May 11, 2020
McInnes Cooper partner Michael Melvin and Student-at-Law Myriam Whalen provide a detailed Legal Digest in the Spring 2020 Edition of The Franchise Voice, the newsletter of the Canadian Franchise Association. Michael’s practice is focused in the area of franchise law, corporate law, intellectual property and foreign direct investment.
Sep 11, 2023
Owning your own business offers many opportunities. But it also carries inherent risks, including exposure to personal liability. These three…
Jun 23, 2023
Effective June 23, 2023, Section 45(1.1) of the Competition Act makes it a criminal offence for all unaffiliated employers to enter into…
Mar 2, 2023
All businesses need written contracts. Determining what written contracts are essential depends on many factors, including the nature of the…
Jan 27, 2023
We updated this publication on July 7, 2023. Bill 24 An Act to Amend the Business Corporations Act effected significant amendments to…
May 20, 2022
On May 22, 2010 (affectionately known as “Bitcoin Pizza Day”), a Floridian bought two Papa John's pizzas with Bitcoin. The day is famous…
Feb 23, 2022
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…
Jan 25, 2022
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…
Jan 20, 2022
On January 17, 2022, the New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench issued the first decision interpreting the New Brunswick Franchises Act. In…
Mar 1, 2021
The Supreme Court of Canada continues to develop and clarify the organizing principle of good faith performance in contract law. In its 2014…
Jan 18, 2021
The Supreme Court of Canada, in the 2014 case of Bhasin v. Hrynew, recognized a general organizing principle of good faith performance in…
Nov 17, 2020
We updated this publication on July 11, 2023. Spurred by the COVID-19 Pandemic and bricks-and-mortar closures, businesses – from SMEs to…
Sep 29, 2020
We updated this publication on December 22, 2022. It’s a forgone conclusion that diversity in thought and in leadership makes good business…
Jul 31, 2020
McInnes Cooper Lawyer Mike Melvin and 3rd Degree Training/Actual Nutrition CEO and Co-Founder Steve Collette discuss the importance of a legally…
Jul 31, 2020
Franchisor-franchisee relationships tend to be long-term relationships, so having a franchise Agreement that covers all the common…
Jul 31, 2020
Getting the right legal advice at the beginning of a dispute can help you avoid mistakes that could come back and haunt you in the future. In…
Jul 31, 2020
In this episode, McInnes Cooper Lawyer Mike Melvin and 3rd Degree Training / Actual Nutrition CEO and Co-Founder Steve Collette discuss…
Jul 31, 2020
A multi-unit franchise agreement can create significant efficiencies when it comes to growing and managing your franchise network, if it is done…
Jul 31, 2020
Strategic advice goes beyond the preparation of documents and technical legal assistance and provides you with solutions to strategic problems…
Jun 12, 2020
The financial technology (Fintech) industry uses technology to support and enhance financial and banking services.
May 11, 2020
The Supreme Court of Canada recently released a much-awaited decision regarding the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The CCAA is…
Mar 10, 2020
The global COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2) outbreak has implications for many commercial relationships, its evolving nature and…
Feb 12, 2020
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…
Feb 11, 2020
Intellectual property (IP) can be an important source of revenue to a business. There are three main ways intellectual property (IP) owners…
May 21, 2019
We updated this publication on February 17, 2023. As of June 13, 2019, private companies incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations…
Jan 23, 2019
On June 17, 2019, big changes to Canada’s Trademarks Act (the law that protects, essentially, a brand) fundamentally altering Canada’s…
Sep 10, 2018
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…
Jul 18, 2018
This publication has been updated as at January 26, 2023. Prince Edward Island corporations were formerly governed by the P.E.I. Companies…
Jun 12, 2018
This publication has been updated as at July 8, 2022. Changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) over the past several years have…
Mar 7, 2018
McInnes Cooper's franchise lawyers stay up-to-date on legal developments in franchising - and help keep industry-members up-to-date. McInnes…
Dec 23, 2017
Parents often threaten their children that if their behaviour did not improve they will get a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings. On…
Nov 30, 2017
On November 30, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada denied Geophysical Service Incorporated’s (GSI) application for leave to appeal the decision…
Nov 20, 2017
October 2, 2017 marked the end of the consultation period relating to the taxation of private corporation proposals the Department of Finance…
Nov 16, 2017
Corporations are the leading business vehicle in modern commerce. For startups, properly structuring and incorporating is critical to avoid…
Oct 31, 2017
Intellectual Property (IP) can be a valuable asset – even the most valuable asset – of a business. So it’s worth making sure the business…
Sep 5, 2017
Non-compete clauses in franchise agreements offer franchisors important and legitimate protections from unfair competition – but only if they…
Aug 4, 2017
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…
Jul 18, 2017
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…
Jul 17, 2017
A corporation does not always sail in calm or safe waters. Cash shortages, unattainable or unmet goals, Board disagreements over the best course…
Jul 13, 2017
When growing your business, you face many decisions, including choosing the business structure that is right for you. Your legal team can be…
Jun 28, 2017
On June 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed a Canadian court can issue an interlocutory injunction (an order requiring an entity or…
Jun 23, 2017
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…
May 1, 2017
NOTE: On November 30, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada denied Geophysical Service Incorporated’s (GSI) application for leave to appeal the…
Apr 20, 2017
On April 13, 2017, Canada’s federal government introduced legislation that, if passed into law, will legalize recreational cannabis in Canada.…
Apr 6, 2017
Adding a third jurisdiction to Gard Update’s comparison between privilege in the corporate context under U.S. and English law, McInnes Cooper…
Mar 30, 2017
Social media platforms, like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and GooglePlus, arguably have more followers and are more closely…
Mar 30, 2017
There are very few examples of a Canadian court interpreting and opining on the provisions of an information technology contract. So the Ontario…
Jan 25, 2017
Doing business with the public sector creates an often overlooked – but very real – risk that the confidential information a business…
Dec 14, 2016
On December 9, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified when a court can rectify a transaction that has had unintended tax consequences for…
Nov 9, 2016
The balance between the public’s interest in accessing offshore petroleum resources data and operators’ commercial interests is at the heart…
Oct 19, 2016
We updated this publication on January 17, 2023. For many businesses, large and small, their “Intellectual Property” (IP) is one of their…
Aug 15, 2016
The standards expected of market participants are steadily increasing in response to demand to address white collar crime – including…
Aug 9, 2016
This publication has been updated as at January 27, 2023. A key legal decision in starting or growing your business is choosing the…
Jun 6, 2016
On June 3, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada, in two related decisions, strengthened the legal protection of solicitor-client privilege in…
May 9, 2016
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…
May 2, 2016
Amendments changing the early warning reporting system take effect on May 9, 2016, provided all necessary approvals are obtained (except in…
Apr 12, 2016
Federal Budget 2016 proposed to significantly reduce the benefit of and access to the Small Business Deduction. The Small Business Deduction…
Mar 24, 2016
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…
Feb 1, 2016
We updated this publication on April 13, 2023. A well drafted and properly implemented written employment contract can be instrumental to…
Jan 27, 2016
Our lawyers are involved in the industries they serve; that's what give them the ability to understand their clients' businesses and provide…
Jan 26, 2015
NOTE: Substantial changes to Canada’s Trademarks Act took effect on June 17, 2019 Learn more at New Canadian Trademarks Regime Effective June…
Nov 14, 2014
On November 13, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) effected a significant development in Canadian contract law by recognizing the…
Sep 16, 2014
This publication has been updated as at August 25, 2022. Many believe that only public companies or large, established companies with many…
Nov 1, 2013
Recent decisions of securities regulators and amendments to Canadian securities laws demonstrate regulators' lowered tolerance for insiders who…
Aug 28, 2013
A general security agreement (GSA) is the most common form of personal property security used in the Atlantic Provinces to secure commercial…
Jun 7, 2013
In Franchise Canada’s Spring 2013 “Viewpoints” feature, McInnes Cooper franchise lawyer Michael Melvin answers this question for…
Oct 1, 2010
McInnes Cooper franchise lawyer Michael Melvin highlights some of the significant features of the Disclosure Documents Regulation and the…
May 31, 2010
In Franchise Canada’s May/June 2010 “Ask A Legal Expert” feature, McInnes Cooper franchise lawyer Michael Melvin answers this question for…
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