In-House Counsel

  • May 01, 2026

    Using AI to prepare legal documents? Lessons for privilege protection in Canada

    In Canada, privilege protections are analogous but termed differently. Solicitor-client privilege safeguards confidential communications between a client and lawyer (or agents) made for obtaining or giving legal advice. Litigation privilege covers documents created predominantly for anticipated or ongoing litigation, including third-party inputs if directed toward that purpose. Both require intent to maintain confidentiality and reasonable steps to do so.

  • May 01, 2026

    Cybersecurity certification now required: What Canadian defence suppliers must do

    For years, cybersecurity in Canada’s defence sector was largely a matter of self-declaration. That changed on April 14, 2026, when the Government of Canada officially introduced Level 1 of the Canadian Program for Cyber Security Certification (CPCSC). Mandatory requirements take effect in select defence contracts starting summer 2026. Suppliers that can’t demonstrate compliance at contract award risk losing work they’ve already won.

  • May 01, 2026

    Bar says it ‘likely’ will appeal B.C. ruling that lawyer independence doesn’t require self-regulation

    Heralding a significant shift in the Canadian legal landscape, the British Columbia Supreme Court has rejected the legal profession’s constitutional challenge to the B.C. Legal Professions Act — legislation that would end more than 150 years of lawyer self-governance and self-regulation by benchers elected from the provincial bar.

  • May 01, 2026

    Comments due May 2 for proposed changes to Ontario’s extended producer responsibility regime

    On April 2, Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks released proposed amendments to various producer responsibility regulations under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act, 2016. Comments on the proposed amendments can be submitted via the Environmental Registry of Ontario until May 2.

  • April 30, 2026

    Court grants interpleader application over mining royalties amid corporate control dispute

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has allowed a mine operator to pay disputed royalty funds into court, overturning a ruling that found no adverse claims to support interpleader relief amid a battle for control of the owner of the mining rights.

  • April 30, 2026

    Feds announce Team Canada Strong, a plan to recruit up to 100,000 skilled trades workers

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a new measure called Team Canada Strong, a $6-billion nationwide effort to “recruit, train and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers in the next five years.”

  • April 30, 2026

    The confluence of AI, intellectual property and estate planning: What could go wrong?

    Death, as it turns out, is not the end of the revenue stream. If anything, it may be the beginning of a particularly vigorous second act. Consider the perennial earners on Forbes’ list of highest-paid dead celebrities: Michael Jackson still moonwalks to the bank, Dr. Seuss continues to rhyme his way into licensing deals, Richard Wright and Syd Barrett echo through classic rock royalties, and the Notorious B.I.G. remains, well, notorious — and profitable. The moral? Mortality is inevitable; monetization, apparently, is optional but highly recommended.

  • April 30, 2026

    Social media review for visa applicants and travellers: An update

    Increasingly, U.S. government entities appear to be utilizing technology to screen visa and other immigration benefit applicants. In some cases, this has become very public and transparent. For example, most people are aware that phones and other electronic devices can be screened when coming into the United States.

  • April 30, 2026

    AI meets M&A: The new frontier of data risk and compliance

    Artificial intelligence (AI) and associated algorithms increasingly underpin routine business functions and often form part of a company’s product or service offering. In June 2025, Microsoft found that 71 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) surveyed were actively using AI or generative AI for core operations; among digital-native firms, the rate reached 90 per cent. Behind the scenes, AI models are responsible for making material business decisions, running equipment and offering services to third parties — including health care decisions, dynamic pricing, forecasting, supply chain optimization, customer chats and routing, applicant screening, identity validation, fraud detection and marketing campaigns.

  • April 29, 2026

    Court stays order requiring township to issue fill permit pending appeal

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has granted a township’s motion for a stay of an order forcing it to issue a fill permit, ruling that denying the stay could render the municipality’s appeal moot.