Cover of June 2015 issue of LexpertHandout
Lexpert identifies and reports on emerging business issues and practice areas in the business of law. Whether online, in our magazine or in the DealsWire e-newsletter, we chronicle deals and lawsuits of interest and cover issues of broad concern to the legal profession and those who purchase legal services. We hope you enjoy this sample of our latest content.
From the DealsWire: June M&A spike, Ridley goes private, Armtec bankruptcy
The Lexpert DealsWire (subscribe here) documents facts, figures and key legal players behind recent deals. This week's announced deal spotlight features the key players and figures in the $8.6-billion deal that will see Element Financial buying fleet management assets in the United States, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand from General Electric.
In our closed deals section, we look at the sale of Allana Potash to Israel Chemicals, as well as Ridley Inc.'s going-private transaction – the commercial animal feed business was bought by Kentucky-based Alltech.
We also look at the players behind two deals in the construction materials industry: the sale of Armtec Infrastructure and the sale of Vicwest for $360-million.
Indian Arbitration reform
Changes to India's Arbitration and Conciliation Act are giving foreign companies a measure of hope that the labyrinth of Indian justice may finally become manageable. Until now, Indian courts have tended to focus more on upholding principles of domestic commercial law than on enforcing contract terms. Lexpert explores the changing terrain.
New phase for white-collar crime
At its heart, white-collar crime is just corporate lying, cheating and stealing. Of all the offences that fall under the catch-all, stock market fraud seems to get Canadians particularly riled up. Perhaps it's the idea of the privileged few circling the wagons while they help themselves and one another. From Bre-X Minerals, YBM Magnex, Philip Services and Livent to Hollinger, Nortel and Sino-Forest, Canada has no shortage of securities scandals. What's lacking have been convictions. After the landmark case of Nazir Karigar, though, prosecutors seem less reluctant in asking for prison time.
Trade law is booming
Some lawyers are calling this the "golden age of international trade law." Both public and private-sector lawyers are comparing trade law's growth to burgeoning practice areas such as aboriginal and constitutional law, which are admittedly somewhat further along the curve. Still, it makes sense: The spread of globalization means increased engagement with other countries' laws, including trade laws.
Religious lawyering
How can lawyers reconcile their religious or spiritual beliefs with what they encounter in the office? That question was front and centre again this year, when a New York Times headline read, "The Case Against Gay Marriage: Top Law Firms Won't Touch It." University of Alberta law dean Paul Paton wades into the controversy in this month's Last Word column.
Legal Game of Drones: Part II
Last month McCarthy Tétrault's George Takach looked at the quickening pace at which unmanned aerial vehicles are being used in Canadian and foreign airspace. The legal questions raised by UAVs read like a law school exam. Lots of interesting fact patterns drive a wide range of legal considerations, he continues in this month's legal tech column.
Better eDiscovery
Technology adds a layer of complexity affecting how one finds the required information to support the legal matter. In his legal accounting column, PwC's William Platt argues that companies need to balance the risk of not being able to review 100 per cent of the data, given its size, with the cost of review and tight timelines.
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