Lawyer Profile
Timothy Cullen
Ottawa, Ontario
Overview
Timothy Cullen co‑leads the firm’s Government and Public Policy Group as well as its Chambers-ranked Procurement Group. His practice has a significant focus on regulatory advice and litigation involving automotive safety and emissions regimes, public procurement, lobbying, and election law.
Timothy is trusted by a wide range of private sector clients—including vehicle, tire, and car seat manufacturers, automotive parts suppliers, defence contractors and construction companies— who value his practical, actionable advice on navigating complex regulatory regimes and government processes.
Timothy maintains a leading national automotive regulatory practice with deep expertise in the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (vehicle emissions). He advocates for manufacturers with Transport Canada and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and regularly assists clients responding to regulatory inquiries and investigations. He has represented automotive clients in enforcement actions and prosecutions involving Transport Canada, ECCC, and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
A Chambers‑ranked public procurement lawyer, Timothy advises private sector bidders through complex evaluations, debriefings, contract negotiations, and bid challenges. He works closely with municipalities, universities, hospitals, and other public institutions to design defensible procurements and resolve disputes. His experience acting for both buyers and suppliers gives him a balanced and practical perspective on how procurement decisions are made—and challenged.
In the political integrity sphere, Timothy counsels clients on lobbying and election law compliance, as well as Canada’s new Foreign Influence Transparency Registry. He currently serves as chair of the City of Ottawa’s Election Compliance Audit Committee for the 2022–2026 term.
Before joining McMillan, Timothy worked on Parliament Hill as a political staffer, gaining firsthand insight into government operations and legislative processes.
British Columbia has announced further amendments to its Zero-Emission Vehicles Act in a further effort to align B.C. with the federal government's approach.
Consultation period opens for Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act regulations addressing disclosure requirements and AMPs.
Practice Areas
Bar Information
Called to the bar: 2015 (ON)