Michael Melvin in The Franchise Voice | Legal Digest (Spring 2020)

Owning your own business offers many opportunities. But it also carries inherent risks, including exposure to personal liability. These three…

Effective June 23, 2023, Section 45(1.1) of the Competition Act makes it a criminal offence for all unaffiliated employers to enter into…

All businesses need written contracts. Determining what written contracts are essential depends on many factors, including the nature of the…

We updated this publication on July 7, 2023. Bill 24 An Act to Amend the Business Corporations Act effected significant amendments to…

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 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 January 17, 2022, the New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench issued the first decision interpreting the New Brunswick Franchises Act. In…

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

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

We updated this publication on July 11, 2023. Spurred by the COVID-19 Pandemic and bricks-and-mortar closures, businesses – from SMEs to…

We updated this publication on December 22, 2022. It’s a forgone conclusion that diversity in thought and in leadership makes good business…

McInnes Cooper Lawyer Mike Melvin and 3rd Degree Training/Actual Nutrition CEO and Co-Founder Steve Collette discuss the importance of a legally…

Franchisor-franchisee relationships tend to be long-term relationships, so having a franchise Agreement that covers all the common…

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…

In this episode, McInnes Cooper Lawyer Mike Melvin and 3rd Degree Training / Actual Nutrition CEO and Co-Founder Steve Collette discuss…

A multi-unit franchise agreement can create significant efficiencies when it comes to growing and managing your franchise network, if it is done…

Strategic advice goes beyond the preparation of documents and technical legal assistance and provides you with solutions to strategic problems…

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

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

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…

We updated this publication on February 17, 2023. As of June 13, 2019, private companies incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations…

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…

This publication has been updated as at January 26, 2023. Prince Edward Island corporations were formerly governed by the P.E.I. Companies…

This publication has been updated as at July 8, 2022. Changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) over the past several years have…

McInnes Cooper's franchise lawyers stay up-to-date on legal developments in franchising - and help keep industry-members up-to-date. McInnes…

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

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…

Corporations are the leading business vehicle in modern commerce. For startups, properly structuring and incorporating is critical to avoid…

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

Non-compete clauses in franchise agreements offer franchisors important and legitimate protections from unfair competition – but only if they…

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…

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…

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

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…

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…

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

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

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

We updated this publication on January 17, 2023. For many businesses, large and small, their “Intellectual Property” (IP) is one of their…

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

This publication has been updated as at January 27, 2023. A key legal decision in starting or growing your business is choosing the…

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

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…

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

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…

We updated this publication on April 13, 2023. A well drafted and properly implemented written employment contract can be instrumental to…

Our lawyers are involved in the industries they serve; that's what give them the ability to understand their clients' businesses and provide…

NOTE: Substantial changes to Canada’s Trademarks Act took effect on June 17, 2019 Learn more at New Canadian Trademarks Regime Effective June…

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

This publication has been updated as at August 25, 2022. Many believe that only public companies or large, established companies with many…

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…