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Lorelei Graham

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

Partner

Andrew Bozzato

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

Michelle Galati

Corporate Commercial and Securities Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

Investment in agribusiness experienced a boom in the early 2020s, when investor enthusiasm for food security, supply chain resilience and agricultural innovation surged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Venture capital deployed unprecedented levels of funding into agrifood technology, while private equity groups targeted food processing, logistics and packaging platforms. At its peak, Canadian venture funding across the economy reached record highs in 2021 and 2022, and agribusiness was a direct beneficiary of that exuberance.

AI and Tech Are Powering Agribusiness Deal Flow

Dominique Carli

Commercial Transactions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Wittington Investments has launched a C$100 million fund to support Canadian food producers with equity or debt financing. Success depends on legal readiness, from IP protection to governance, ensuring businesses are prepared to attract and secure investment.

Legal Readiness for Food Producers Navigating Wittington Investments C100M Fund

Legal Readiness for Food Producers: Navigating Wittington Investments’ C$100M Fund

It is clear that the global push for green innovation is no longer just aspirational, it is structural. Over the past decade, countries around the world have implemented a mosaic of policies to accelerate environmentally friendly technologies, many of which intersect with intellectual property. But intellectual property (IP) is just one piece of a much larger innovation puzzle.
Increasingly, we see that financial incentives, regulatory frameworks and IP protections are working in tandem to drive green agri-tech. Incentives can include tax credits, substantial grants supporting climate-smart agriculture, subsidies for carbon farming, or &ldquo;patent box&rdquo; regimes offering reduced tax rates on income from green IP, all of which then shape the behavior of startups and researchers alike. However increasingly the conversation is expanding beyond patents and grants into including carbon markets.

Fast Tracks and Green Gaps Part V

From Carrots to Carbon Credits: How the World is Powering Green Agri-Tech Beyond IP

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

Shifting Gears: How the United States' Exit from Climate Protection Fuels Canada's IP Advantage

Oliver Loxley

Corporate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Dom Sorbara

Banking & Financial Services Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

In the context of corporate debt, 'liability management' refers to a company taking steps to manage its existing debt obligations. This often involves a combination of one or more open market repurchases, redemptions/repayments, consent solicitations, tender offers or exchange offers and may involve other transactions. A repurchase of debt from a holder is one of the most straight-forward examples of liability management.

Liability Management in Canada

Bishoy Attia

Articling Student at Bennett Jones in Toronto

Articling Student

Private investment in the defence sector is accelerating as governments realign policy priorities and expand support for dual-use and DefTech innovation. Canada&rsquo;s 2025 Budget and long-term spending commitments are reshaping the industry, driving new opportunities across AI, cyber, space, advanced manufacturing and critical infrastructure. With global capital flowing into defence technology and structural reforms underway to modernize procurement, the sector is rapidly transitioning from fragmented to fully investable.

Policy Dual Use and DefTech Drive a New Era for Private Capital in Defence

Policy, Dual-Use and DefTech Drive a New Era for Private Capital in Defence

Daron K. Naffin

Energy, Environmental/Regulatory and Expropriation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Tim Myers

Regulatory, Environmental, Aboriginal and Expropriation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Thomas Machell

Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

On November 4, 2025, the Alberta Energy Regulator released AERH2S, an updated version of its computer model for calculating Emergency Planning Zones (EPZs) for sour gas applications. AERH2S replaces the longstanding ERCBH2S model and is available for immediate use by industry. According to AER Bulletin 2025-34, the use of AERH2S will become mandatory for all applications filed under Directive 056: Energy Development Applications and Schedules, including amendment applications, starting January 1, 2026. The continued use of ERCBH2S is permitted for updates to existing EPZs (and any EPZs established before January 1, 2026) under Directive 071: Emergency Preparedness and Response until further notice.

Alberta Energy Regulator Releases New AERH2S Model for Sour Gas Operations

David Cassin

Employment Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Doug Fenton

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Robert W. Staley

Commercial, Securities and Class Action Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Vice Chair and Partner

In McPherson v Global Growth Assets Inc., the Ontario Superior Court interpreted the no-reprisal provisions of the Securities Act for the first time, awarding more than $5.3 million to a CEO who was terminated after raising compliance concerns. The decision underscores the strength of the Act&rsquo;s protections for employees who engage in protected activities and highlights the significant risk to employers of taking disciplinary action without clear, documented justification.

Ontario Securities Act No Reprisal Provisions Results in 53 Million Award to CEO

Ontario Securities Act No-Reprisal Provisions Results in C$5.3 Million Award to CEO: A Warning to Regulated Employers

Edwin G. Kroft KC

Tax Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones

Antoine Messervier

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Anna Lekach

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

The November 2025 issue of Bennett Jones on Tax Disputes explores major developments in Canadian tax law, including new CRA guidance on the Voluntary Disclosures Program, court decisions on settlement confidentiality and costs, and proposed reforms to the Tax Court&rsquo;s informal procedure limits. The issue also features case summaries and insights from Bennett Jones&rsquo; tax litigators on emerging trends in tax dispute resolution.

Bennett Jones Top 10 Trademark and IP Firms in Canada

From the Same Authors