The global chemicals industry, which outperformed broader capital markets on returns to shareholders for most of the past two decades, is no longer an outperformer. Fundamental shifts reshaping the landscape have caused a downturn in growth and profitability that could persist in this new era, stemming from lower demand, overcapacities,…
Andrew Baker/Ikon Images Summary: Skills-focused hiring approaches need time to take root, given that any cultural transformation takes consistent effort over years, not months. Four key elements of successful skills-based talent practices are organizationwide buy-in, realigned incentives, ongoing training, and inclusive practices. Building a skills-based culture is a strategic investment…
In celebration of the release of the 6th Edition of the Government Contracts Compliance Handbook, we are sharing six essential tips for successfully navigating the contract claims process under federal procurement regulations. Even with careful performance, disputes over scope, pricing, and contract performance can arise between contractors and the government.…
Quick Hits Wyoming enacted legislation that will void noncompete agreements with employees with limited exceptions. Noncompete agreements will remain permissible in certain contexts, such as the sale of a business, the protection of trade secrets, the recovery of employers’ costs to relocate or train employees, and to restrict post-employment activity…
When two or more putative class proceedings are commenced and involve the same or similar subject matter and some or all of the same proposed class members, a representative plaintiff may, if they are unable or unwilling to cooperate with the other representative plaintiffs, move to have the court determine…
Transform daily tasks with ideas from the Copilot Scenario Library for education. Education professionals bring creativity, dedication, and expertise to work every day, shaping meaningful experiences for their school community. With Copilot, you can build on these strengths—boosting productivity, amplifying creativity, and securely empowering everyone. Explore these possibilities and more…
Consumers who want to submit a complaint to an agency such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau face a task that, for some, can be daunting: they must fill out a form that requires them to explain the issue, clearly and convincingly, in their own words. Those who are not…
Second Nature: Photography in the Age of the Anthropocene at the Cantor Arts Center is the first major exhibition of contemporary photography to examine our current era through the framing of the Anthropocene – a period defined by human impact on the global climate significant enough to signify the dawn…
Topics Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy The Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy initiative explores the growing use of artificial intelligence in the business landscape. The exploration looks specifically at how AI is affecting the development and execution of strategy in organizations. In collaboration with More in this series Linda Yao,…
Seyfarth Synopsis: The first two district court opinions deciding whether plaintiffs have Article III standing to challenge pension risk transfers have reached opposite conclusions. One case will proceed to discovery, and the other has been dismissed without leave to amend. Many other motions to dismiss are pending in other courts and…
Alberta’s Bill 32: Financial Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 (Bill 32), received royal assent (i.e., passed into law) on December 5, 2024. Bill 32 came into force on January 1, 2025 and contained a suite of amendments to various pieces of legislation including the Alberta Personal Income Tax Act, which determines…
When you’re secure—innovation happens. But, the fast pace of AI often outpaces traditional security measures, leaving gaps that bad actors can take advantage of. As a security professional, you’re the hero in this battle between protecting vast amounts of data while ensuring AI systems remain transparent and compliant. What you…
I asked our panelists which blind spot concerned them most. Veloso zeroed in on workforce transformation, drawing a parallel to the Industrial Revolution: “We're going to be replacing routine cognitive tasks with intelligent systems,” he said. Just as mechanisation reshaped work through Taylorism and assembly lines, AI will fundamentally change…
While there has been a recent, notable shift in sentiment toward investing in climate solutions, it is important to maintain a long-term, through-cycle view, as action to mitigate emissions is needed more than ever. Corporate investments into building new climate technology businesses have been rising consistently from 2019 to 2023,…
The engagement of Central Asian states with the Taliban-led Afghan government has drawn significant regional and global interest. While the Central Asian republics view the Taliban as partners for economic connectivity, regional stability, and counterterrorism cooperation, Pakistan is approaching the situation from a perspective shaped by its historical ties, strategic…
Topics AI in Action This column series looks at the biggest data and analytics challenges facing modern companies and dives deep into successful use cases that can help other organizations accelerate their AI progress. More in this series Subscribe Share Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Summary: The first task…
Canada’s legislative framework governing competition/antitrust, foreign investment, and consumer protection has undergone a seismic shift between 2022 and 2025, with further changes to come, reflecting a broader push to strengthen enforcement, protect national interests, and adapt to modern economic challenges. The impact of these changes is now subject to the…
Azure AI Foundry's latest innovations empower businesses to optimize AI investments and differentiate in a competitive landscape. New tools like Azure AI Agent Service and Microsoft Fabric data agents enhance operational efficiency, while NVIDIA NIM microservices boost performance and cost optimization. Discover how these advancements can transform your AI strategy.…
Dear Stanford Community,As we begin the quarter, we look ahead to the joys of spring on the Stanford campus, with its warmth and energy. We also have a sharp focus on the federal policy issues challenging the university, and we want to share a few principles that are guiding our…
On March 22, 2025, the Government of Canada launched a public consultation on possible trade measures to protect against the threat of diversion of steel and aluminum products from third countries into the Canadian market. The move is in response to what the government considers severe overcapacity in the global…
Every 8th of March, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated. This celebration serves as a powerful reminder of the strides we have made toward gender equality and the work still ahead. This year, under the theme #AccelerateAction, we celebrate the women who are driving change, breaking barriers, and fostering inclusivity.…
Business headlines are often dominated by technology, e-commerce and other trending sectors of the day. But away from the limelight, insurance – traditionally seen as stable and predictable – has quietly undergone its own radical transformation, as digitisation erases traditional industry boundaries.Insurers no longer compete solely on products but on…
Artificial intelligence no doubt offers great opportunities for human creativity. The UK is well placed to be at the forefront for relevant AI-development, but AI is also a highly disruptive technology which could pose risks to the livelihoods of human creators if not appropriately regulated.The rise of generative AI in…
Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Summary: You can’t approach AI ethics with only formal procedures, say leaders at global retailer H&M Group. So to help build its collective moral compass, the company has built a culture of AI ethics based on experimentation. Its AI ethics training emphasizes concrete business…
The Alberta Court of Appeal’s (ABCA) recent decision in Xemex Contracting Inc. v. Aspen Properties (Northland Place) Ltd., 2025 ABCA 49, serves as a reminder that not all work performed for a tenant will provide a “direct benefit” to the landlord, nor will it necessarily render the landlord’s fee simple…
Last year, we introduced Copilot+ PCs — the fastest, most intelligent and secure Windows PCs ever created. Since then, our Copilot+ PC portfolio has continued to evolve with the introduction of new silicon, devices and AI experiences. . By merging cutting-edge hardware with accessible, intelligent software, these updates are not…
La frase "boom urbano" prácticamente fue creada para la industria minera, con sucesivas épocas de euforia durante fiebres del oro, seguidas de caídas igualmente intensas. Este patrón se ha repetido durante la década pasada, con las compañías mineras sacudidas por una pandemia global, tensiones comerciales y conflictos geopolíticos (Gráfico 1).…
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently released its decision on a vexatious litigation application in Lenczner Slaght LLP v. Glycobiosciences Inc et al, 2025 ONSC 829. The law firm, Lenczner Slaght (Lenczner), brought an application pursuant to section 140 of the Courts of Justice Act to declare both the…
Xavier couldn’t remember the last time he had fun. His marriage was strained, his children distant and work had become a drag. He had spent so much of his time and energy being serious that he’d forgotten what it was like to feel joy.But a conversation with an old friend…
Psychological safety and mental health in the workplace In the last article in our series covering The U.S. Tariff Effect, we reviewed health and safety considerations of a reduced workforce. This is a continuation of that article, focused on psychological safety and the mental health of the workplace. Provinces across…
Data centres are a crucial part of modern digital infrastructure, facilitating cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and global data storage. As demand for data processing increases, the construction of large-scale data centres is accelerating. Canada, with its cool climate, vast and accessible land mass, and stable energy supply, has become a…
Following a decade of turbulent macroeconomic conditions in which top-line growth has faded away and global consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies’ shareholder returns have plunged from the top to the bottom quartile, the CPG industry has entered a period of reckoning. As inflation slows, the industry must take up an…
Pacific nation of Kiribati explores deep sea mining deal with Chinavia Islands Business on March 19, 2025 China's restaurants race to the bottom in deflation-hit economyby Laurie Chenvia Reuters on March 21, 2025 Switching off plants: Chinese copper smelters grapple with margin collapseby Lewis Jacksonvia Reuters on March 20, 2025…
Seyfarth Synopsis: On March 27, 2025, a federal district court in Chicago issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the Department of Labor from implementing key provisions from two of President Trump’s Executive Orders issued in January. Although the plaintiff sought a broad nationwide injunction against the entire federal government,…
Quick Hits The D.C. Circuit Court ruled that President Trump likely has the authority to remove NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox and MSPB member Cathy Harris without cause, staying previous reinstatement orders from lower courts. The ruling leaves the NLRB and MSPB without enough members to hear cases. The decision addresses…
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently released its decision in Cox et al v Ball et al, 2025 ONSC 199, declining to grant summary judgment to a municipality and a pub arising out an assault by one hockey player on another during a local tournament. This decision highlights the…
Nearly 300 Stanford PhD students and postdocs gathered on campus earlier this month for an all-day exploration of life after academia – specifically, what non-faculty careers others have forged in industries including the arts, AI, data science, and more.Now celebrating its 10th year, the PhD Pathways program launched in 2016…
Innovation Madness: The Ultimate Basketball Patent Bracket. 14 inventions. 1 champion. Who will cut down the net? | Gadgets, Gigabytes & Goodwill Blog Skip to content
In 2021, we published an article to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of the launch of the first exchange-traded fund (ETF) in Canada. At that time, the global economy was at a vulnerable point, navigating the uncertainty which came with the COVID-19 pandemic. ETFs played an important role in the overall stability…
March 2025For the first time since March 2022, surveyed executives foresee geopolitical instability as the top risk to companies’ growth over the next 12 months. In the latest McKinsey Global Survey on economic conditions, weak demand—which was the most-cited risk in the previous three quarters—is now the second-most-cited disruption, followed closely…