Matthew Boswell

, who served as commissioner of Canada’s

Competition Bureau

from May 2018 until late last year, has joined law firm

Norton Rose Fulbright

as a partner in its

antitrust

and

competition practice

in Ottawa.

Boswell left his role as commissioner of competition on Dec. 17, after completing an initial five-year term, ending in 2023, followed by an additional two-year term.

In a press release, Norton Rose Fulbright said Boswell joining the firm “underscores the firm’s commitment to changing the game in how competition law is understood, navigated and applied in Canada.”

“We’re at a pivotal moment for competition law in Canada,” Boswell said in the release. “What excites me most is helping clients navigate that complexity responsibly, drawing on my experience with enforcement and modernization to translate the law into clear, forward-looking advice.”

The firm

said his move to private practice “marks a transition”

 

to partner with Canadian and international businesses on competition law compliance, merger review strategy and regulatory enforcement matters.

“As competition law continues to evolve, Matthew’s unique experience will enhance our ability to support businesses with clarity and assurance. This marks a significant step forward — turning regulatory shifts into opportunities for strategic growth,” said Norton Rose Fulbright’s managing partner for Canada, Jennifer Teskey.

Boswell began his law career with a brief stint in private practice before cutting his teeth as a Crown attorney through the early 2000s. He then moved to the Ontario Securities Commission, working as a senior litigator in its enforcement branch.

He joined the Competition Bureau in 2011 and spent over seven years as commissioner, overseeing anti-monopoly cases including one of Canada’s largest corporate mergers in history, Rogers Communications Inc.’s $26-billion takeover of Shaw Communications Inc., a deal he ultimately failed to block.

The two-year battle, which was decided by the Competition Tribunal, became the subject of an acclaimed one-man play, Rogers v. Rogers, written by Michael Healey and loosely based on a book of the same name. The fictionalized, satirical account starred actor Tom Rooney as Boswell, the determined bureaucrat taking on the corporate titan against the backdrop of a family succession fight. It made its debut at Crow’s Theatre in Toronto last year.

After Boswell announced he was leaving the Competition Bureau in December to spend some time with family, Jeanne Pratt, the former senior deputy commissioner of the bureau’s mergers and monopolistic practices branch, was named acting commissioner as of Dec. 18.

• Email: dpaglinawan@postmedia.com

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