In this article – titled “Novel hybrid debt issuances by Canadian banks” – we review the creation of a new form of hybrid instrument that satisfies the strict capital requirements applicable to Canadian federally-regulated financial institutions.

This article is authored by Timothy Hughes, a partner in Osler’s Tax Group and Rosalind Hunter, a partner in Osler’s Corporate Group.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “Canadian technology sector M&A activity accelerates into 2021” – we review the increased activity in the technology M&A market in the latter half of 2020 and the factors contributing to this momentum.

This article is authored by Mark Longo, partner and co-chair of Osler’s Emerging and High Growth Companies Group, and Tara Folk, associate in the Emerging and High Growth Companies Group.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “All that glitters – 2020 mining review” – we review the improved conditions in the market that have led to a resurgence in the mining industry.

This article is authored by James R. Brown and Alan Hutchison who are the co-chairs of Osler’s Mining Group and partners at Osler.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “A year of upheavals and dashed expectations: Executive compensation developments in 2020” – we discuss the fact that employers must find new ways to incentivize management in a world where traditional compensation metrics have been dramatically affected by both the COVID-19 pandemic and employee-friendly Canadian court decisions.

This article is authored by Andrew MacDougall and Lynne Lacoursière who are partners in Osler’s Corporate Group, and Kelly O’Ferrall who is counsel in the Employment & Labour Group at Osler.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – titled “The rules they are a-changin’: Corporate governance developments in 2020” – we note that despite unprecedented upheaval resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this year has witnessed significant reform of corporate laws in jurisdictions across Canada; the launch of a process in Ontario for securities law reform, including reform of corporate governance practices; new U.S. rules on proxy advisors; and a long-overdue industry-led initiative sponsored by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the TMX Group to update corporate governance best practices in the country. In our article, we provide highlights of the past year as well as review initiatives to reform corporate governance practices in Canada. 

This article is authored by Andrew MacDougall and John Valley who are partners in the Corporate Governance Group at Osler.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “U.S. securities law developments in 2020” – we note that in 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) continued to focus on streamlining and modernizing disclosure requirements and expanding access to capital for smaller businesses. The SEC simplified financial disclosure requirements in merger and acquisition transactions and expanded the categories of investors and intermediaries that are able to participate in private placements. The SEC also revisited some of its proxy rules relating to third-party shareholder communications. In our article, we discuss these U.S. securities law developments to streamline and modernize disclosure requirements.

This article is authored by Rob Lando, partner, and Jason Comerford, partner, and Jie Chai and Kelsey Weiner who are associates in the Corporate Group at Osler.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “Reducing the regulatory burden: Positive changes in corporate and securities law” – we review a number of significant developments in the corporate and securities landscape in Canada in 2020 arising from regulatory amendments, pending proposals and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This article is authored by James Brown, Rosalind Hunter, Michael Innes, Desmond Lee, Francois Paradis, Trevor Scott, Andrea Whyte.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “COVID-19 and difficult decisions for employers: Employment challenges in 2020” – we review the changes that have arisen not only from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also from key case law developments that could profoundly affect the interpretation and enforceability of employment contracts, arbitration clauses and compensation plans.

Please refer to Osler’s COVID-19 Workplace Playbook for more detail on these and other topics related to COVID-19 and the workplace.

This article is authored by Kelly O’Ferrall, Counsel at Osler and Steven Dickie, who is a partner at Osler. Both authors are part of Osler’s Employment and Labour group.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “COVID-19 expands health industry to all sectors” – we review factors such as provincial states of emergency, increased adoption of digital health technologies, the heightened recognition of responsibility for the health and safety of employees and clients, worldwide shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and unprecedented initiatives from Health Canada in the form of temporary federal orders that have all forced traditional health industry participants to adapt to a continually changing and uncertain environment. For businesses operating outside of the health industry, they have also been required to seek highly specialized health regulatory advice in response to the impact that the pandemic has had on their operations and business.

This article is authored by Michael Watts, who is a partner in Osler’s Health group as well as Susan Newell and Marty Putyra, who are both associates in the Health group.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.

In this article – “Litigating during COVID-19 and other notable litigation developments in 2020” – we highlight a number of the changes and adaptations related to the conduct of litigation that were adopted as a result of the lockdowns. We also examine several other significant litigation developments during 2020, including material amendments to the Ontario class actions statute, as well as important guidance from the Supreme Court of Canada regarding litigation funding as a tool in restructurings and the test for authorizing a class proceeding in Québec.

This article “Litigating during COVID-19 and other notable litigation developments in 2020” – is authored by Laura Fric, Robert Carson, Tristram Mallett, Celine Legendre and Eric Prefontaine, who are all partners in Osler’s Litigation group as well as Emily MacKinnon, who is an associate in the Litigation group.

Legal Year in Review is brought to you by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Osler is a leading, national law firm with a singular focus – your business. We advise clients on an array of domestic and cross-border legal issues, drawing on the expertise of over 400 lawyers to provide the answers you need, when you need them.

Our Legal Year in Review, published December 8, 2020, provides general information only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. Specific advice should be sought in connection with your circumstances.

For more information about Osler, please visit our website at osler.com. For the full Legal Year in Review publication, please visit www.legalyearinreview.ca.