Arrest and Unlawful Detention

We have unparalleled expertise assisting those who have faced or are facing arrest, arbitrary detention or persecution by corrupt and authoritarian regimes. We have been successful in securing the release of numerous high-profile detainees/hostages.  We’re never not successful—where a release has not been secured, we remain on the file. This is an area of our practise where giving up is never an option. A significant portion of our pro-bono work is dedicated to this area of practise.

Investigations/Due Diligence

We provide investigative and forensic services, both in furtherance of commercial objectives and for dispute support, globally. We also assist in internal investigations, from the time an issue is identified through to mitigation of any legal, regulatory, capital markets or public relations consequences

Government Relations & Advocacy

Distilling complex international issues into terms that local media, government officials and the general public can understand is a key component of an advocacy campaign. We’ve successfully advocated for and communicated on a wide range of intricate issues around the globe. Whether a problem calls for a vocal media campaign or discrete action, our broad global networks help inform, support and deploy our advocacy strategies.

International Disputes

We prefer working with our clients towards speedy, cost-effective resolutions through negotiation or creative commercial solutions. However, when that fails, we are willing and able to defend our client’s interest in court or before international arbitral tribunals (and we’re very good at it). That said, litigation or arbitration is slow, costly and by the time its completed, the economic rationale for doing so is often exhausted. We treat litigation as the solution of last resort. However, we are very adept at using disputes (or the threat of disputes) as an effective negotiation tool, including in the public eye.

Disinformation & Foreign Influence

Disinformation and influence operations have become weapons of choice for malign actors -foreign state media, trolls and proxies- who seek to gain advantage by manipulating democratic processes, institutions, media and societies. The threat posed by disinformation is not limited just to governments and media, but can target our economy and businesses. As leading international experts in this field, we can help mitigate the risk through our corporate digital media literacy training and strategies to help counter disinformation.

Sanctions

We’ve led the advocacy for Canadian and international Magnitsky sanctions legislation and have helped draft it. We actively monitor sanctions and work with global human rights and civil society groups to both understand and advise where and how sanctions can be applied.

Large Scale Project Advisory Services

Infrastructure, mining, oil, gas, pipelines, real estate or forestry are all businesses you can’t “take with you”. Host governments, communities and other stakeholders can exert extreme pressure, critically impeding the economic viability of large projects. We are accustomed to dealing with resource nationalism (including actual or de-facto expropriation), rapidly evolving laws or regulation (including permitting), unlawful government intervention, challenging and sophisticated local communities and NGO opposition. Stalled projects can be costly or detrimental. Our experience tells us that the challenge companies in these sectors face is usually far more complex than initially thought. We untangle the layers of complexity through careful on-the-ground interventions, often working with local partners. Where a solution is not possible (or no longer economic), we assist with project dispositions, joint ventures or earn-ins that allow for de-risking and either full or partial return of capital.