Serving national and international leaders of the transportation and supply chain industries, we expertly navigate clients’ toughest Canadian and cross-border regulatory issues.

A national team with international reach that consolidates colleagues with diverse industry expertise, our Transportation and Logistics group provides comprehensive and practical legal advice to a wide range of actors in the transportation and logistics industry, including shippers, producers and payors of freight; freight forwarders, vessel owners and non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCC); operators and service providers in the air, rail, road and ocean modes of transportation; and providers of warehousing/logistics services and their customers. We also act regularly for government entities in respect of some of Canada’s most significant transportation infrastructure projects.

Across-the-board experience and support

Recognized as a leading firm in Transportation Law by clients and major ranking publications, our regulatory specialists are passionate about guiding clients through the full range of compliance concerns, possessing deep industry expertise and a wealth of experience navigating intersecting provincial/territorial, federal and international laws. Our team structures complex mergers and acquisitions, private equity and similar business and commercial transactions involving freight and passenger transportation companies and their assets. Leveraging a strong network of relationships with federal and provincial authorities such as the Canadian Transportation Agency, Transport Canada, the Transportation Safety Board, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, the Commission des transports du Québec, and the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, our team acts on behalf of our clients before those authorities in connection with our clients’ transactions, from Investment Canada Act or Competition Act approvals, to pre-merger notifications in respect of transactions involving commercial air services, to vehicle and motor carrier licensing and registration.

We partner with clients on an ongoing basis, providing advice and support on all manner of commercial activities and regulatory compliance. With in-depth knowledge of international safety standards regulations, the regulation of dangerous goods and hazardous materials, and the law governing the liability of carriers in all modes as well as that of warehousemen and freight forwarders, we guide our clients in their efforts to bring goods to market throughout North America by road and rail and throughout the world via Canadian ports and airports.

In the area of passenger transportation, we have deep experience advising air carriers, rail carriers and bus and taxi companies in all areas of regulatory compliance. For decades, we have championed the major regulatory litigation matters germane to bus operating authorities in Canada, acting for the three largest carriers nationally, and have participated as lead counsel on many of Canada’s most significant mergers and acquisitions in the bus industry.

Our team manages state-of-the-art infrastructure development projects in the areas of light and heavy rail, provides comprehensive logistics advice to key players in the supply chain and retail industry, and supports our clients through drafting and negotiating agreements.  

We are leaders in procuring authorizations, permits and licences authorizing the transportation of explosives and residual waste, the acquisition of agricultural lands for industrial use or by non-Canadian entities, regularly preparing applications and making written and oral submissions to provincial and federal regulatory agencies in both official languages.

Connected at the forefront of industry

Transportation media regularly note the ground-breaking work of our team through recognition in guides such as Chambers Global, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and Best Lawyers Canada. Our group is also active in organizations such as the Canadian Transport Lawyers Association, the (United States) Transportation Lawyers Association, the Railway Association of Canada, the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in North America, and the Association of Transportation Law Professionals. 

This deep knowledge of our clients’ industries, paired with our strong connection within the transportation and logistics industry that drives the Canadian and global economies, allow us to provide the most relevant, strategic and timely advice to our clients. Transportation companies connect with us to keep their transportation and logistics projects moving in the right direction, and businesses whose needs include transportation and logistics know that our team has the unique market and legal understanding to advance our clients’ interests in Canada and beyond.