Andrew House practises in the areas of Foreign Investment and Government Relations with a focus on the impact of national security considerations in federally-regulated industries and transactions.
For over two decades, Andrew has provided strategic and legal advice to corporate leaders, policy-makers, and cabinet members. Andrew served from 2010 to 2015 as Chief of Staff to successive Ministers of Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness, working with his team to manage some of the most critical files facing the Government of Canada in the areas of national security, policing, borders & trade, and disaster response. These included foreign direct investment, cybersecurity, irregular migration, and anti-terrorism.
Andrew worked directly on multiple high-impact National Security Reviews under the Investment Canada Act, partnering with key officials in the defence and security corridor of government to guide the decision making-process to the cabinet table. His experience cuts across multiple sectors of the Canadian economy from health and pharma, tech and telecoms, to finance, construction, oil & gas, and mining.
Andrew draws on deep knowledge of policy development, law-making, and government institutions to help clients navigate the expectations of government in the protection of critical infrastructure and safety of citizens.
Andrew began his career in 2002 as an advisor on small arms control and justice reform to the United Nations Mission to Kosovo, after which he returned to Canada as a criminal defence lawyer. Andrew has served as a Governor of the University of Ottawa, a Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, a member of the Foreign Investment Review Committee of the Canadian Bar Association, and faculty member with the Institute of Corporate Directors. He has appeared in national print and broadcast media as a commentator on criminal law policy, immigration and borders, emergency response, and security intelligence.
