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Christopher J. Doucet

Corporate & Mining Lawyer | M&A & Corporate Finance

Partner

Doug Fenton

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Kanwar Brar

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

In a recent enforcement decision, CIRO imposed substantial sanctions on a securities dealer and its Ultimate Designated Person (UDP) for improper trading practices and significant compliance failures. The case underscores CIRO&rsquo;s strict approach to &ldquo;tone from the top,&rdquo; particularly where senior executives fail to uphold or promote firm-wide compliance standards. It also highlights that sanctions are assessed independently of liability findings and can include severe financial penalties, bans, and ongoing regulatory oversight of governance structures.

CIRO Issues Stiff Penalties for Dealer Conduct

Steven Bodi

Corporate Commercial Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Vanessa Trépanier

Commercial Transactions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Montréal

Against the current backdrop of global market uncertainty, on April 17, 2025, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) announced new incremental measures aimed at reducing regulatory burden for reporting issuers, facilitating capital raising for new reporting issuers and supporting the competitiveness of Canadian capital markets (collectively, the CSA Measures).

Canadian Securities Regulators Take Further Incremental Steps to Promote Access to Capital Markets

Kristopher R. Hanc

M&A and Capital Markets Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Kruti Klein

Corporate Commercial Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

On March 11, 2024, the Ontario Capital Markets Tribunal (Tribunal) released its reasons for dismissing Mithaq Capital Inc.'s (Mithaq) application on December 14, 2023, to cease trade a private placement that Aimia Inc. (Aimia) completed in October 2023. Mithaq asserted that the private placement was conducted as an improper defensive tactic under National Policy 62-202—Take-Over Bids—Defensive Tactics of the Canadian Securities Administrators and was designed to thwart Mithaq’s then-recently launched takeover bid for Aimia. Ultimately, the Tribunal found that the private placement was conducted for a legitimate business purpose to meet Aimia's "serious and immediate" financing needs.

Capital Markets Tribunal Keeps High Bar to Establish Improper Defensive Private Placement

Sander A.J.R. Grieve KC

Global Mining Finance & M&A Lawyer | Bennett Jones Toronto

Martin Ignasiak KC

Energy & Industrial Projects Lawyer

On Friday, December 9, 2022, the federal government released the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy, a comprehensive multi-disciplinary government policy package designed to facilitate increased production and processing of critical minerals vital to the green and digital economy. The government committed to, among other things, reviewing the regulatory processes and red tape faced by Canadian-regulated mining companies attempting to bring mines from exploration to production, with a view to placing Canada at the forefront of the increasing global demand for clean energy.

Canadas New Critical Minerals Strategy Recycling the Regulatory Regime

Canada's New Critical Minerals Strategy—Recycling the Regulatory Regime

Ahmed Elmallah

Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Counsel, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent

Roseann Caldwell

Canadian and United States Patent Agent at Bennett Jones Calgary

Patent Agent

Stephen D. Burns

Energy & Infrastructure Technology Lawyer | IT/OT & Markets

Partner, Trademark Agent

This update analyzes recent Patent Appeal Board decisions to identify trends in the allowance of fintech and financial services patents in Canada. It shows that patentable claims typically frame innovations as technical solutions&mdash;such as improving computing efficiency or integrating specialized hardware&mdash;rather than purely business methods. These trends align with post-Dusome guidance and provide practical insight into how fintech inventions can meet patent eligibility requirements.

Fintech Patents Allowance Trends At The Canadian Patent Appeal Board

Part 2 Fintech Patents: Allowance Trends At The Canadian Patent Appeal Board

Brendan Sigalet

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Greg M. Johnson

Energy Tax & Corporate Lawyer | M&A, Reorganizations & PE

Luke Morrison

Energy Project Development, M&A, and Commercial Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

The federal government released the Spring Economic Update (SEU) on April 28, 2026, with the stated purpose of advancing its goal of building a stronger, more independent and resilient Canadian economy. Of particular interest to energy and clean-technology businesses, the SEU introduces several measures aimed at accelerating investment in low-carbon infrastructure.

Spring Economic Update Expands Canadas Carbon Capture Tax Credit Regime

Spring Economic Update Expands Canada's Carbon Capture Tax Credit Regime to Include Enhanced Oil Recovery

This update reviews the Federal Court&rsquo;s *Dusome* decision and CIPO&rsquo;s new guidance on patent eligibility for computer-implemented inventions in Canada. It highlights a shift toward purposive claim construction and clarifies that fintech innovations may be patentable where they demonstrate a practical application or improve computer functionality. The guidance offers greater predictability for applicants, particularly in financial technology contexts. 
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Fintech Patents New Eligibility Guidance In Canada

Part 1 Fintech Patents: New Eligibility Guidance In Canada

Ethan Z. Schiff

Class Actions & Commercial Litigation Lawyer

In Pedersen v. Advanced Bionics LLC, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice certified a medical device class action but restricted damages to direct medical consequences to satisfy Ontario&rsquo;s predominance requirement. The decision reflects the court&rsquo;s willingness to narrow claims and class definitions to align with the province&rsquo;s stricter certification framework. It also signals potential limits on broader damages&mdash;such as socio-economic losses&mdash;where individualized issues would otherwise outweigh common ones.

Ontario Superior Court Limits Damages Claims

Ontario Superior Court Limits Damages Claims in Certifying Personal Injury Medical Device Class Action

Gary S.A. Solway

Technology, Media & Corporate Lawyer | Governance

Matthew Flynn

Technology Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Artificial intelligence has entered a new phase: models can take actions&mdash;deploy code, interact with enterprise systems and operate through automated agents&mdash;with real-world consequences. AI is no longer just a technical capability; it is a core governance priority.

Dealing with Shareholders and Shareholder Activism

From the Same Authors

CIRO Issues Stiff Penalties for Dealer Conduct

Canadian Securities Regulators Take Further Incremental Steps to Promote Access to Capital Markets

Capital Markets Tribunal Keeps High Bar to Establish Improper Defensive Private Placement

Latest Insights

Fintech Patents: Allowance Trends At The Canadian Patent Appeal Board

Spring Economic Update Expands Canada's Carbon Capture Tax Credit Regime to Include Enhanced Oil Recovery

Fintech Patents: New Eligibility Guidance In Canada

Ontario Superior Court Limits Damages Claims in Certifying Personal Injury Medical Device Class Action

Stay Informed. Stay Ahead.