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David R. McKinnon

Energy & Environmental Litigation Counsel

Partner

Navdeep Kaur

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Associate

Ellen Forsyth

The Alberta Court of King's Bench stood firm on its commitment to address delays and improve efficiency in Alberta's civil justice system. In Boucher v Bailey, 2025 ABKB 384, the Court dismissed the plaintiffs' request to adjourn a 31-day trial due to its counsel being double booked with another trial in another jurisdiction. The Court held that adjourning the trial as requested would cause prejudice to the justice system, including sub-optimal use of judicial resources and negatively affecting the public's confidence in the administration of justice.

Trial Dates Are Final Alberta Courts Confirm Commitment to Swift Justice

Trial Dates Are Final: Alberta Courts Confirm Commitment to Swift Justice

Michael D. Mysak

Corporate & Commercial Litigation Lawyer

Ciara J. Mackey

In the glow of negotiating a commercial lease, no landlord or tenant wants to think about how it might end early. But recent developments again remind us that a nuanced termination clause will significantly affect if, when and how a termination right is triggered.

Lease Termination Clauses

Lease Termination Clauses: Know the Target Before Pulling the Trigger

Alicia Yowart

Civil Practice Note 7, entitled “Vexatious Application/Proceeding Show Cause Procedure”, is a useful tool to manage hopeless litigation quickly and efficiently. Introduced in 2018, it is a summary procedure under Rule 3.68 of the Alberta Rules of Court that may be used to address a “claim, defence, action, application, or proceeding that appears on its face to be frivolous, vexatious, or otherwise an abuse of process.” It is intended as a “fair and proportionate mechanism to respond to apparently abusive litigation”.

Utter Waste of Time Alberta Court of Appeal Provides New Guidance on Civil Practice Note 7

“Utter Waste of Time”: Alberta Court of Appeal Provides New Guidance on Civil Practice Note 7 

Christine Plante

Civil Fraud Recovery, Employment and Shareholder Disputes Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Justin R. Lambert

Securities & Commercial Litigator | Fraud & Energy Disputes

Michael A. Eizenga L.S.M.

Leading Canadian Class Action Litigator at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner 

Workplace class proceedings are on the rise in Canada. Recent class actions have involved employee claims for <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2022/2022onca115/2022onca115.html" target="_blank">overtime</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2020/2020onsc5368/2020onsc5368.html" target="_blank">vacation time</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2021/2021bcsc2414/2021bcsc2414.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAgImVzY29iYXIiIEFORCAiY2xhc3MgcHJvY2VlZGluZyIAAAAAAQ&resultIndex=1#_Toc89857824" target="_blank">damages for COVID-19 pandemic terminations</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2022/2022bcsc1608/2022bcsc1608.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAgImVzY29iYXIiIEFORCAiY2xhc3MgcHJvY2VlZGluZyIAAAAAAQ&resultIndex=2#_Toc113546909" target="_blank">extended healthcare benefits</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2021/2021onsc5518/2021onsc5518.html" target="_blank">misclassification of workers</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/ca/fct/doc/2017/2017fc51/2017fc51.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAKaGFyYXNzbWVudAAAAAAB&offset=0" target="_blank">systemic discrimination and harassment</a>. The Alberta Court of Appeal decision in <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canlii.org/en/ab/abca/doc/2022/2022abca374/2022abca374.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQBTImNsYXNzIHByb2NlZWRpbmdzIiBPUiAiY2xhc3MgYWN0aW9uIiBPUiAiYWN0aW9uIGNvbGxlY3RpdmUiIE9SICJyZWNvdXJzIGNvbGxlY3RpZiIAAAAAAQ&resultIndex=3" target="_blank">Flesch v Apache Corporation, 2022 ABCA 374</a> now adds claims for long-term incentive compensation to this growing list. This decision also revisits the "gatekeeping" role the court has in certifying such class proceedings.

Tis the Reason ABCA Considers Expanding Gatekeeping Role of Courts

'Tis the Reason: ABCA Considers Expanding Gatekeeping Role of Courts in Certification of Workplace Class Proceeding

Cheryl M. Woodin

Commercial Litigation & Trial Lawyer

Emrys Davis

Competition & Antitrust Litigation Lawyer

Kolding Larson

Commercial Transactions Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The Federal Court dismissed a proposed C$5B class action alleging a nationwide conspiracy to fix generic drug prices, finding no basis in fact and denying certification. The decision underscores the Court&rsquo;s gatekeeping role and confirms that US enforcement actions and generalized market theories are insufficient to support competition claims in Canada without clear, particularized evidence.

Federal Court Dismisses 5 Billion Generic Drug Price Fixing Class Action

Federal Court Dismisses C$5 Billion Generic Drug Price-Fixing Class Action 

Edwin G. Kroft KC

Tax Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones

Andrew Young

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Mackenzie Thomas

Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Issue 41 of Bennett Jones on Tax Disputes examines recent developments in Canadian tax litigation, with a focus on jurisdictional limits, procedural compliance, and case management in the Tax Court of Canada. Featuring commentary from members of the Bennett Jones Tax group, this edition analyzes key decisions including MEGlobal, Culig, and Opheim, and provides practical guidance for taxpayers and advisors navigating tax disputes.

Bennett Jones on Tax Disputes Issue 41

Bennett Jones on Tax Disputes: March 2026

Renée Gagnon

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Maruska Giacchetto

Paige Lutz

Articling Student at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Articling Student

British Columbia&rsquo;s new Health Professions and Occupations Act will significantly reshape how health professionals are regulated, with changes taking effect April 1, 2026. This blog outlines key updates, including a new oversight body, updated bylaws and expanded statutory duties for licensees.

New Health Professions and Occupations Act is Coming Soon

What BC Health Professionals Need to Know Before April 1, 2026 

Oliver Loxley

Corporate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Vancouver

Aaron E. Sonshine

Corporate Finance, Mergers and Acquisitions and Corporate Governance Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Alexandra Doane

Articling Student at Bennett Jones in Vancouver

The SEC&rsquo;s March 5 exemption preserves the existing insider reporting framework for Canadian foreign private issuers that report through SEDI, despite changes introduced by the HFIAA. This update clarifies cross-border reporting obligations and maintains the status quo for affected issuers and their insiders.

Canadian Foreign Private Issuers Remain Exempt from US Insider Reporting Requirements

James D. Beeby

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

Lisa Kakoske

Corporate and Securities Lawyer

Harpar Gill

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) has introduced a voluntary Semi-Annual Reporting (SAR) Pilot allowing eligible venture issuers on the TSXV or CSE to file only six-month interim financial reports. The pilot aims to reduce reporting burdens while maintaining key continuous disclosure requirements for investors.

Four Bennett Jones Lawyers Recognized in the Benchmark Under 40 Hot List

From the Same Authors