• About
  • Offices
  • Careers
  • News
  • Students
  • Alumni
  • Payments
  • EN | FR
Background Image
Bennett Jones Logo
  • People
  • Expertise
  • Knowledge
  • Search
  • FR Menu
  • Search Mobile
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
View all
Practices
Corporate Litigation Regulatory Tax View all
Industries
Energy Infrastructure Mining Private Equity & Investment Funds View all
Advisory
Crisis & Risk Management Public Policy
View Client Work
International Experience
Insights News Events Subscribe
Arbitration Angle Artificial Intelligence Insights Business Law Talks Podcast Class Actions: Looking Forward Class Action Quick Takes
Economic Outlook New Energy Economy Series Private Equity Briefings Quarterly Fintech Insights Quarterly M&A Insights
Sustainability & the CIO
People
Offices
About
Practices
Industries
Advisory Services
Client Work
Insights
News
Events
Careers
Law Students
Alumni
Payments
Search
Subscribe

Stay informed on the latest business and legal insights and events.

LinkedIn LinkedIn Twitter Twitter Vimeo Vimeo
 

Preet Gill and Richard Swan in Globe and Mail on Force Majeure and Coronavirus

March 16, 2020

As Canadian businesses begin to deal with the fallout of the novel coronavirus, many are evaluating whether their commercial contracts could be broken by force majeure clauses that cover events outside the parties’ control. Preet Gill and Richard Swan comment in this Globe and Mail story.

Determining whether a force majeure provision can be triggered involves a number of factors, including the wording of the clause itself and the timing of the contract. Preet says:

“It becomes a bit difficult because each clause is different,” said Preet Bell, a partner at Bennett Jones LLP in Toronto, who says that a party who wants to rely on a force majeure clause will also have to show that there was no way for them to meet their obligations under the contract. “It can’t be just that it’s more difficult or more expensive, but it has to get close to impossibility.”

Ms. Gill wrote a commentary on the issue with her colleague Richard Swan, who says supply-chain contracts are most at risk.

“If you’ve got hundreds of different parts coming from all over the world that go into the manufacture of a vehicle or a piece of electronics, when there are timing delays and plant shut downs and that supply chain gets interrupted, it can set off a whole chain reaction of events in the manufacture of the product, and that can lead to litigation.”

Key Contacts

  • Preet K.  Gill Preet K. Gill, Toronto Managing Partner
  • Richard B. Swan Richard B. Swan, Partner

Related Links

  • Insights
  • Media
  • Subscribe

Related Expertise

  • Commercial Litigation

Recent Posts

Client Work

Heidelberg Materials Acquires Assets of BURNCO in Edmonton

July 31, 2025
       

Articles

Climate Change Initiatives: Selected Recent Changes and the Application of Existing Tax Principles to Clean Energy—Part 2

July 21, 2025
       

Articles

Tariff Tensions: Managing Risk Through Carefully Drafted Construction Contracts

July 21, 2025
       

Speaking Engagements

Sabrina Bandali spoke at the 71 Annual Natural Resources

July 17, 2025
       

Client Work

Canada Infrastructure Bank Closes C$1 Billion Financing to Support Montréal-Trudeau Transformation

July 16, 2025
       

In The News

John Manley on the CBC News Network

July 11, 2025
       

Speaking Engagements

Rethinking Cyber Risk in the Age of AI: What Boards Need to Know

July 08, 2025
       

Announcements

Eighteen Bennett Jones Lawyers Ranked in Lexpert's Special Edition on Health Sciences

July 02, 2025
       

Client Work

Bennett Jones Acts for Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited in Overturning C$228 Million Judgment

July 02, 2025
       
Bennett Jones Centennial Footer
Bennett Jones Centennial Footer
About
  • Leadership
  • Diversity
  • Community
  • Innovation
  • Security
Offices
  • Calgary
  • Edmonton
  • Montréal
  • Ottawa
  • Toronto
  • Vancouver
  • New York
Connect
  • Insights
  • News
  • Events
  • Careers
  • Students
  • Alumni
Subscribe

Stay informed on the latest business and legal insights and events.

LinkedIn LinkedIn Twitter Twitter Vimeo Vimeo
© Bennett Jones LLP 2025. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Use
Logo Bennett Jones