Cybersecurity guidance for small organizations

Cybersecurity is a significant challenge for organizations of all kinds and sizes, including small organizations with limited resources for a cybersecurity program. Each of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), the United States Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) have issued recent…

Comments Off on Cybersecurity guidance for small organizations

Shell directors not liable in U.K. for climate change policies

To add to climate change litigation in recent past years, the United Kingdom High Court has now dismissed an environmental organization’s derivative action against the board of directors of Shell plc (Shell). In ClientEarth v. Shell plc and others [2023] EWHC 1137 (Ch) , the High Court found that the…

Comments Off on Shell directors not liable in U.K. for climate change policies

Dr. Heidi Gardner: 6 tips for smarter corporate collaboration

You’ve likely heard collaboration categorized as a “soft skill.” Distinguished Harvard Fellow and award-winning author, Dr. Heidi Gardner, says that’s not true. Dr. Gardner was in Toronto for BLG’s smarter collaboration session, sharing the stage with Patrice Walch-Watson, senior managing director, general counsel and corporate secretary for Canadian Pension Plan…

Comments Off on Dr. Heidi Gardner: 6 tips for smarter corporate collaboration

Five Year non-competition covenant in Canada: Reasonable

Non-competition covenants are regularly included in commercial agreements related to the purchase of a business and are critical in ensuring that the vendor of a business does not compete following the sale. However, even in commercial agreements, to be enforceable, non-competition covenants must be reasonable in geographic scope, length of…

Comments Off on Five Year non-competition covenant in Canada: Reasonable

Canada – New OPC guidance Privacy in the workplace

On May 29, 2023, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) released new guidance on employee privacy rights in the workplace (the Guidance). The Guidance considers the balance between respecting employee workplace privacy while also recognizing that, under certain circumstances, employers may have a legitimate need to monitor…

Comments Off on Canada – New OPC guidance Privacy in the workplace

Stopping counterfeit goods at the Canadian Border

Owners of intellectual property rights (the owner) should keep in mind the measures provided for in the Trademarks Act and the Copyright Act (collectively, the Acts) intended to address the importation and exportation of counterfeit goods in Canada as part of their enforcement toolbox. This can include if the conditions…

Comments Off on Stopping counterfeit goods at the Canadian Border

Accounting of profits remedy for patent infringement in Canada

What you need to know The SCC dismissed Nova Chemicals Corp.’s (Nova) appeal in an 8-1 decision. This case considered accounting of profits as a remedy for patent infringement and provided some much-needed guidance on how to determine if a non-infringing option exists, and whether to use it in the…

Comments Off on Accounting of profits remedy for patent infringement in Canada

SCC decision confirms that certain “counter-speech” is deserving of protection

The Supreme Court of Canada recently considered the statutory test to dismiss strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) under British Columbia’s Protection of Public Participation Act, S.B.C. 2019, c. 3 (PPPA). On May 19, 2023, the Court released its long-anticipated decision in Hansman v Neufeld, 2023 SCC 14. In a…

Comments Off on SCC decision confirms that certain “counter-speech” is deserving of protection

Supreme Court of Canada issues much-anticipated decision on GAAR

On Friday, May 26, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC or the Supreme Court) dismissed the taxpayer’s appeal in Deans Knight Income Corp. v Canada, 2023 SCC 16 (Deans Knight). This much-anticipated decision deals with the general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) in section 245 of the Income Tax Act1 (Act). The GAAR,…

Comments Off on Supreme Court of Canada issues much-anticipated decision on GAAR