means for Canada and possible trade challenges. (July 26, 2021) Mr. Warner is a Canadian and U.S. lawyer who has practiced in Toronto, Washington, DC, New York and Brussels and has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations. Mr. Warner was Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade and negotiated and drafted to leading global companies for jobs, investment, research and manufacturing projects in Ontario, including for: clean energy (solar and wind) manufacturing and hybrid and clean vehicle technologies. As Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, Mr. Warner led Ontario’s legal team in creating the $250 million Ontario Emerging Technologies (focused in part on clean energy technologies) Fund, the $205 million Ontario Venture Capital Fund and establishing the Ontario Capital Growth Corporation.

As Legal Director of the Ontario, Mr. Warner also 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 NAFTA Chapter 11 investor-state arbitration matters involving Ontario. 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 Competition Policy and the Working Group on Trade and Investment.

Mark also led the Province’s legal team for the insolvency / restructuring of General Motors and Chrysler in the difficult context of the 2008-2009 Recession.