Clifford Sosnow is the Chair of Fasken’s International Trade and Investment Group. He is an internationally recognized trade, investment and anti-bribery law advisor, strategist and advocate. He is ranked among the best of the best, a leading trade law practitioner by Canadian and international directories on anti-bribery law, export/import licensing compliance, national security reviews, controlled goods requirements and audits, economic sanctions, Cuba blocking law, dumping/countervail investigations and customs issues.
Clifford is recognized as a leading trade lawyer in numerous directories including Chambers Global and Chambers Canada (Band 1), Who’s Who Legal 100, Legal 550 for International Trade, Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, Best Lawyers in Canada, Expert Guides Best of the Best, and is recognized by Legal 500 for Public Procurement.
"Clifford Sosnow leverages an immense depth of experience, both in government and as a private practitioner, to assist clients with a range of trade queries and issues. " (Chambers and Partners Canada Guide 2023)
"Clifford Sosnow is a master of international trade regulation." (Chambers and Partners Canada Guide 2022)
Clifford leverages his rankings as a leading practitioner to provide strategic advice to corporations, governments and industry associations. He is a seasoned advocate before Canadian trade regulators, government agencies and departments, and NAFTA and WTO arbitrators, but also issues opinions on complex cross-border matters including sanctions, export control and anti-bribery law and conducts anti-bribery, export control, national security and sanctions due diligence of sophisticated, high profile and high value M&A transactions. Clifford also regularly counsels clients to minimize their enforcement risk through sanctions and export control compliance audits and the development of best practice anti-bribery and trade controls internal policies.
Clifford Sosnow has over three decades of experience in advising clients on several of the key criteria Canadian regulators examine in conducting national security reviews of proposed acquisitions. These include the transfer of sensitive technology, the involvement of Defence Production Act and other controlled goods and technology and Canada’s defence capabilities and interest. Clifford has been invited to speak at conferences on the subject and has participated in proposed acquisitions raising Canadian national security issues.
Having previously clerked at the Federal Court of Canada, acted as in-house counsel with the Department of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Development (Global Affairs Canada), and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Clifford leverages this experience and understanding of Canadian government to minimize enforcement risk including the strategic use of voluntary disclosures and requests for sanctions permits.
Clifford advises Canadian businesses (operating both inside and outside of Canada), on how to best manage the risk of human rights impacts in their operations and supply chains, as well as guiding them on corporate reporting obligations, including those under Canada’s new Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act.
Clifford is a thought leader. His acknowledged practice has earned coverage across media and print outlets including National Public Radio, Bloomberg TV, The Globe and Mail, National Post and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. His thought leadership extends to executive positions he holds in many professional associations including the American Bar Association, the Trade Committee of the OECD business advisory committee (BIAC); the Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Committee of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
In addition to engaging in an active speaking and moderating schedule at legal and business conferences around the world, Clifford also writes extensively on international trade and bribery issues, and for the past several years sits on the Editorial board of the Kluwers Global Trade and Customs Journal.
Clifford received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond and Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medals.
