Labour & Employment
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January 21, 2026
FCA rejects Ottawa’s ‘expansive’ view of cabinet authority to wield ‘draconian’ emergency powers
In a case that might land on the steps the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal has ruled unanimously that the federal cabinet wrongly invoked the Emergencies Act to declare a national “public order” emergency in 2022.
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January 21, 2026
Family agreements, part one: Governance of multigenerational family businesses
The lifecycle of an owner-managed business can vary significantly. In some instances, the owner-manager may choose to sell the business or wind it up when they retire. Conversely, the owner-manager may instead choose to transition the business to the next generation, maintaining it as a family enterprise. Where the business is to be transitioned to the next generation, effective succession planning is essential. As part of such succession planning, a family shareholders’ agreement (a “family agreement”) often serves as the “family rule book.”
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January 21, 2026
Cox & Palmer names 3 new partners in St. John’s
Cox & Palmer has promoted Neala J. Kielley, Kyle Mercer and Brett M.K. Ludlow to partner in its St. John’s, N.L., office, according to the firm.
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January 21, 2026
Billable hours, client trauma and vicarious stress in legal practice
Lawyers who live in a billable-hour world know that time is money, but for those working with traumatic subject matter, time equals exposure. The more hours spent inside a client’s worst days, the more likely it is that the work follows you home at night.
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January 20, 2026
B.C. court finds retroactive share repurchase at low valuation unfair to former employees
The B.C. Supreme Court has held that the retroactive amendment and application of shareholder agreements to compel the repurchase of shares held by former employees under a stock option plan was unfairly prejudicial, and ordered the company to pay more than US$100,000 in compensation.
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January 20, 2026
Das Kapital and the making of Canadian employment law
Karl Marx’s Das Kapital remains one of the most influential critiques of industrial capitalism. Although Canada has never adopted a Marxist economic model, the themes articulated in Das Kapital have indirectly shaped the trajectory of Canadian employment law.
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January 19, 2026
Carney announces Canada-Qatar partnership on trade, investment and defence
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a new partnership with Qatar to boost trade, investment and defence cooperation, according to a release issued on Jan. 18.
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January 19, 2026
Canada, EU sign first-of-its-kind agreement for mutual recognition of architects
Canada has announced the launch of the Mutual Recognition Agreement for Professional Qualifications of Architects (MRAA), the first of its kind for professional services under a Canadian free trade agreement.
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January 19, 2026
Court rejects union appeal over arbitrator’s preliminary jurisdiction ruling
The Alberta Court of Appeal has denied a union leave to appeal an Alberta Labour Relations Board ruling that an arbitrator’s decision on jurisdiction over grievances brought by Sobeys was preliminary and not yet reviewable by the board.
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January 19, 2026
Avoiding U.S. immigration pitfalls
Requesting immigration status at the border or filing for an immigration benefit with the U.S. government has many pitfalls and challenges, many of which can be avoided with careful planning and strategic decision-making. Some of the best ways to avoid immigration pitfalls include the following: