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Osie Ukwuoma

Corporate Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Partner

Jeffrey Kerbel

Securities & Business Lawyer | M&A, Finance & Governance

Senior Counsel

Kristopher R. Hanc

M&A and Capital Markets Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

On November 19, 2024, the Ontario Capital Markets Tribunal (Tribunal) released its reasons for its July 2024 decision granting an application by Riot Platforms, Inc. (Riot) to cease trade a shareholder rights plan (Plan) adopted by Bitfarms Ltd. (Bitfarms). This decision is significant as it refined the test for the granting of an order “in the public interest” under section 127 of the Securities Act (Ontario) (the Act), at least as it applied to shareholder rights plans. The decision also demonstrated the unwillingness of the Tribunal to allow a shareholder rights plan to have a trigger below 20 percent.

Ontario Tribunal Refines Public Interest Test in Cease Trade Decision on Shareholder Rights Plans

Robert W. Staley

Securities & Commercial Litigation Lawyer | Shareholder Disputes

Vice Chair and Partner

COVID and Annual Shareholder Meetings

COVID-19 and Annual Shareholder Meetings

Nicholas P. Fader

Corporate & Public Markets Lawyer | M&A, Debt & Equity

Partner and General Counsel

Brent W. Kraus

Corporate Governance Lawyer | Securities & Capital Markets

For close to three months, M&A lawyers and other capital markets participants had been anxiously awaiting the release of written reasons from the Ontario Securities Commission (“OSC”) and the Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (“FCAAS” and, together with the OSC, the “Commissions”) for their December 22, 2017 orders (collectively, “CanniMed Order”) in the matter of Aurora Cannabis Inc. (“Aurora”) and CanniMed Therapeutics Inc. (“CanniMed”). The Commissions' written decision (released on March 15, 2018) is of considerable interest, as the Aurora/CanniMed proceeding engaged a number of key provisions of the new takeover bid rules introduced in May 2016 (the "New Rules") and represented the first time securities regulators have had to address elements of the New Rules in the context of contested applications.

Securities Commissions Provide Guidance on New Takeover Rules in Hostile Cannabis Bid

Jon C. Truswell

Corporate & M&A Lawyer | Equity, Debt & Governance

Transactions between related parties may create material conflicts of interest between an issuer and its directors, officers and related parties. In particular, material conflicts of interest may arise in the context of insider bids, issuer bids, business combinations and related party transactions. Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101) was adopted in Alberta, Manitoba and New Brunswick on July 31, 2017, and prescribes procedural safeguards intended to mitigate the risks to minority security holders in material conflict of interest transactions. MI 61-101 has been in effect in Ontario and Québec since February 1, 2008, when it superseded Rule 61-501 in Ontario and Regulation Q-27 in Quebec.

CSA Provide Guidance on the Review of Material Conflict of Interest Transactions

Canadian Securities Administrators Provide Guidance on the Review of Material Conflict of Interest Transactions

Edwin G. Kroft KC

Tax Litigation Lawyer at Bennett Jones

Andrew Young

Tax Lawyer at Bennett Jones Toronto

Associate

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

Partner 

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.

CSA Adopts Semi Annual Reporting Pilot For Venture Issuers

CSA Adopts Semi-Annual Reporting Pilot For Venture Issuers

Ashley M. White

Corporate & Commercial Transactions Lawyer | Power & Energy

Jason D. Roth

Construction & Infrastructure Lawyer | EPC & Project Development

Larissa D. Lees

Regulatory Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary

The Government of Alberta has announced plans for a 120-day approval timeline for major projects, aiming to accelerate development while maintaining Indigenous consultation and environmental protections. This initiative, aligned with federal policy and recent Alberta&ndash;Canada agreements, could create more predictable regulatory processes and meaningful investment opportunities across energy, infrastructure, CCUS and critical minerals projects. Industry participants should monitor implementation closely, as details on eligible projects and procedural interaction are still forthcoming.

Jeff Kerbel in Law Times Focus on Changed Takeover Laws in Canada

From the Same Authors