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Leah Tolton KC, FEA

Corporate Commercial Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Partner

Gavin A. Millan

Commercial Transactions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Associate

Amy Verhoeff

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Heidelberg Materials North America announced that it has entered into a binding purchase agreement to acquire the assets of BURNCO Rock Products Ltd in Edmonton, Alberta. BURNCO is a successful fifth-generation family-owned construction materials company with locations in Canada and the United States. 

Heidelberg Materials Acquires Assets of BURNCO in Edmonton

Jennifer A. Miller KC

Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) and Employment Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Simon Foxcroft

Mining, Energy, Transportation, Construction and OH&S Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Beth L. Jonah

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in April 2025, the Government of Alberta issued a Director Order that significantly altered the legal landscape concerning work site incident scene disturbances. In essence, we have returned to the law as originally written.

Major Change in Alberta OHS Scene Disturbance Law

Major Change in Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Scene Disturbance Law

Jenna Vivian

On January 23, 2025, the New Brunswick Court of Appeal released its decision in King v R. This tragic case highlights critical lessons for employers, emphasizing the importance of leadership accountability, adherence to safety protocols and a proactive approach to managing high-risk activities. This decision arose from the drowning of 18-year-old Michael Henderson in a confined space on a construction site in Fredericton, leading to the conviction of Jason King, his supervisor, for criminal negligence causing death.

Just Released OHS Lessons for Employers from King v R 2025 NBCA 12

Just Released: OHS Lessons for Employers from King v. R., 2025 NBCA 12

James J. Heelan KC

Commercial/Securities Litigation, Employment and Professional Negligence Lawyer and Mediator at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Laura Inglis

Sarah J. Huot

Litigation, Professional Negligence, Health, Employment and Estate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Employee restrictive covenants are often a contentious issue, especially when employees leave to form (or join) competing firms. A recent Alberta Court of King’s Bench decision, People Corporation v Quinn et al. (<a rel="noopener noreferrer" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abkb/doc/2024/2024abkb711/2024abkb711.html" target="_blank">2024 ABKB 711</a>), offers valuable insights into how courts balance the enforceability of restrictive covenants, employee rights, and employer interests. This case revolves around allegations of breach of restrictive covenants and the legal intricacies involved in assessing their validity.

Legal Precedent on Restrictive Covenants in Employment Agreements A Case Study

Legal Precedent on Restrictive Covenants in Employment Agreements—A Case Study

Luke Morrison

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

Ashley M. White

Corporate, Commercial Transactions, Power & Energy Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Pamela Clark

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary 

Associate 

On June 6, 2025, the federal government introduced Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act, which proposes new legislation aimed at strengthening Canada's economy by removing interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers and advancing major projects.

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development

Wind In The Sails of Canadian Energy Project Development: Major Projects Office Open For Business, and Details of Fast-Tracked Projects Emerging

Stephen D. Burns

Technology Lawyer, Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner, Trademark Agent

Matthew Flynn

Technology Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

J. Sébastien A. Gittens

Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

AI transcription tools offer efficiency and accuracy in the boardroom but create risks to confidentiality, privacy and legal privilege. Organizations should adopt clear policies, safeguards and training to ensure responsible use and compliance with governance standards.

AI Notetaking in the Boardroom

Lorelei Graham

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

The United States Patent and Trademark Office's decision to cancel its Climate Change Mitigation pilot program for patents has not gone unnoticed in Canada. For Canadian policymakers and agri-tech innovators, this move by the United States raises two big questions: (1) How might this affect Canada&rsquo;s own intellectual property&nbsp; strategy for green tech, and (2) could it create opportunities for Canada (and others) to take the lead in certain climate-tech domains?
A particular area of interest is carbon-capture agri-tech, technologies that help farming not just reduce emissions but actively capture carbon (for instance, special crops or soil treatments that lock away carbon dioxide or farm machinery that traps greenhouse gases). These innovations are crucial for meeting climate goals and could become a competitive arena internationally.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part IV: Shifting Gears: How the United States' Exit from Climate Protection Fuels Canada's IP Advantage

Martin Ignasiak KC

Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Jessica Kennedy

Larissa D. Lees

Alberta&rsquo;s updated self-supply rules create new opportunities for on-site power generation. This blog highlights key regulatory issues, risks, and opportunities developers need to consider.

So You Want to Supply Your Own Power Key Considerations for On Site Generation in Alberta

So You Want to Supply Your Own Power: Key Considerations for On-Site Generation in Alberta

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

Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE) North American Occupational Safety and Health Week

From the Same Authors