Jeffrey S. Thomas  

Jeffrey Thomas is Vancouver Regional Leader of our International Trade and Arbitration, Competition and Marketing Law, Business Immigration and Government Relations groups. Jeffrey primarily practises in the areas of competition law and international trade law (including state-to-state negotiations and dispute settlement, trade policy, domestic trade laws and economic and trade sanctions). He also practises in the areas of international employee transfers, in-bound and out-bound foreign investment, Japan-related business transactions, government relations and general corporate/commercial law.

• Extensive experience in advising clients engaged in or affected by international and domestic trade negotiations, including NAFTA , the WTO, the Canada-EU CETA, the AIT, the CFTA, the TILMA and the NWPTA.
• Significant involvement in state-to-state trade disputes, including those under NAFTA, the WTO, the AIT, the TILMA and the NWPTA.
• Experience in all areas of Canadian domestic law applicable to the trade of goods, services and technology, including trade remedies, customs laws, and economic and trade sanctions and foreign anti-corruption laws.
• Experience providing trade policy advice to governmental clients respecting their international and domestic obligations.
• Extensive experience in providing advice in all areas of Canada’s Competition Act, including, in particular, pre-merger notification and merger clearance.
• Extensive experience in the areas of foreign investment into Canada, including advice relating to the Investment Canada Act and all manner of international law concerning foreign investment.
• Extensive experience in all immigration-related aspects of international employee and executive movements.
• Active in all manner of government relations-related activities at the provincial and federal levels.

Books

• Co-Author, The New Rules of Global Trade:  A Guide to the World Trade Organization, Carswell, 1997.
• Co-Author, International Trade & Investment Law in Canada, Carswell, 1994.

Articles / Presentations

• Author and Presenter, “Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid: The New Rules for Hiring Foreign Workers,” client presentation, October, 2014
• Author and Presenter, “Hiring and Firing Foreign Workers:  The Top 5 Mistakes,” client presentation, November 2012.
• Author and Presenter, “Why You Need a Corporate Policy on Foreign Anti-Corruption,” BLG U presentation, July 2012.
• Author and Presenter, “Government Procurement and Domestic Trade Agreements:  What Might Be Coming,” external CLE Presentation, June 2012.
• Author and Presenter, “Making the Most of Cross-Border Government Procurement: Ensuring Compliance with Trade Agreements,” external CLE presentation, June 2012.
• Author and Presenter, “Some Serious Issues:  Employing Foreign Workers in Canada,” BLG U presentation, June 2012.
• Author and Presenter, “Employing Foreign Workers in Canada,” client presentation, May 2012.
• Author and Presenter, “Unique Circumstances or Lessons Learned:  Potash and the Investment Canada Act,” client presentation, February 2012.
• Author and Presenter, “Regulation of Wine Appellations in BC,” external CLE presentation, February 2012.

• Recognized in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in Canada (Competition/Antitrust Law).
• Recognized in the 2017 edition of the Lexpert^® US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Guide.
• Recommended in the 2017 edition of the Legal 500 Canada (International Trade).
• Selected by peers for inclusion in the 2016 (and since 2006) editions of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Competition/Antitrust Law).
• Recognized in the 2018 (and since 2013) editions of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (International Trade Regulation).
• Martindale-Hubbell® BV® Distinguished ™ 4.4 out of 5 Peer Review Rated.
• Recognized in Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading International Trade Lawyers.