New partners join McInnes Cooper

On May 22, 2010 (affectionately known as “Bitcoin Pizza Day”), a Floridian bought two Papa John's pizzas with Bitcoin. The day is famous…

On April 14, 2022, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal released its decision in Royal Bank of Canada v. Estate of Susan Lynn Williams, revisiting…

On April 1, 2022, changes to the Newfoundland and Labrador Corporations Act proposed in Bill 24 An Act to Amend the Corporations Act will take…

More and more people are using smart contracts: the global smart contracts market was valued at USD $145M in 2020; it’s projected to be valued…

On November 5, 2021, the Province of Nova Scotia passed the Environmental Goals and Climate Change Reduction Act. The Act will serve as the…

The New Brunswick Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulation, effected under the N.B. Climate Change Act, establishes specific…

This publication has been updated as at March 7, 2022. The New Brunswick Construction Remedies Act, substantially came into effect on…

On July 28, 2021, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a decision protecting the status of the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) as a…

Merger and acquisition deals are still happening across all sectors, perhaps at an even higher rate than pre-COVID-19 pandemic, even if the…

The Supreme Court of Canada continues to develop and clarify the organizing principle of good faith performance in contract law. In its 2014…

In the first update to the CCDC 2 since 2008, in December 2020 the Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) published the CCDC 2 (2020).…

The Supreme Court of Canada, in the 2014 case of Bhasin v. Hrynew, recognized a general organizing principle of good faith performance in…

An economic downturn can result in an M&A uptick: there can be more attractive targets on the market, and sellers can be more motivated to…

On October 2, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified the existence and application of the anti-deprivation rule in Canadian bankruptcy law.…

This publication has been updated as of December 1, 2021. Recent incidents in Canada and the U.S. have impinged that the impact of systemic…

The financial technology (Fintech) industry uses technology to support and enhance financial and banking services.

McInnes Cooper partner Michael Melvin and Student-at-Law Myriam Whalen provide a detailed Legal Digest in the Spring 2020 Edition of The…

The Supreme Court of Canada recently released a much-awaited decision regarding the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The CCAA is…

Business corporations laws and stock exchange policies mandate that issuers hold annual general meetings (AGM) and set requirements for when and…

The global COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2) outbreak has implications for many commercial relationships, its evolving nature and…

Intellectual property (IP) can be a business’s most valuable (even only) asset. Once you’ve taken steps to understand what the five main IP…

Intellectual property (IP) can be an important source of revenue to a business. There are three main ways intellectual property (IP) owners…

Canada’s construction industry is abuzz with the latest innovation in lien legislation. Prompt payment requirements are being added to…

All issuers must comply with both periodic and ongoing securities law corporate governance (and other) disclosure requirements. This can,…

The Environmental Emergency Regulations, effected under section 200(1) of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and in force since…

Public companies incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) escaped the new “register of individuals with significant…

Information disclosure is a key theme that emerges from Canada’s new cannabis regulatory regime: the government wants lots of information from…

As of June 13, 2019, private companies incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) must prepare and maintain a register of…

The growing global population is feeding global demand for seafood. Growing demand is likely to drive investment, particularly mergers and…

On June 17, 2019, big changes to Canada’s Trademarks Act (the law that protects, essentially, a brand) fundamentally altering Canada’s…

As of January 2019, incorporating a limited company in N.S. will be more economical. On September 7, 2018, the N.S. government announced it’s…

P.E.I. corporations are currently governed by the P.E.I. Companies Act – legislation that’s substantially unchanged since it was enacted in…

If enacted, Bill C-69, An Act to enact the Impact Assessment Act and the Canadian Energy Regulator Act, to amend the Navigation…

Lawyers regularly encourage clients to be proactive and discuss potential issues with third parties before they become real problems. But in the…

The Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) is catching up with the times. On May 1, 2018, amendments to the CBCA proposed in Bill C-25, An Act…

On February 15, 2018, the Supreme Court of Canada decided a trustee’s fiduciary duty includes an obligation to inform beneficiaries of the…

On February 8, 2018, the Canadian federal government proposed a new Impact Assessment Act in Bill C-69, An Act to enact the Impact Assessment…

Parents often threaten their children that if their behaviour did not improve they will get a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings. On…

Blockchain technology has already been a transformative force in a number of sectors. Its most prominent use to date has been as the…

The answer to the question, “What’s employers’ rationale for implementing workplace drug and alcohol testing?” is pretty…

On November 30, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada denied Geophysical Service Incorporated’s (GSI) application for leave to appeal the decision…

October 2, 2017 marked the end of the consultation period relating to the taxation of private corporation proposals the Department of Finance…

It’s official: as of October 31, 2017, “facilitation payments” contravene Canada’s Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act (CFPOA).…

On November 3, 2017, the Newfoundland and Labrador Government published new Offshore Oil Royalty Regulations replacing the Royalty Regulations,…

On October 19, 2017, the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) announced it had adopted amendments to its Company Manual. Originally proposed in Spring…

On October 27, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed that a bank that pays out on a fraudulent cheque has the protection of section 20(5)…

Intellectual Property (IP) can be a valuable asset – even the most valuable asset – of a business. So it’s worth making sure the business…

Atlantic Canada is at a turning point. The region’s history and economic development have historically been inextricably linked to the ocean.…

Recently, the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed that a tax debtor’s bankruptcy does not extinguish the federal Crown’s priority to proceeds…

In the not-so-distant past, Canadian enforcement of its anti-corruption and anti-bribery legal regime has been relatively laid-back. But the…

Receivers across Canada seeking to sell assets can learn two important lessons about the importance of adhering to the letter of agreements of…

On July 18, 2017, Canada’s Minister of Finance released proposed changes to the Income Tax Act (Canada) that, if implemented, will mark one of…

All stakeholders in any major project development already know that adequate consultation before - rather than after - a project is approved is…

On July 12, 2017, the Federal Court of Canada made it clear that there are but two ways to avoid a tariff set by the Copyright Board of Canada…

A corporation does not always sail in calm or safe waters. Cash shortages, unattainable or unmet goals, Board disagreements over the best course…

When growing your business, you face many decisions, including choosing the business structure that is right for you. Your legal team can be…

On June 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed a Canadian court can issue an interlocutory injunction (an order requiring an entity or…

On June 23, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that in a contest between the choice of forum clause in Facebook’s online terms of use…

On May 19, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada agreed to hear the appeal of the Federal Court of Appeal’s 2016 decision in Canada v Mikisew Cree…

The family (whatever that looks like for you) is the fundamental unit of our society, and the family business a fundamental cog of our economy.…

The Extractive Sector Transparency Measures Act is one of several anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws aimed at fighting corruption in the…

NOTE: On November 30, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada denied Geophysical Service Incorporated’s (GSI) application for leave to appeal the…

On April 24, 2017, the N.S. Government issued regulations that will finally allow the Builders’ Lien Act amendments permitting early release…

In three years (lightning speed in the law), medically assisted dying went from being illegal to being legal. A great deal has changed, a great…

On April 13, 2017, Canada’s federal government introduced legislation that, if passed into law, will legalize recreational cannabis in Canada.…

Adding a third jurisdiction to Gard Update’s comparison between privilege in the corporate context under U.S. and English law, McInnes Cooper…

Note: Consultants who were already lobbying and in-house lobbyists already employed by an organization when the new Act took effect were…

Social media platforms, like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and GooglePlus, arguably have more followers and are more closely…

There are very few examples of a Canadian court interpreting and opining on the provisions of an information technology contract. So the Ontario…

This publication has been updated as of December 16, 2021. Many organization (66%) store the personal information of customers. employees,…

Doing business with the public sector creates an often overlooked – but very real – risk that the confidential information a business…

As 2016 draws to a close, Oil & Gas Team @ McInnes Cooper offers its picks for the top three legal developments of 2016 that impacted the…

On December 14, 2016, Bill 46 and the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Procurement Act became law. The new Act isn’t yet in effect, however,…

On December 9, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified when a court can rectify a transaction that has had unintended tax consequences for…

It’s been a long time coming, but Newfoundland and Labrador is finally getting new public procurement legislation. On November 29, 2016, Bill…

On November 17, 2016 the Supreme Court of Canada decided a mortgagee has the mortgagor’s implied consent to disclose its discharge statement…

There is an old expression about “selling the Brooklyn Bridge”. Recently, a bankrupt subcontractor attempted to register a lien against the…

The balance between the public’s interest in accessing offshore petroleum resources data and operators’ commercial interests is at the heart…

This publication has been updated as at February 28, 2022. For many businesses, large and small, their “Intellectual Property” (IP) is…

On September 15, 2016, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal clarified the province’s statutory regime governing both the exercise of a lender’s…

The standards expected of market participants are steadily increasing in response to demand to address white collar crime – including…

A key legal decision in starting or growing your business is choosing the business structure that’s right for you. If you incorporate,…

As of June 25, 2016, provincially regulated workers and employers in Nova Scotia, Quebec, BC and Saskatchewan can participate in Pooled…

The condo real estate market, both retail and commercial, is hot. But condo developers and unit buyers need funding. Here’s the legal…

On June 16, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada decided a municipality’s “notice of reserve”, a mechanism to prevent construction, on land…

Administrative monetary penalties, or “AMPs”, are a new phenomenon in the Canadian offshore. AMPs were introduced to the Newfoundland &…

On June 3, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada, in two related decisions, strengthened the legal protection of solicitor-client privilege in…

It’s now certain: in Newfoundland & Labrador, liens can’t be placed on Crown land or holdbacks with the possible exemption allowing for…

On May 6, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada generally affirmed the common law rule that positive covenants do not run with the land. More…

On May 6, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that a mortgage imposing a higher interest rate in the event of default and reserving a…

Note: As of June 25, 2016, provincially regulated workers and employers in Nova Scotia, Quebec, BC and Saskatchewan can participate in Pooled…

Amendments changing the early warning reporting system take effect on May 9, 2016, provided all necessary approvals are obtained (except in…

Amendments changing the early warning reporting system take effect on May 9, 2016, provided all necessary approvals are obtained (except in…

“Due diligence” is a legal defence to many charges under occupational health and safety (OHS) laws. Here are five of the most…

Federal Budget 2016 proposed to significantly reduce the benefit of and access to the Small Business Deduction. The Small Business Deduction…

When a business responds to a public sector Request for Proposal or Expression of Interest (both of which we’ll refer to as an RFP for these…

In what appears to be the first case of the conviction of a front line supervisor under section 217.1 of the Criminal Code and sentencing to a…

On February 26, 2016, the bulk of the offshore-related amendments of the Energy Safety and Security Act (ESSA, formerly known as Bill C-22) take…

Things have gotten a bit easier for venture issuers, such as those listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, with recent changes to their obligations.…

A practical and current guide created to help you navigate the increasingly important issues surrounding offshore decommissioning and…

Access to sufficient capital to fund operations, research and development, and other costs is a key challenge for start-ups and for some small…

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea requires parties, of which Canada is one, to make payments in respect of oil production on…

On July 27, 2015, the Federal Court of Canada decided a lawsuit by medical marijuana program participants against the Federal Government…

On the heels of National Aboriginal Day, we pause to take a look back at two significant Aboriginal law cases decided in the last year, how…

On April 15, 2015, British Columbia’s Court of Appeal confirmed that First Nations can make certain legal claims grounded in Aboriginal rights…

Most people know that a company itself has OHS obligations, and that it risks corporate liability if it violates those obligations. However, not…

Every party to a Right of Way has some idea of what that Right of Way is – but many times, those ideas are different. This failure to clarify…

Hindsight is 20/20. Lawyers can’t always predict the outcome of a legal claim. But when a dispute between an investment client and her…

Effective for the 2015 proxy season, all non-venture issuers reporting in nine Canadian Provinces and Territories must disclose the…

Snow can be a big nuisance at this time of year, but snow load - the weight of the snow, usually measured in pounds per square foot - can be…

NOTE: Substantial changes to Canada’s Trade-Marks Act took effect on June 17, 2019 Soon, there’ll be big changes to Canada’s Trademarks…

“Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) as a concept has been floating around in business-speak for years – but stakeholders in the mining…

The construction industry - project owners, contractors, subcontractors and trades - might be relaxing, ignoring the hype around Canada’s…

On November 13, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) effected a significant development in Canadian contract law by recognizing the…

CASL’s anti-spam sections came into force on July 1, 2014. Every organization that CASL affects should now be complying with it – and their…

Many believe that only public companies or large, established companies with many shareholders need to be concerned about, or can benefit from,…

On June 26, 2014, in a groundbreaking decision on Aboriginal title, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) significantly elaborated on the legal test…

Lenders are often faced with a situation where a customer (Borrower) approaches them for funds to complete an acquisition of the shares of a…

Recent decisions of securities regulators and amendments to Canadian securities laws demonstrate regulators' lowered tolerance for insiders who…

A general security agreement (GSA) is the most common form of personal property security used in the Atlantic Provinces to secure commercial…

In Franchise Canada’s Spring 2013 “Viewpoints” feature, McInnes Cooper franchise lawyer Michael Melvin answers this question for…

McInnes Cooper franchise lawyer Michael Melvin highlights some of the significant features of the Disclosure Documents Regulation and the…

In Franchise Canada’s May/June 2010 “Ask A Legal Expert” feature, McInnes Cooper franchise lawyer Michael Melvin answers this question for…