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James D. Beeby

Corporate Finance, M&A, Private Equity and Venture Capital Lawyer

Partner

Yannick Beaudoin

Project Development, Energy and Infrastructure Lawyer at Bennett Jones Montreal

Angela Blake

M&A, Securities and Corporate Finance Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Sixteen Bennett Jones lawyers have been ranked in the 2025 Lexpert Special Edition: Global Mining. This recognition highlights our decades of experience providing practical, strategic legal advice to global mining companies, investors and developers.

Sixteen Bennett Jones Lawyers Ranked in Lexperts Mining Special Edition

Sixteen Bennett Jones Lawyers Ranked in Lexpert's Global Mining Special Edition

Mia Bacic

Corporate and Securities Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Sarah Harper

The PE Briefing: Q2 2025 explores the private equity landscape amid global and Canadian uncertainty, highlighting challenges such as tariffs, geopolitical tensions and extended due diligence slowing deal-making. Despite these hurdles, opportunities exist in resilient sectors like IT, AI and clean energy, driven by long-term trends such as electrification and liquidity demands in secondary markets. The report emphasizes the importance of adaptability, with ESG and AI becoming integral to strategies and notes a slowdown in Canadian deal activity alongside a rise in corporate carve-outs globally. Staying informed and agile remains critical for navigating volatility and capitalizing on emerging opportunities.

The PE Briefing Q2 2025

The PE Briefing: Q2 2025

Andrew N. Disipio

Securities, Corporate Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Tekarra Valiulis

Associate at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Associate

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is undertaking a significant overhaul of National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (the Instrument), Form 43-101F1 – Technical Report (the Form) and the related Companion Policy 43-101CP (the Companion Policy). On February 13, 2025 the British Columbia Securities Commission released BC Notice 2025/01 (the Notice) providing an update on the process

Updated Rules for Mining Disclosure

Updated Rules for Mining Disclosure: What the Canadian Securities Administrators Proposed Changes Mean for Industry Participants

Jesslyn G. Maurier

Technology, Media and Entertainment, Corporate Commercial and Corporate Governance Lawyer at Bennett Jones

Bennett Jones congratulates Jesslyn Maurier on her appointment to the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://occ.ca/mediareleases/ontario-chamber-of-commerce-welcomes-new-board/" target="_blank">board of directors</a> of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://occ.ca/" target="_blank">Ontario Chamber of Commerce</a> (OCC). The OCC is an independent, non-profit advocacy and member services organization representing a diverse network of over 60,000 members. It brings businesses and local chambers together to advance inclusive and sustainable prosperity for Ontario’s businesses, workers and communities.

Jesslyn Maurier Appointed to Ontario Chamber of Commerces Board of Directors

Jesslyn Maurier Appointed to Ontario Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors

Lorelei Graham

Food and Agribusiness Lawyer, IP Lawyer, Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Across the Atlantic, the European Union (EU) and its member states have also been encouraging climate-resilient agri-tech innovation, but their approach to intellectual property incentives has been a bit different. The European Union has set ambitious climate goals (like achieving climate neutrality by 2050) and launched the European Green Deal, a broad policy agenda to support sustainable technologies. While funding and regulations (such as support for sustainable farming practices) are big parts of the EU strategy, there is also recognition that IP rights play an important role in fostering innovation. However, unlike Canada or the recent US pilot program, Europe has not implemented a unified “green channel” for patent examination at the European Patent Office.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part III

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part III: Green Without the Label: Europe's Pragmatic IP Approach to Agri-Tech Innovation

Steven L. Major KC

Commercial Dispute, Construction, Fraud, Police and Personal Injury Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Drew C. Broughton

Corporate Commercial and M&A Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Kevin Myson

Corporate, Commercial Transaction, Energy, Natural Resource and M&A Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Canada is navigating a "wild frontier" in the energy industry, with a unique opportunity to forge successful and sustainable partnerships both domestically and internationally. This was the rallying call at the Energy Business Forum during the 74th Canadian Energy Executive Association (CEEA) conference in Banff, Alberta, where industry leaders gathered to share visions for the future of Canada's energy landscape.

Key Takeaways From the Wild Frontier Energy Business Forum CEEA 74

Key Takeaways From the "Wild Frontier" Energy Business Forum at CEEA '74

Melanie Teetaert

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Jennifer (Jenn) K. Choi

Maruska Giacchetto

This article examines the Ontario Court of Appeal's decision in J.P. Thomson Architects Ltd. v Greater Essex County District School Board, 2025 ONCA 378, which provides critical clarification on the interpretation of multi-step dispute resolution (MSDR) clauses. MSDR clauses, commonly used in commercial contracts, outline escalating steps such as negotiation, mediation, and arbitration to resolve disputes. The Court addressed ambiguities in the drafting of MSDR timelines, emphasizing that specified timeframes should be interpreted as minimum waiting periods rather than strict deadlines. The decision overturned a lower court ruling that barred a party from arbitration due to a perceived failure to meet a 30-day mediation request deadline. This article highlights the importance of precise drafting in MSDR clauses, discusses the implications of the Court's decision, and provides practical guidance for parties drafting or negotiating dispute resolution provisions in commercial agreements.

Do you need to rush to mediate - Ontario Court of Appeal

Do You Need to Rush to Mediate? Ontario Court of Appeal Clarifies Interpretation of Multi-Step Dispute Resolution Clause

The United States has long been a major player in both agri-tech innovation and the intellectual property (IP) landscape. In the past, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) offered its own version of a green patent fast-track to encourage climate-friendly inventions. Notably, in 2009 to 2011 the USPTO ran a Green Technology Pilot Program that prioritized examination for certain eco-friendly patents. The pilot ended in 2012, but more recently the USPTO brought back the idea in June 2022, with the Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program, which was essentially an accelerated examination program for patent applications directed to fight climate change. Under this program, inventions designed to reduce or monitor greenhouse gas emissions, including many clean energy, sustainability or climate-smart agriculture innovations, could be examined out of turn. Importantly, like Canada’s program, the US pilot did not charge the usual petition fee for expediting. The goal was to spur green tech by making it faster and cheaper to secure IP rights.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part II

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part II: Innovation Interrupted: What the End of the USPTO's Green Program Means for Agri-Tech

Climate change is driving a surge in agricultural technology (agri-tech) innovations aimed at making farming more resilient and sustainable. From drought-resistant crops to carbon-capturing soil techniques, these climate-focused agri-tech solutions are crucial for global food security. An often-overlooked piece of this puzzle is intellectual property (IP) strategy, namely how patents and other IP rights are used to protect and incentivize innovation.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part I

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part I: Planting the Future: Why Canada's IP System May Be the Climate Innovation Sleeper Hit

MaRS Supports Launch of New $100-million Private Sector Venture Fund

Authors


Bennett Jones Client Work MaRS Supports Launch of New $100-million Private Sector Venture Fund January 28, 2022 Authors Jesslyn G. MaurierPartner James D. BeebyPartner Philip B. WardPartner Bennett Jones is acting for MaRS Discovery District as it seeks to unlock new value from MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (MaRS IAF), a seed fund supported by the Ontario government that has made over 175 investments in startups over the past 14 years. Alongside other institutional and entrepreneurial investors, $25 million of its returns on past MaRS IAF investments will be invested back into Ontario’s VC ecosystem to help launch Graphite IAF IV. The Graphite team has completed a first close of $77 million of the new private sector $100-million venture capital fund. As the CEO of MaRS, Yung Wu has stated that the purpose of this initiative is to increase the amount of capital available to invest in early stage companies, a component the overall MaRS mission of developing and supporting great Canadian technology businesses. The Bennett Jones team is led by Jesslyn Maurier and includes Barry Reiter, James Beeby and Phil Ward. Share by Email Social Media Download Download Subscribe Republishing Requests For permission to republish this or any other publication, contact Amrita Kochhar at kochhara@bennettjones.com. For informational purposes only This publication provides an overview of legal trends and updates for informational purposes only. For personalized legal advice, please contact the authors. Authors Jesslyn G. Maurier, Partner Toronto • 416.777.4899 • maurierj@bennettjones.com James D. Beeby, Partner • Co-Head of Corporate Department Vancouver • 604.891.5326 • beebyj@bennettjones.com Philip B. Ward, Partner Toronto • 416.777.7476 • wardp@bennettjones.com