Carmen Francis is a partner in the firm’s International Trade & Investment Law Group in Toronto, and is Industry Group Leader of our National Retail and Consumer Markets Group. Her practice is focused on providing business-friendly, strategic and skilled advice across a wide range of trade, regulatory and compliance matters.

Carmen’s regulatory practice is tailored to supporting clients at each stage of the regulatory continuum: from the earliest stages of product formulation and development, to packaging and labelling requirements, ensuring compliance with mandatory standards, obtaining requisite permits and licences, assisting with import and export compliance, and through to responding to regulatory enforcement actions. Her advice is responsive to clients’ needs, and prioritizes supporting clients in achieving their business objectives while navigating complex regulatory regimes. In particular, Carmen has extensive experience in the regulation of consumer retail products, and products subject to specialized regulatory regimes such as alcoholic beverages, cannabis, controlled goods and defence articles, cosmetics, natural health products, and medical devices. Carmen provides proactive, pragmatic and considered guidance in an increasingly intricate regulatory environment.

Within her international trade practice, Carmen has significant experience acting for clients in anti-dumping investigations and litigation, international investment disputes, import and export control matters, and customs and sanctions compliance. She has appeared before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the World Trade Organization Appellate Body, the Federal Court of Appeal, and various trade-related administrative bodies. In the course of representing her clients, Carmen has developed a strategic understanding of the priorities, needs and challenges faced by companies seeking to leverage cross-border business opportunities.