JOHN BOSCARIOL is a Partner in the Litigation Group at McCarthy Tétrault LLP and leader of the International Trade & Investment Law Group. John specializes in investigations, enforcement, disputes and compliance regarding economic sanctions, anti-corruption law and policy, export and technology transfer controls, blocking orders (Cuba), government contracts, national security, anti-dumping/countervail/safeguard, customs, tariffs and border measures.

He has developed a recognized expertise in advising on the intersection of Canadian economic sanctions and anti-corruption measures with those of the United States, European Union and other jurisdictions. He speaks and writes extensively on these topics at both the national and international level.

John testified before Canada's Parliament on the enforcement of economic sanctions and anti-terrorism laws, and many of his recommendations were adopted in the House of Commons Report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs: A Coherent and Effective Approach to Canada’s Sanctions Regimes: Sergei Magnitsky and Beyond.

He represents clients in dealings with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Global Affairs Canada, Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Canada Border Services Agency, Controlled Goods Directorate (PSPC), Department of National Defence, Canadian Transportation Agency, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Federal Courts, and NAFTA Binational Panels.

John is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as one of only four Most Highly Regarded Lawyers – Investigations (Canada) for his “outstanding knowledge of anti-corruption matters”. Recently, he was named by Expert Guide’s Best of the Best (Global) as one of the world’s top 30 international trade attorneys and by Best Lawyers as the 2019 and 2020 International Trade and Finance Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Toronto. Martindale- Hubbell rates John as “AV Preeminent”, their “highest level of professional excellence” and Chambers Global ranks him in Band 1 for WTO/International Trade.

He is Adjunct Faculty of the University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law where he designed and teaches Anti-Corruption Law and its Application in International Business. He has also been active in the leadership of the American Bar Association Section of International Law, where he is Senior Advisor and Past Co-Chair of the ABA Export Controls and Economic Sanctions Committee. He is also Past Chair of the Export Committee of the Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters. He is also active in Canadian bar associations, including as a member of the Canadian Bar Association’s Joint Committee on Anti-Corruption and as Past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association International Law Section.

Select recent examples of work in the economic sanctions and trade controls area include:

• Economic sanctions, AML and foreign corruption investigation involving an Asia- based bank and covering activities in the Middle East by politically exposed persons
• Acted for Russian bank in successful application to Minister of Foreign Affairs for removal from Canada’s economic sanctions blacklist
• Acting for former Ukraine government official in applications to Global Affairs Canada and litigation in the Federal Court seeking removal from economic sanctions blacklist
• Risk assessment, design and implementation of economic sanctions and anti- corruption compliance programs, procedures and controls for companies in oil and gas, mining, financial services, and aviation industries
• Acting for national and global financial institutions on economic sanctions compliance, investigation and enforcement matters, including dealings with Global Affairs Canada on permit applications, voluntary and mandatory disclosures to the RCMP, investigations by the RCMP and other enforcement authorities and the de-risking of financial products and customer relationships
• Trade controls investigation for a U.S.-based Fortune 100 public company spanning Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.
• Economic sanctions and trade controls investigation for a U.S.-based Fortune 500 public company involving Canada and the United States