Mark Warner gives a “Crystal ball” outlook for 2020, lessons learned in 2019 and a possible ‘Black Swan’ event on the CBC Weekend Business Panel. (December 28, 2019) Lessons learned in 2019 include the importance of compliance and corporate governance issues. Predictions for 2020 include the continuation of U.S.-China and Canada-China trade tensions and increasing regulatory focus on Big Tech. The possible Black Swan event relates to the possible failure of the U.S. Senate to pass the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) / NAFTA 2.0.

Mark is a Canadian and U.S. lawyer who has practiced in Toronto, Washington, DC and New York and has advised governments on trade policy and trade negotiations. As counsel at the OECD Trade Directorate, Mark advised on harmful tax competition issues and worked on other trade and competition issues. As Legal Director for the Ontario Ministry of Research & Innovation, Mark led Ontario’s legal team in creating the $250 million Ontario Emerging Technologies Fund, the $205 million Ontario Venture Capital Fund and establishing the Ontario Capital Growth Corporation. As Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development & Trade Mark provided strategic legal advice with respect to the Ontario’s economic development, research and innovation grants and loans to corporations and led Ontario’s legal team for trade negotiations and trade and investment disputes. Mark is also a former Acting Legal Director of the Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services which provided oversight to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the Vintners Quality Alliance Ontario (VQA) 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.