E. Melisa Celebican is an International Trade Counsel and a Certified Customs Specialist at Cassidy Levy Kent’s Ottawa Office. Ms. Celebican assists clients in all aspects of anti-dumping and countervailing proceedings and customs law matters before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and the Canada Border Services Agency, as well as on judicial review matters before the Federal Courts of Canada. In addition, Ms. Celebican helps clients navigate Canada’s economic sanctions, import and export control matters, international trade and investment treaty compliance, and on the enforcement of anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders.
Ms. Celebican holds a Juris Doctor (cum laude) degree from the University of Ottawa, with a concentration in International Law and a Master of Arts degree in European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies from Carleton University. During law school, Ms. Celebican was an Assistant Editor in the Ottawa Law Review, a Research Assistant for Professor Chidi Oguamanam, and has mooted extensively, representing the university in two of the largest global competitions, the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration and the Foreign Direct Investment moots. In addition, as a participant in the TradeLab legal clinic, Ms. Celebican co-authored a project for Centre for Trade Policy and Law, providing recommendations on the provisions of an investment protocol for the African Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.
Prior to joining Cassidy Levy Kent, Ms. Celebican worked at private, governmental and non-governmental organizations, including at the European Citizen Action Service in Brussels.
Government Service
Prior to attending law school, Ms. Celebican was a Desk Officer at Global Affairs Canada’s Europe and Eurasia Division between 2015 and 2016. As a result of her accomplishments over the period of challenging relations with Turkey, she was honoured with an award from then-Assistant Deputy Minister Alex Bugailiskis.
Professional Affiliations
- Secretary, Ontario Bar Association, International Law Section
- Executive Member-at-Large, Canadian Bar Association, International Law Section
- Chair, Turkish Canadian Lawyers Association
- Canadian Customs Specialist, Canadian Society of Customs Brokers
Education
- J. D., University of Ottawa (cum laude) (Dean’s Honour List)
- M.A., European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies, Carleton University (Recipient of SSHRC’s Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship for her master’s thesis)
- B.A. (Bilingual), International Studies and Psychology, Glendon College, York University
Languages
- English
- Turkish
- French
Bar Memberships
- Ontario