Michael Milne

Partner / Ottawa

Michael Milne is a Partner and a Certified Customs Specialist in Cassidy Levy Kent’s Ottawa office. Mr. Milne has also worked in Cassidy Levy Kent’s Washington, D.C. office.

Mr. Milne offers dynamic representation across trade litigation (primarily antidumping and countervailing duty investigations), sanctions, export controls, and customs law issues. Mr. Milne regularly advises clients in the steel, building products, agricultural, food products, consumer products, and automotive industries. He also advises clients on trade representations and warranties in business transactions and conducts trade related due diligence.

Clients have described Michael as a “very responsive”, “practical, pragmatic lawyer who gives great and sound advice” having “strong commercial knowledge”. He “understands client service,” “values pragmatic solutions” and “has a good head for the nuts and bolts of export control law.”

Mr. Milne represents domestic producers, importers, foreign exporters and governments before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, Canadian Federal Courts, and the U.S. International Trade Commission as well as before the Canada Border Services Agency and the U.S. Department of Commerce. He has also appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

Honors

  • 2023 & 2024 Chambers Canada, International Trade/WTO, – “Up and Coming”
  • 2023 & 2024 Legal 500 Canada, International Trade – “Next Generation Partner”
  • 2023 & 2024 Canadian Lexpert Directory, “Repeatedly Recommended” in International Trade Regulation
  • 2022 & 2023 Lexology Client Choice Award – Exclusive Winner in Canada for “Trade and Customs”
  • 2024, Recognized in Best Lawyers in International Trade and Finance Law

Representative Matters

  • Successfully represented Evraz Inc. NA Canada in 2023 expiry review of antidumping duty and countervailing duty protection against small diameter line pipe from Korea before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal.
  • Successfully represented CertainTeed Canada Inc. in 2022 expiry review of antidumping duty protection against gypsum board (drywall) from the United States before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and defense of the antidumping duty protection before the first-ever Chapter 10 CUSMA Bi-National Panel.
  • Provided sanctions advice to Canadian oil and gas companies engaged in various commercial transactions.
  • Preparation of numerous sanctions and export control permit applications to ascertain certainty for clients on various sanctions and export control issues.
  • Advocated for clients in context of ongoing CBSA verifications (audits).
  • Designed customs compliance programs for multinational corporations seeking to set up a Canadian importing presence.
  • Advised multinational corporations in Canadian business transactions on trade related due diligence and representations and warranties.

Professional Affiliations

  • Law Society of Ontario
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Canadian Society of Customs Brokers

Recent Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, The Wilson Centre, Canada Institute, “Canadian Economic Sanctions: Trends and Interaction with the United States” (Nov 2023)
  • Speaker, Royal Canadian Military Institute, “The Long Arm of the Law: Navigating U.S. and Canadian Sanctions and Export Controls for Canadian Businesses” (May 2023)
  • Speaker, The Canadian Institute, 12th Annual U.S. Export and Reexport Compliance for Canadian Operations Conference, “Third Party and Supply Chain Due Diligence and Screening Action Plan” (Jan 2023)
  • Speaker, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Seventh Trade Law Fall Update on “EVs and the Transformation of North American Auto Trade” (Nov 2022)
  • Speaker, Ontario Bar Association, “Advocacy and International Trade: Best Practices for Virtual Dispute Resolution” (June 2021)

Education

  • J.D., University of Toronto Faculty of Law
  • A.B., cum laude, Dartmouth College; Story Prize for best philosophy thesis written in the graduating year; nominated for Rintels Prize for best undergraduate thesis written in the graduating year; high honors earned in the major (philosophy)

Bar Memberships

  • Ontario