In 1990, James McIlroy founded McIlroy & McIlroy, Counsel on Public Policy, where he advises clients on public policy and international trade.

His career in law, government, and trade spans over three decades.

While completing his university education during the 1970s, he served as Executive Assistant to several Members of Parliament in Ottawa.

From 1981–1984, he worked with the Toronto law firm of Fasken and Calvin. In this role and later, while a partner with another leading law firm, he practised commercial litigation and international trade law.

In 1984, he was appointed Senior Policy Advisor to Canada’s Minister for International Trade where he worked on the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and numerous international conferences and trade missions in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Following his work with the Government of Canada, Mr. McIlroy became Visiting Foreign Attorney with O’Melveny & Myers, a distinguished international trade law firm in Washington, D.C.

In 1989, the Government of Canada appointed him to serve on the FTA Binational Panels where he adjudicated dumping disputes between Canada and the United States.

Today, he helps Canadian and international corporations deal with Government departments, agencies, and tribunals – including Finance, Industry, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canada Border Services Agency, and The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT).

He also works with clients to ensure their interests are promoted in international trade negotiations, including the multilateral World Trade Organization (WTO), bilateral, and regional free trade negotiations.

He is bilingual and holds degrees in Political Science from Université de Montréal (B.Sc.) and the Sorbonne (Maîtrise), as well as an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Mr. McIlroy’s memberships include The Law Society of Upper Canada, and the International Affairs Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Canada–United States Law Institute.

He has written and spoken for many organizations, including the Institute for Research on Public Policy, the Canada–U.S. Business Law Review, the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, and the Journal of World Investment & Trade.