Lexpert Roundup on the Business of Law
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 sampling of our latest content.
From the DealsWire: TSX delistings, Sears Canada seeks buyer, Shaw makes wireless push
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 Boyd Group Income Fund's acquisition of Assured Automotive and its 68 collision-repair centres in Ontario.
In the closed transactions section, we look at the privatization of Sirius XM Canada, as well as Waterous Energy Fund buying a 67-per-cent stake in Northern Blizzard Resources.
We also look at the players behind STEP Energy Services in its $100-million IPO, and Novacap's Syntax Systems buying US-based Core Services, a provider of cloud-managed services for businesses.
Going, going, gone: Companies are delisting from TSX at more than one per week
Canam Group's shareholders approved a resolution today that authorizes the privatization of the company, which first went public in 1984. Canam is just one of three companies – the others are Lumenpulse Inc. and Mood Media – holding special meetings this week asking stockholders to approve transactions that may result in these companies disappearing from the Toronto Stock Exchange.
More publicly traded companies seem to be looking at going private, as the cost of listing (fees on the TSX range from $100,000 to $200,000 a year) and regulatory requirements place burdens on companies that they no longer wish to bear.
Lexpert publishes 2017 US/Canada Cross-Border Guide – Corporate
Earlier this month, Lexpert published its US/Canada Cross-Border Guide – Corporate. The publication features journalist-written articles geared to keeping attorneys and in-house counsel in the US informed of relevant business law issues in Canada. This year's features include:
US franchisors moving into Canada face challenges, including language, disclosure and provincial statutes, as well as a recent court decision expanding the interpretation of what it means to be a party to a franchise agreement.
Canada's new framework on clean growth and climate change is designed to stimulate the economy and fulfill pledges to reduce emissions and adapt to climate-change issues.
New developments emphasize the Canadian government's interest in easing the way for foreign investors.
The future of US-Canada cross-border trade remains uncertain, but both economies are well integrated, and there's increasingly unified political action and lobbying by businesses on either side of the border.
Welcome to the Machine
Is the future of legal advice in jeopardy – or do lawyers have a new friend in artificial intelligence? Osgoode Hall law school professor Loreto Grimaldi argues that AI will be more friend than foe to lawyers.
The Lowdown on E-Kiosk Contracts
Technology columnist George Takach describes how a recent court decision shows that it's the intent to express an offer or acceptance that matters, and not the medium. The court also found that whether or not the customer had read the waiver did not detract from the waiver's legal effect; the electronic waiver should be treated no differently than a paper-based one.
Doing Metrics Right
Fewer than 10 per cent of Canadian law departments have sufficient and solid data that can be analyzed in a useful way, Law Departments columnist Richard Stock writes; good metrics should focus on effectiveness and efficiency indicators, and compare to a baseline.
Measuring Your Own Performance
Marketing columnist Donna Wannop advises readers to be specific about their objectives and track their results. At the same time, she writes, it is important to recognize and acknowledge that, your efforts notwithstanding, there will be many factors at play that will influence the end result that are entirely outside of your control.
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