SPRING CONFERENCE – MAY 1-2, 2024 (MONTREAL, QC)
Registration is open for the fully bilingual 2024 Competition Law Spring Conference, Old Port – New Tech: Exploring the Future in Montreal’s Old Port, brought to you by our Conference Co-Chairs Pascale Dionne-Bourassa, Bennett Jones LLP and Joshua Krane, McMillan LLP at the Hotel Nelligan. Panels include:
Merger Review – Does competition law and Canada’s foreign investment review enable or hinder innovation?
Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Mergers and Monopolistic Practices branch Jeanne Pratt (Competition Bureau) will be joined by industry leaders including Karim Sharobim (Inovia Capital) and Michael Hassan (Saagard) to explore whether new or proposed amendments to the Competition Act and Investment Canada Act and government policy and approach will make it harder for businesses in Canada in the AI, technology, data security and video game sectors to raise capital and pursue strategic acquisitions and what impacts that will have on the investment, tech and broader business communities in Canada.
Abuse of Dominance v. Unfair Competition – What’s the Difference?
Jennifer Quaid (University of Ottawa) and Martin Simard (ISED) will explore how recent amendments to the Competition Act have altered our understanding of dominance and unfair competition, and the key takeaways for Canadian businesses.
Simultaneous interpretation in English and French will be offered for all panels.
We encourage all current and prospective members of the Section to join us on the evening of May 1 for a tour of Old Montreal and the Aura in the Notre-Dame Basilica followed by dinner at Gaspar, a French brasserie in Old Montreal.
Dinner will be at the participant’s own expense. Gaspar offers a blend of fine French traditional-fused with forward thinking Montreal cuisine.
A welcome reception “Death by Chocolate” is open to all Conference participants on May 1 at 9:00 pm at the Hotel Nelligan.
As a special highlight, don’t miss the exclusive auction of First Light, the painting prepared by Colleen Gray at the CBA Fall 2023 Conference. I hope you will join us in Montreal!
REGISTER NOW →
YOUNG LAWYERS’ SYMPOSIUM – MAY 3, 2024 (MONTREAL, QC)
The ninth annual CBA Competition Law Section’s Young Lawyers Half Day Symposium open to CBA members and Bureau officers in their first 10 years of practice will take place in Montreal following the CBA Competition Law Spring Conference. Attendees may opt to register for one or both events.
The Young Lawyer’s Committee is thrilled to present an exciting agenda for this free Symposium which delves into the question: “what is the purpose of competition law in Canada?”
Join us on Friday, May 3 from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm for an engaging morning of panel discussions that will explore whether recent amendments go too far or not far enough and how our political and economic landscape can be expected to influence our practices.
We also welcome you to attend a networking reception sponsored by TransPerfect Legal Solutions, the evening of Thursday, May 2nd. Early registration is encouraged to reserve your spot, which includes a light breakfast and lunch on May 3.
REGISTER NOW →
THE JAMES H. BOCKING MEMORIAL AWARD
All full-time students at a Canadian law school or Canadian-qualified lawyers within three years of graduation can also contribute to the ongoing discussions around Canadian competition law and policy by submitting a scholarly paper to the Section on a subject directly relating to Canadian competition law and policy issues. The award consists of a monetary prize of $2,500, as well as a complimentary registration for the Section’s Annual Fall Conference at which time the award will be presented.
The submission deadline for this year’s contest is May 2, 2024. Details on the contest criteria and eligibility are available.
SSNIPETS – SEEKING MEMBER ARTICLES
The Mergers Committee is seeking articles between 1000 – 2500 words in length for a new edition of SSNIPets. Publishing a member article is a great way to contribute to the many ongoing discussions around Canadian competition law and share your thoughts with the broader competition community. Articles should be submitted by April 30, 2024 for inclusion in the next edition of SSNIPets.
COUNTERFACTUAL PODCAST
If you missed the Adam F. Fanaki Competition Law Moot, check out the latest episode of Counterfactual, in which moot organizers Majid Charania of the Competition Bureau and Katherine Rydel of the Department of Justice describe why it is such a sought after event.
Congratulations to this year’s winning teams: Queens for the Appellant team and the University of Toronto for the Respondent team and also to George Yacoub from the University of Ottawa who received the inaugural Adam Fanaki Legacy Award.
Subscribe now to the Counterfactual Podcast! Available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts!
If you have content ideas for the podcast or would like to volunteer your time, please feel free to contact anyone on the Podcast Committee.
COMMITTEE UPDATES
Details on upcoming events and past events are available on each of the Committee webpages.
Join the committee listservs to participate in our committees and find us on LinkedIn and X to stay up-to-date.
The Committees put together dozens of successful CLE, networking and social events – an easy (and free) way to keep abreast of the latest developments. They also give you an opportunity to contribute to the Section’s commentaries on proposed developments in competition law and foreign investment review.
ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS
See you all at the Spring Conference!
Elisa Kearney
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Chair, CBA Competition Law and Foreign Investment Review Section 2023-2024