Gerald H. Stobo

Senior Counsel / Ottawa

Gerry Stobo is senior counsel at Cassidy Levy Kent (Canada) LLP and is consistently recognized as one of Canada’s leading public procurement and trade lawyers.

Mr. Stobo has acted for all levels of government and private sector clients throughout Canada on complex public procurement law and government contracting matters involving the design of procurement processes, drafting procurement documents, advising on issues during the bid period and assisting with legal challenges.

Mr. Stobo acts for private sector clients on complex trade cases involving dumping and subsidy claims before the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. He has represented the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and private sector clients in proceedings before the Federal Court of Appeal and Binational Panels under Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also represents national and multinational corporations in customs compliance and export control matters.

Prior to joining Cassidy Levy Kent, Mr. Stobo was the leader of the public procurement practice group for a large national firm, which, under his leadership, was named the world’s leading government contracts practice in 2015 by Who’s Who Legal.

Government Service

Mr. Stobo was General Counsel at the Canadian International Trade Tribunal from 1995-2001. Prior to that, he was General Counsel at the Immigration and Refugee Board from 1989-1995. During his years of public service, Mr. Stobo was involved in the development and implementation of government policies, regulations and legislation.

Honors

  • Selected by the Government of Canada as a roster member for panels established under Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement, as continued under the Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement
  • Recognized in Chambers Canada – Canada’s Leading Lawyers (Band 1 for Public Procurement)
  • Recognized in Chambers Global – The World’s Leading Lawyers (International Trade/WTO)
  • Recognized as a leading international trade lawyer and a leading public procurement lawyer in The Legal 500 Canada
  • Named by the 2021 Lexology Client Choice Awards as the exclusive Canadian winner in the area of Government Contracts
  • Recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Canada (Public Procurement, Trade & Customs)
  • Named by Best Lawyers as Lawyer of the Year 2020 in Public Procurement Law in Ottawa
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Administrative and Public Law, International Trade and Finance Law, Public Procurement Law)
  • Recognized by the 2014 Lexology Client Choice Awards as the exclusive winner in Public Law in Canada
  • Recognized as a leading infrastructure lawyer in the Lexpert® Special Edition on Infrastructure
  • Recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Commodity Tax/Customs, International Trade Regulation, Infrastructure Law)
  • Recognized in Expert Guides as a leading lawyer in International Trade
  • Recognized in the Lexpert® Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada (Commodity Tax/Customs, International Trade Regulation)
  • Recognized in The International Who’s Who of Public Procurement Lawyers
  • Recognized in Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers
  • Recognized in Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading International Trade Lawyers
  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ Rating

Representative Matters

  • Counsel for Alion Science and Technology Inc. in challenging a $60 billion contract award for the Canadian Surface Combatant program for next-generation frigates
  • Counsel for Oshkosh Defense, Inc. in challenging a $700 million contract award for the Medium Support Vehicle program for military vehicles
  • Counsel for Rampart International Corporation in challenging unfairly restrictive specifications in the Canadian Armed Forces pistol replacement procurement
  • Representing Crown corporations in developing and administering procurement processes; and in bid challenges

Professional Affiliations

  • Founder and Past-Chair, Public Procurement Law Practitioners Group
  • Past Co-Chair, Canadian Bar Association (CBA) Customs Sales and Commodity Tax Section Committee; Past Chair, CBA Public Sector Lawyers Conference; Founder, CBA Immigration Section in southern Alberta
  • Past Secretary, International Bar Association Committee on Public Procurement

Recent Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, Procurement Landscape for Public Agencies, Municipal Police Force, Alberta, January 2022
  • Speaker, “Public Procurement Opportunities in Canada: A Training Session for European Companies”, European Union, May 2021
  • Speaker, “The Essentials of Canadian Procurement Law”, Queen’s University, February 2018
  • Speaker, “A US Contractor’s Guide to Doing Business in Canada”, Federal Publications Seminars, September 28, 2016
  • Speaker, “Procurement under Trade Agreements for First-Timers”, Canadian Bar Association, September 21, 2016
  • Speaker, “6th Annual New Procurement: Critical Advances from Process to Practice”, Lexpert, October 27, 2015
  • Speaker, “New Procurement: Critical Developments from Process to Practice”, Lexpert, October 2014
  • Speaker, “Anti-Corruption Developments in Major Procurement Markets”, American Bar Association Public Contract Law Section, International Procurement Committee, May 21, 2014
  • Speaker, “Procurement in Practice: Avoiding the Pitfalls”, Lexpert, June 4, 2013
  • Speaker, “Pathways to Employment in International Law Programs”, American Bar Association Section of International Law, February 13, 2013
  • Speaker, “The Challenges of Conducting a Scientific Review within the Framework of a Quasi-Judicial Process”, Canadian Bar Association, October 18, 2012
  • Speaker, “Tendering and Procurement: Mastering the Complexities”, Lexpert, June 6, 2012
  • Speaker, “Doing Business with the U.S. Government: Understanding the Rules and Avoiding the Pitfalls”, Public Contracting Institute, November 15, 2011
  • Speaker, “Tendering and Procurement: Navigating the Maze”, Lexpert, June 7, 2011

Publications

  • Co-author, “Doing Business in Canada: A Cautionary Tale for American Suppliers”, The Procurement Lawyer, American Bar Association, Public Contract Law Section, Spring 2020 (55:2)
  • Author, “Corruption of Foreign Public Officials: Prison Sentence Signals Court’s Denunciation of Corrupt Business Practices, ​” BLG International Trade and Arbitration Bulletin, June 4, 2014
  • Author, “Canada-United States Agreement on Government Procurement: A Canadian Perspective,” The Procurement Lawyer, American Bar Association, Summer 2010
  • Author, “The Canadian Public Procurement Regime,” International Public Procurement: A Guide to Best Practice, Globe Law and Business Publishing, 2010

Education

  • LL.B. (Hons.), University of London
  • B.A., University of Calgary
  • Program for Public Executives, Queen’s University

Languages

  • English

Bar Memberships

  • Law Society of Ontario
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • American Bar Association