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Sweeping Changes to Canada's Competition and Foreign Investment Rules

In-Person & Online, April 4, 2023 - 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Upcoming sweeping changes to Canada’s competition and foreign investment rules will affect all Canadian businesses, foreign investors and dealmakers in both their day-to-day business operations and their successful transaction and investment planning. These changes are imminent and will take place in the context of a global clash of political views on the role of competition and foreign investment rules.

Businesses are increasingly caught in the middle of this debate, as commercial practices are questioned and challenged, and mergers and investments are delayed, restructured or blocked altogether.

Please join us for an informative and timely discussion on this topic with partners from our Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment group and special guests The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Vice-Chair of Global Investment Banking at CIBC and former Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and Edward M. Iacobucci, Law Professor at the University of Toronto and author of the discussion paper on amendments to the Competition Act commissioned by Senator Howard Wetston.

Event Details:
Tuesday, April 4, 2023 
In person: 8:30 – 11 a.m. (ET)
199 Bay Street
Suite 4000, Commerce Court West
Toronto, Ontario
Online: 9 – 11 a.m. (ET)

Schedule:
 

Time Description
8:30 – 9 a.m. (ET) Registration (in-person only)
9 – 10 a.m. (ET)

Panel One: Competition Act Changes: What Will Change and How Will It Affect Me?
Brian Facey and Randall Hofley are joined by University of Toronto Law Professor Edward Iacobucci.
 
Topics:

  • What is the state of play for Competition Act changes?

  • Is change really required to reign in mergers, monopolies and anti-competitive business practices?

  • How can I get my transaction done quickly and with certainty in this era of heightened regulatory and media scrutiny?

10 – 11 a.m. (ET)

Panel Two: Foreign Investments and National Security Changes: What Will Change? Who Can Buy a Canadian Business? And How?
Julie Soloway and Elder Marques are joined by The Honourable Navdeep Bains.
 
Topics:

  • What is the state of play for Investment Canada Act changes?

  • How to risk-assess foreign buyers and sensitive industries?

  • What are best practices for allocating and mitigating risk, structuring investments, and getting deals done with regulatory certainty?

Blakes Speakers:

  • Brian Facey, Partner, Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group, and Chair, Strategic Business Initiatives, Blakes

  • Randall Hofley, Partner, Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group, Blakes; former Senior Enforcement Advisor, General Counsel and Special Counsel, Competition Bureau

  • Elder Marques, Partner, Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group, Blakes; former Chief of Staff to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister

  • Julie Soloway, Partner and Co-Chair, Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group, Blakes

Guest Speakers:

  • Navdeep Bains, Vice-Chair, Global Investment Banking, CIBC; former Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

  • Edward M. Iacobucci, Law Professor, University of Toronto; Chair, Capital Markets, Toronto Stock Exchange.

Mandatory Continuing Education:

Ontario:

This program contains up to 2 hours of Substantive content.

British Columbia:
This program has been accredited for 2 CPD Credit Hours with The Law Society of British Columbia.

Quebec:
Please note that pursuant to the amendments to the Règlement sur la formation continue obligatoire des avocats (Regulation respecting mandatory continuing education for lawyers – available in French only) of the Barreau du Québec, which came into force on April 1, 2019, the status of “recognized provider” and the mandatory “recognition” of activities have been abolished.

Blakes will continue to provide you with a confirmation of participation for your records. As stipulated in the above-mentioned regulation, members must preserve supporting documents attesting their completion of training activities for a period of seven years beginning on April 30 following the end of the reference period during which such activities were completed.