In recent years the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) has been making changes to its liability management system. In early August, the AER hinted more changes are on the way. In a news release, Jim Ellis, the regulator’s CEO, explains
Antitrust, competition and regulatory
Foreign investment laws and increased scrutiny of M&A transactions

2018 is on pace to be a year with one of the highest total values of blocked or cancelled M&A deals in the past two decades. While this data, which was compiled by Thomson Reuters and reported by the Financial…
Data privacy in M&A: new reporting and notification requirements

It is time for organizations to think ahead and prepare for new requirements imposed under the Digital Privacy Act (formerly known as Bill S-4). The new requirements, which will result in significant amendments to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic…
Will Canada soon be a global leader in the cannabis space?

Recently, the Cannabis Act was granted Royal Assent, resulting in the official passing of the legislation for legalizing cannabis in Canada. The Act is expected to be in force as of October 17, 2018.
The Canadian government’s decision to legalize…
Competition Bureau opens consultation on revised immunity and leniency programs

Last month, the Competition Bureau issued its revised immunity and leniency programs for public consultation (open until June 29), an important development as it represents the culmination of a process that began in 2015.
An initial draft of the immunity …
The Competition Bureau is soliciting feedback from stakeholders on two new advocacy initiatives

The Competition Bureau recently issued a news release soliciting feedback from stakeholders regarding two of its newest advocacy initiatives:
- Opportunities where the Bureau can support increased competition through changes to regulations or policies; and
- Input on the Bureau’s draft Market
…
Legal update: new European data privacy law comes into force on May 25, 2018

On May 25, 2018 the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force. The GDPR will create new requirements for Canadian companies that handle the personal information of European individuals. The GDPR also allows for…
Competition Act Merger Filing Fees Increases to $72,000
Effective May 1, 2018, merging parties will need to dig deeper to cover the fee that must be paid when filing a pre-merger notification or seeking an advance ruling certificate under the Competition Act. The fee is jumping from…
Canadian Securities Administrators are seeking comments on soliciting dealer arrangements

The Canadian Securities Administrators (the “CSA”) have issued CSA Staff Notice 61-303 and Request for Comment – Soliciting Dealer Arrangements (the “Notice”) on the use of soliciting dealer arrangements. “Soliciting dealer arrangements” generally refer to agreements…
Are megadeals coming back?
The year of 2017 witnessed a worldwide slowdown in the number of megadeals[1]. According to a recent Mergermarket Report (the Report), the global total for the number of deals worth US$4 billion or more decreased from a…