Wendy Jean Wagner

Wendy J. Wagner is leader of Gowling WLG's Regulatory Practice Group, head of the firm's International Trade Group, and co-leader of its Cyber Security & Data Protection Group in Canada. A respected advisor, advocate, and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, she helps organizations navigate a range of high-stakes regulatory matters, from cross-border trade and sanctions risk to cyber and privacy resilience .

Recognized among Canada's top international trade lawyers by Legal 500 , Chambers Global , Lexpert and Best Lawyers in Canada™ , Wendy advises on tariffs and customs compliance, import and export controls, controlled goods, and sanctions. She regularly represents clients before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and courts in matters ranging from customs appeals to anti-dumping and countervailing investigations.

Wendy currently serves on the Canadian International Trade Tribunal Advisory Committee and is a member of the Planning Committee for the Canadian Council on International Law (CCIL) Annual Conference. In 2022, she was named Lawyer of the Year for International Trade and Finance Law by Best Lawyers , and in 2026 she was recognized in Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada .

In her cyber security and data protection practice, Wendy helps clients manage digital risk and meet evolving regulatory expectations. She advises on and drafts policies, data processing agreements, and privacy impact assessments, and provides strategic counsel on complex issues such as de-identification, AI-enabled tools, biometrics, and automated decision-making. Wendy also acts as a trusted breach coach, guiding clients through breach response and incident management.

Her broader data governance work includes advising on data retention and security programs and supporting clients with access to information requests. She complements this advisory work by representing clients in investigations before privacy commissioners and navigating appeals before information and privacy commissioners, as well as the courts.