Profile

Mark Sills, founding partner of Sills Egsgard LLP, practises in the area of international trade and investment. He advises and represents foreign and domestic companies in Canadian trade remedy and customs cases and he provides legal and policy advice to foreign and Canadian companies and foreign governments on international trade and investment matters.

Mark's trade remedies practice involves anti-dumping, countervailing duty and safeguards matters and also the representation of foreign and domestic companies on challenges to government contract awards before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. In the trade remedies area, he has represented both foreign and Canadian manufacturers, importers and exporters in trade remedies cases over the past ten years.

Mark Sills has extensive experience in customs compliance issues and has assisted numerous companies in challenging customs determinations of various sorts before Canada's administrative appeal tribunals. He also has extensive experience in new and evolving customs issues such as export and import controls and international trade sanctions issues. Mark has frequently provided advice on Canadian Federal Government regulatory requirements affecting imports in areas such as food products, pharmaceuticals and motor vehicles. He also advises on packaging and labelling requirements including French language labelling.

In recent years, he has developed expertise in anti-bribery issues including internal systems for anti-bribery controls and related issues involving corporate social responsibility for companies doing business abroad. His extensive experience in the Canadian Foreign Service in Asia and Latin America and subsequent work with the Russian, Vietnam and Bahamas governments enables him to accurately assess and provide timely and effective advice to companies undertaking investments in challenging foreign environments.

Education

• LL.M. (International and Comparative Law), 1973, Vrij Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
• LL.B., 1972, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, Toronto, Canada
• B.A. (Honours), 1969 Bishop's University, Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada
• Certificat d'Études Françaises, Cours Supérieur, 1968 Université d'Aix-Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, France