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Public Policy & Government Relations

A trusted legal team with a deep understanding of governmental inner-workings and policy development is invaluable. Also key are advisors who maintain extensive contact with officials, elected representatives and the key stakeholders influencing public policy.

Our multidisciplinary team provides advice on technical, legal and regulatory matters in a timely, efficient manner.

We assist clients with a full range of services, including:

  • monitoring political and public policy developments
  • analyzing the potential impact of emerging government policy and program changes on client interests
  • creating and directing advocacy campaigns
  • advising on lobbying law and registration requirements
We also have an extensive outreach program to foreign embassies in Canada and frequently meet with senior diplomats from around the world.

Experience - Legislative Monitoring and Policy Analysis

  • Canada’s largest financial services firms in developing a legislative and policy early warning system that allowed them to track important policy and legislative issues and develop management strategies.
  • Ontario’s largest electrical utilities in establishing a government issues tracking system that helped them to anticipate threats to business plans in a complex policy and regulatory environment.
  • Various domestic and international entities in monitoring and reporting on legislative and regulatory developments including procurement, trade, completion, energy, foreign investment, pharmaceuticals and financial services issues

Experience - Advocacy Activities

  • Canada’s largest private construction companies in developing an advocacy program that successfully opposed new prequalification requirements for construction projects.  The resulting government suspension of the new requirements allowed our client to continue bidding on construction work in the province.
  • Canada’s largest integrated natural gas companies in providing federal and provincial strategic advice and counsel that facilitated the development of a multi-billion-dollar energy project.
  • Industrial client in providing advisement on the direction where Canada’s greenhouse gas laws are going and the implications for investment decisions.

Experience - Electoral Law and Lobbying Law Compliance

  • A number of Canada’s large companies and associations in developing a federal and provincial lobbying law compliance framework including in the retail, energy, mining and chemical sectors and several national industry associations.
  • Many Canadian corporations in providing detailed advice on political contribution limits at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government.
  • A variety of clients in arranging regular lobbying law compliance seminars in the energy and construction sectors.
  • Clients in advising on compliance of election advertising laws and regulations.

Experience - International Government Relations

  • Foreign government in providing strategic counsel and advice that positively positioned its diplomatic activities with the Government of Canada and a number of provincial governments.
  • Various embassies in advisement on effective strategy to deliver their messages to Canadian parliamentarians.

Key Contacts

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