16th Annual CBA Competition Law Conference takes place Sept. 24-25, 2009, Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, Québec

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 23, 2009

OTTAWA – Canadian Competition Law – The next 25 years is the theme of the 2009 Canadian Bar Association (CBA) fall conference on competition law, taking place Sept. 24-25 at the Hilton Lac Leamy, Gatineau, Québec.

“The most important changes to Canadian competition law in almost 25 years have ushered in a new era of antitrust enforcement in Canada in key areas of the Competition Act, including anti-competitive agreements, deceptive marketing, abuse of dominance and merger review,” says Conference Chair R. Jay Holsten of Torys LLP. “Important changes to the Investment Canada Act have added further complexity to the regulatory landscape for foreign capital pursuing acquisitions in Canada.”

“This year’s conference brings together an outstanding roster of leading Canadian and international competition lawyers, economists and government officials to discuss these changes and their implications for the future,” says Paul Collins, of Stikeman Elliott LLP, Chair of the CBA’s National Competition Law Section.

Two plenary sessions highlight the program. “The Great Amendment Debate will provide a unique opportunity to hear six of Canada’s leading competition counsel debate the extent to which the amendments add clarity or confusion to the law,” says Holsten.

Moderated by James Musgrove of Lang Michener LLP, the panel features Neil Finkelstein, McCarthy Tétrault LLP; Katherine Kay, Stikeman Elliott LLP; John Laskin, Torys LLP; Leslie Milton, Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP; John Rook, Bennett Jones LLP; and Kent Thomson, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. The debate takes place from 9:15 a.m to 10:45 a.m. on Sept. 24.

From 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Commissioner’s Showcase Panel – Convergence and Co-Operation in the 21st Century, features Competition Commissioner Melanie Aitken. She will be joined by Nadia Calvino, Deputy Director-General of Competition, Mergers and Antitrust, DG Comp, European Commission; William Cavanaugh Jr., Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division U.S. Department of Justice; and John Fingleton, Chief Executive, UK office of Fair Trading.

Topics to be discussed by the panel include coordination in enforcement action and advocacy, the sharing of relevant information and applicable theories of harm, and the important role played by networks of competition authorities.

The two-day program is open to accredited media. Please contact Hannah Bernstein for accreditation. Full program details are available on the CBA website.

The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to support for the rule of law, and improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.

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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Tel: (613) 237-2925, ext. 146; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.