Intellectual Property

  • May 06, 2026

    When AI and intellectual property threaten estate planning: Practical strategies

    By now, it should be abundantly clear that modern estate planning — particularly for clients with intellectual property — is less “tidy will and testament” and more “multidimensional chess played against the future.” The good news? There are strategies. The less-good news? They require actual planning.

  • May 06, 2026

    Luxury goods M&A: Protecting brand value, craft and control in deal-making

    Amid market instability and geopolitical uncertainty, the global luxury goods industry has remained robust, with the market for companies with luxury portfolios spanning fashion, jewelry, watches and cosmetics being valued at approximately US$418 billion. It is no surprise that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the luxury goods industry remains an attractive option, allowing companies operating within that space to diversify product offerings, expand geographically and capture efficiencies across distribution, marketing and manufacturing networks.

  • May 05, 2026

    Former SCC justice Louise Arbour named Canada’s next governor general

    Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour will become Canada’s next governor general. Arbour will become the first former judge of the top court to take on the vice-regal role.

  • May 04, 2026

    China, India interference persists as investigative powers lag behind threats, says CSIS

    The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) has warned that foreign interference by states including China and India remains a persistent threat to democratic institutions and signalled that Canada’s national security laws may not be equipped to address modern challenges.

  • May 04, 2026

    The confluence of AI, intellectual property and estate planning: Preventing calamity

    If part one of this three-part series (see below for link) was the amuse-bouche, this second article is the main course — served with a side of existential dread and a garnish of legal ambiguity. Welcome to the confluence of artificial intelligence, digital replicas and personality rights, where estate planning gets delightfully thorny and occasionally surreal.

  • 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.

  • 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 29, 2026

    Hidden cyber risk in Canadian M&A: What to do about it

    Cyberattacks during M&A can quietly erode value, create regulatory exposure and derail integration. Here’s what Canadian buyers, investors and boards should demand from cyber and privacy due diligence.

  • April 28, 2026

    Ottawa’s economic update proposes apprentice wage subsidies, tax & criminal changes to build ‘Canada Strong’

    The Carney government says it plans to make it a criminal offence to operate a cryptocurrency automated teller machine (ATM) and that it will push ahead with controversial amendments to enable “law enforcement” to search and seize mail.

  • April 24, 2026

    Breach of litigation undertaking doesn’t mandate dismissal: Federal Court

    The Federal Court has upheld a decision allowing a plaintiff to amend its pleading despite breaching a litigation undertaking, emphasizing that the remedy for such a breach is discretionary.