Torys Business Brief focuses on key issues and actionable knowledge for businesses to emerge from the COVID‑19 crisis resilient and well-positioned for the future. Each 30-minute podcast features in-depth interviews with Torys lawyers, moderated by Munk Debates convener Rudyard Griffiths. These episodes are accredited for CPD purposes.

As the economy continues to move toward recovery from the pandemic, and companies look ahead to the next quarter of reporting, liquidity remains top of mind. On our final episode for this series of Torys Business Brief, Toronto partner Amanda Balasubramanian and New York partner Darien Leung speak with Rudyard Griffiths on pressing lending issues in Canada and the United States. This episode’s discussion includes accessing liquidity and government recovery programs established on both sides of the border, how the lending markets are expected to evolve post-pandemic, and what CFOs should be considering right now.

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief.

Ontario: This program is eligible for up to 30 Substantive minutes.

New York: This program contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.

A spotlight has been shone on project development in Canada as a potential instrument of post-crisis economic renewal. In this episode of Torys Business Brief, moderator Rudyard Griffiths speaks with partners from across the firm on how the pandemic has brought projects in Canada to a turning point, and how government, industry players and Indigenous communities can work together to rebuild Canada’s economy. Infrastructure partners Mark Bain and Tara Mackay discuss the scope of challenges in a new environment where investor risk appetite has shifted: how will projects be prioritized and financed; and what models and structures will be used to deliver them? Partners Valerie Helbronner and John Terry share their thoughts on the changing nature of projects with Indigenous involvement, and how an influx of projects during recovery presents an opportunity to advance the goals of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada. 

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief. 

Ontario: This program is eligible for up to 15 Substantive minutes and contains 30 Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Professionalism minutes.

New York: This program contains 0.25 Areas of Professional Practice credit and 0.5 Diversity, Inclusion & Elimination of Bias credits.

Widespread financial distress brought on by the COVID-19 crisis has pushed some organizations to the breaking point. On this episode of Torys Business Brief, insolvency lawyers David Bish and Kyle Kashuba discuss how this current financial crisis is different from the ’08 recession, what principal challenges companies are facing, and what management can do to ease the pressure. As businesses scramble for liquidity, David and Kyle share their unique insights into the lenders’ perspective, the sectors which have been hardest hit, and how organizations will be able to survive—and even find opportunity—in the current climate.

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief.

Ontario: This program is eligible for up to 30 Substantive minutes.

New York: This program contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.

What lessons can be drawn from the pandemic for the life sciences industry? Hear from Torys partners Eileen McMahon and Cheryl Reicin and researcher Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, Surgeon-in-Chief at the University Health Network and Director of the Toronto Lung Transplant Program, as they discuss how the crisis has caused the industry to move at a pace never seen before. They share their thoughts on what may lie ahead, and what changes government and industry can make to advance an “innovation culture” in Canada’s life sciences sector. If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief. Ontario: This program is eligible for up to 30 Substantive minutes. New York: This program contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.

Canada’s oil and gas industry continues to face unique challenges during the pandemic crisis. In this episode, Torys Calgary partners Stephanie Stimpson and Chris Christopher offer their candid perspectives on the current state of the sector, its prospects for recovery and the silver linings for industry players. From issues top of mind for boards and sustainable project development to the M&A outlook for oil and gas, our Calgary partners discuss where the industry is headed, including the future of oil in Canada’s energy mix.

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief.

ON: This podcast is eligible for up to 30 substantive minutes.

NY: This podcast contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.

How will the private equity industry change post-pandemic? Torys LLP partners Guy Berman and Stefan Stauder give Munk Debates convener Rudyard Griffiths their insights into effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the private equity industry on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. From fundraising trends to shifting M&A and financing landscapes, we discuss issues top of mind for clients as they draw up new playbooks for a transformed private equity environment. Tax partner Gwen Watson rounds up the discussion with a closer look at the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, and the tax considerations for PE investors and businesses looking to access this program.

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief.

ON: This podcast is eligible for up to 30 substantive minutes.

NY: This podcast contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.

Are we at a moment of transition? Torys partner Cornell Wright and Chair Robert Prichard share with Munk Debates convener Rudyard Griffiths their executive-level perspectives on how boards and management are working together to help their organizations emerge from the pandemic—and what best corporate practices they believe are critical at this high-stakes juncture. We discuss leadership in times of crisis, strategy around executive compensation and public company disclosures, and the broader economic and business sentiment as the world looks ahead to life after COVID-19.

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief. ON: This podcast is eligible for up to 30 substantive minutes. NY: This podcast contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.

What’s waiting for businesses on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis? This week on Torys Business Brief, Rudyard Griffiths speaks with Torys partners Mike Amm and Krista Hill, who share what they are seeing on the ground working with business leaders throughout the outbreak. This episode discusses the top issues on leaders’ minds as they look to anticipate post-pandemic realities: the dealmaking landscape, the role of government as a major investor and more.

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief.

ON: This podcast is eligible for up to 30 substantive minutes.

NY: This podcast contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.

With deep repercussions on commercial activity across all sectors, the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing businesses to evaluate in real time their contractual risks and burdens. What does it take to rely on a force majeure clause and walk away from a contract? How should businesses identify key risk areas and approach triage of mission-critical contracts? This episode of Torys Business Brief tackles these and other questions, as Rudyard Griffiths and Torys lawyers Jessica Lumiere and David Outerbridge discuss practical takeaways for business leaders to manage their emergent contract concerns.

If you are seeking Continuing Legal Education or Continuing Professional Development credit for this podcast, please be sure to record all verification codes announced during this program and confirm your participation by completing and submitting an affirmation of attendance. The link to the affirmation of attendance can be found at torys.com/businessbrief.

ON: This podcast is eligible for up to 30 substantive minutes.

NY: This podcast contains 0.5 Areas of Professional Practice credit.