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Emrys Davis

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

Partner

Michael A. Eizenga L.S.M.

Leading Canadian Class Action Litigator at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner 

Gannon Beaulne

Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

In our 2025 edition of Looking Forward, we review notable class action developments from the past year and consider what recent trends in the law might tell us about what to expect in the years ahead.

Class Actions Looking Forward 2025

Class Actions: Looking Forward 2025

Ashley L. Paterson

Commercial Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The evidentiary burden on plaintiffs to have a case certified­—i.e., the “some basis in fact” standard—has been described as a “low bar” in countless cases. Plaintiffs cite the “low bar” in trying to certify their cases, and defendants respond with their own favourable quotes from the case law, noting that this evidentiary burden is not “merely a speed bump” and that the evidence required to support certification must be subject to something more than “superficial scrutiny”.

British Columbia Grapples With Evidentiary Issues and the Requirement for a Workable Methodology

Michael Eizenga speaks to Law.com about the resolution of a decades-long Canadian class action dispute, culminating in a C$32.5 billion agreement with the tobacco industry.

Tobacco Industry Settles for C325 Billion in Landmark Canadian Class Action

Tobacco Industry Settles for C$32.5 Billion in Landmark Canadian Class Action

Health Canada is proposing to amend the Food and Drug Regulations, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/C.R.C.,_c._870/index.html" target="_blank">C.R.C., c.870</a> (the FDRs) and the Medical Device Regulations, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-98-282/" target="_blank">SOR/98-282</a> (the MDRs) in an effort to avoid pharmaceutical and medical device shortages and discontinuances. Through a consultation process, Health Canada is seeking input on the proposed amendments and draft guides from manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers and other industry stakeholders.

Health Canada Consultation on Proposed Amendments to Address Drug and Medical Device

Health Canada Consultation on Proposed Amendments to Address Drug and Medical Device Shortages in Canada

Katelyn Weller

Counsel at Bennett Jones Toronto

Counsel

Carl Cunningham

Management-side Employment Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

The 2025 Federal Budget proposes significant employment law changes, including restrictions on non-compete agreements and new measures to address worker misclassification and wage theft. Federally regulated employers should prepare for upcoming consultations in early 2026.

Federal Budget Proposals Affecting Employers

Andrew Bozzato

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

Simon Grant

Banking & Finance Lawyer, Fintech Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Matthew Flynn

Technology Transaction Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Canada's federal budget was released on November 4, 2025 and included some much-anticipated news for fintech. In this latest edition of our Fintech in Canada quarterly update, we look at the key announcements in Budget 2025 for the sector, including the unleashing of stablecoins, fintech-focused changes to financial legislation and momentum for open banking and how fintechs can navigate the evolving landscape.&nbsp;

Fintech in Canada Q3 2025

Ahmed Elmallah

Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Counsel, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent

Lorelei Graham

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

Edward (Ted) Yoo

Intellectual Property Lawyer and Canada/US Patent and Trademark Agent at Bennett Jones Edmonton

Partner, Patent Agent, Trademark Agent

Recent disputes involving xAI, OpenAI and a former engineer highlight how quickly job transitions can escalate into trade-secret and IP risks. This article explains why every business needs a clear confidential information and intellectual property (CI&amp;IP) governance policy&mdash;and how such policies help prevent disputes, protect proprietary assets and ensure compliance with third-party obligations.

Why Every Business and StartUp Needs an Employee Governance Policy

X.AI Corp. v. OpenAI—Why Every Business (and Start-Up) Needs an Employee Governance Policy for Managing Confidential Business Information and IP Risk

Martin Ignasiak KC

Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Ashley M. White

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

Jessica Kennedy

Budget 2025 sets out Canada&rsquo;s Climate Competitiveness Strategy, reaffirming goals to attract clean investment, strengthen carbon pricing systems and position the country as an emerging energy superpower. The Strategy details updates to emissions regulations, clean technology tax credits, critical mineral programs and major project approvals, offering new signals for investors and industry.

Canadas Budget 2025 Canadas Climate Competitiveness Strategy

Canada's Budget 2025: Canada's Climate Competitiveness Strategy

J. Sébastien A. Gittens

Intellectual Property and Technology Commercialization Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

Partner, Trademark Agent

Stephen D. Burns

Technology Lawyer, Intellectual Property Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

AI is rapidly integrating into enterprise workflows, yet vendor agreements often lag behind in safeguarding organizational risk. This article highlights the hidden hazards in standard AI terms and conditions, including data usage, IP ownership, liability limits and regulatory compliance gaps and outlines strategies to strengthen contractual oversight.

Recent Trends in Canadian Class Actions

From the Same Authors