In-House Counsel
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September 26, 2025
Ontario opening of the courts ceremony highlights digitization, reform of Rules of Civil Procedure
On Sept. 25, judges, attorneys general, leaders of law associations and others met for Ontario’s opening of the courts ceremony, discussing various strategies that have been and will be undertaken to improve access to justice. This included digitization and reformation of the Rules of Civil Procedure.
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September 26, 2025
Landmark Canadian cryptocurrency platform takedown: A look at the other side of digital coin
The RCMP’s recent seizure of the controversial cryptocurrency exchange TradeOgre, alongside over $56 million in crypto assets, marks a watershed moment in Canadian digital finance regulation and risk management. As authorities pat themselves on the back for this law enforcement success story, the operation also sparks uncomfortable debate about due process, the collateral damage to non-criminal users and the regulatory minefield that risk managers in the digital asset sector must navigate.
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September 26, 2025
Arbitrator’s disclosure back in the spotlight with SCC’s dismissals in Aroma and Vento
The Supreme Court of Canada has recently issued its verdicts on two conflicting decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario regarding the setting aside of two international arbitration awards, on the grounds of arbitrators’ bias.
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September 25, 2025
Trade deal with Indonesia will reduce or remove tariffs on 95 per cent of exports, says Carney
Canada has signed a bilateral trade agreement with Indonesia that will lead to 95 per cent of Canadian exports to Indonesia having tariffs reduced or eliminated once the agreement is fully implemented.
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September 25, 2025
B.C. court narrows herbicide class action, strikes battery and general damages claims
The B.C. Court of Appeal has narrowed a class action alleging that exposure to paraquat in herbicides increased the risk of Parkinson’s, ruling exposure cannot ground a battery claim and that a common issue on general damages could not be addressed on a class-wide basis.
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September 25, 2025
Legal considerations of using biometric data in hiring practices
Organizations are increasingly using biometric data in their hiring processes. Facial recognition technology is used to verify the identity of candidates. It can also be used to analyze video of candidates’ faces to gather data about their emotional reactions and use of language to infer their suitability for a role.
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September 24, 2025
Looking beyond the hype: Canada’s muted benefit from the new US$100,000 H-1B visa fee
The Trump administration recently unleashed a sweeping overhaul of the H-1B visa program by imposing an unprecedented $100,000 application fee on new visa petitions, effective Sept. 21, 2025. The policy aims to prioritize American workers by discouraging companies from broadly recruiting foreign talent.
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September 24, 2025
B.C. court rules lender was bound to $212M commitment despite failed syndication
The B.C. Court of Appeal has ruled that a lead lender responsible for syndicating a $422-million loan for a $726-million development project was still obliged to advance its $212-million portion even when syndication failed.
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September 23, 2025
TikTok broke privacy laws, collected children’s sensitive data: report
Canadian privacy authorities have found that TikTok breached federal and provincial privacy laws by collecting vast amounts of personal information, including biometric data, from Canadian users, including children, without obtaining meaningful consent.
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September 23, 2025
Getting to ‘yes’: Settlement approvals for persons under disability
No settlement involving a person under disability, which includes the elderly incapable of managing their property and personal care, is binding on that incapable person unless the court approves of the settlement. That is because, while settling disputes before a hearing is encouraged by our judicial system, the legislature also recognizes that the incapable person would not have been able to properly consent to the settlement, and the court ought to review settlement for appropriateness to safeguard the incapable person’s interests.