Toronto (January 20, 2021) – Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), along with consortium partners TLT in the U.K. and McDermott Will & Emery in the United States, has been appointed by the U.K. Government to its newly established trade law panel.
The panel is the U.K. Government's default route for all new trade law work, with an indicative value of nearly C$200 million over four years. The consortium, operating under the name Artis, has been selected to provide services in both panel lots, international trade disputes and international trade negotiations.
Partner Matthew Kronby, who will lead the BLG team, is well-known for his expertise in international trade and investment law. He has 25 years' experience representing governments in high-profile trade disputes and negotiations, including as head of the Government of Canada's Trade Law Bureau, as Canada's chief legal counsel in the negotiation of the CETA with the EU, and in numerous WTO and NAFTA proceedings.
"We are excited to be appointed to both panels," Kronby said. "It is an honour to have been appointed to assist the U.K. Government at a time of great change and opportunity. We look forward to providing our consortium's extensive experience and exceptional service to help the U.K. Government defend its interests and achieve its international trade objectives."
Caroline Ramsay will lead the TLT team. A partner with the firm, she is an expert in EU and trade law with many years' experience advising numerous U.K. government departments. "The Artis consortium is born out of a shared culture of collaboration and commitment to exceptional client service," she said. "We wanted to offer something different to the U.K. Government – access to genuine leaders in the field of international trade law."
The McDermott team will be led by Joanne Osendarp and Tim Hruby. Both are leaders in the international trade field with extensive experience advising various governments, including in the U.S. and Canada, in disputes and negotiations. "We are thrilled to join forces with TLT and BLG to offer a highly-skilled and multidisciplinary consortium to help the U.K. government navigate the increasingly complex international trade landscape," Osendarp said.