Business Law and Corporate Law

Starting in 2027, all Ontario project owners with contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2026, and most owners with contracts dating back to July 1, 2018, must start releasing statutory holdback to their contractors on an annual basis. This requirement is the latest in a series of construction payment reforms under Ontario’s Construction Act. It replaces the traditional model of retaining holdback until substantial performance. Owners and contractors who fail to comply with the notice and payment timelines face exposure to interest claims, payment disputes, and adjudication proceedings.

This comprehensive guide introduces international businesses and investors to Canada's unique legal landscape, exploring how federal and provincial jurisdictions interact to govern business operations. Navigate the complexities of Canada's dual legal traditions, bilingual requirements, and multi-layered regulatory framework across key provinces including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec.

The Divisional Court's decision in Land Design Inc. v. Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corp. establishes critical boundaries for judicial review of procurement decisions and clarifies bidder obligations under no-contact rules. When does a procurement decision become sufficiently public to warrant court intervention, and what responsibility do bidders bear when their employees engage with prohibited government officials during an active RFP process?

Red River Métis speaker, survivor, and MMIWG advocate Fallon Farinacci confronts the systemic failures behind family separation and generational trauma among Indigenous survivors.

A managing partner reflects on the true meaning of influence and power in the legal profession, examining how early sponsorship and opportunity shape careers in ways that often disappear from success stories. Drawing from personal experience navigating law without inherited social capital, she explores the responsibility of gatekeepers to recognize potential before it becomes proof.

Partner Heather Barnhouse sits down with Rachel Mielke, founder and CEO of Hillberg & Berk, to discuss her journey from designing jewelry at her kitchen table in Regina to building a nationally recognized Canadian brand.

A corporation’s residence for tax purposes and the jurisdiction under which it is incorporated are legally distinct concepts. The corporate statute that governs a corporation, whether the Canada Business Corporations Act (“CBCA”) or a provincial equivalent, dictates its internal governance rules, but it does not, on its own, determine where the corporation is resident in Canada for the purposes of the Income Tax Act.

On October 12, 2026, BBC Panorama and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism published a forensic analysis of leaked corporate files showing that Deloitte’s Cyprus affiliate and MeritServus, a corporate services firm spun out of that practice, falsified and backdated at least 1,000 corporate documents for companies beneficially owned by Roman Abramovich.

Consider three situations familiar to many BC societies. A director requests copies of board minutes. A member asks for the register of members before an upcoming election. A journalist requests the society’s financial statements for the last five years.

On September 22, 2026, the Canadian Securities Administrators introduced amendments to National Instrument 51-102, establishing an access-based delivery model for financial statements and management's discussion & analysis. This new framework allows reporting issuers to satisfy delivery requirements through SEDAR+ filing and prescribed notices, potentially reducing costs and administrative burdens. What steps must reporting issuers take to implement this electronic delivery model and ensure compliance with

For decades, the initial public offering occupied a privileged place in corporate finance. It represented the natural evolution of a successful private company and the principal gateway to large-scale growth capital. In Canada, public markets played a particularly important role in financing emerging businesses, especially in the resource, technology and life sciences sectors.

The British Columbia Securities Commission's 2025 compliance report reveals persistent deficiencies in policies and procedures manuals, know-your-client processes, and client reporting across registered firms. With Client Focused Reforms now in effect for over three years, the report highlights critical gaps in operationalizing compliance requirements and introduces new considerations for firms using artificial intelligence in their operations.