MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR & SECTION OPPORTUNITIES
Dear Competition Law Section Members,
Our section continues to grow and the entire CBA team is working hard to make this new year memorable, exciting, educational and, well, fun (starting with a special Second City performance at our Fall Conference Thursday night dinner!).
I’m both honoured and excited to be Chair of the CBA Competition Law Section for the next twelve months. I hope to build on the excellent work of my predecessors who have developed the Section into what it is today (an active Section with over 1,000 members from across the country).
The upcoming year promises to deliver new decisions, cases and directions in Canadian and international competition and foreign investment law. Perhaps, most importantly, this coming year brings a new Commissioner of Competition. We look forward to welcoming and working with the new Commissioner and the entire Competition Bureau.
We undoubtedly will have an action-packed year ahead of us and I am happy to provide a “sneak preview” of a few key upcoming events and ways to get involved with the Section’s many activities.
CBA COMPETITION LAW FALL CONFERENCE – SEPTEMBER 27/28 – WESTIN HOTEL, OTTAWA
Mark your calendars for September 27 and 28 and register for the upcoming CBA Competition Law Fall Conference, chaired by Elisa Kearney of Davies, Ward, Philips & Vineberg. Elisa is working tirelessly to make this one of the best conferences ever. The September date ensures that the Competition Bureau Charity Golf Tournament will take place under beautiful blue skies, followed by the traditional dinner on Wednesday, September 26. The fact that I’m attending confirms that all golf experience levels are welcome.
The conference agenda is jam-packed with some amazing panels ranging from hot litigation topics, merger review, international foreign investment, retail pricing, unpacking the abbr lang="en" title="Toronto Real Estate Board">TREB decision, conspiracy, market studies, and much, much more. The closing plenary session features a star studded panel that will have the rare opportunity to lay out some advice and guidance to our new Commissioner (who may be appointed by then, or quite likely is at least in the audience).
To balance out the deep thinking that will go on during the day, our traditional Thursday dinner will take place at the magnificent National Arts Centre and the Second City Improv comedy troupe will entertain and probably poke fun at a room full of lawyers and economists.
CBA COMPETITION LAW SECTION COMMITTEES AND PUBLICATIONS
We are fortunate to have an active CBA leadership with 12 committees preparing for the 2018-19 year. Last year, these fantastic committees put together dozens of very successful CLE, networking and social events. These events are a great way to keep abreast of the latest developments and are absolutely free if you are a CBA member. The committees also give you an opportunity to contribute to the Section’s commentaries on proposed changes from the Bureau and the federal government more generally, that will impact competition law and practice.
Visit the Section’s committees page and feel free to get in touch with the committee leadership to see how you can get involved in upcoming CLE sessions. We’d also love to hear any programming ideas or needs you may have. For more information and updates on programs and events, please visit the Section’s webpage.
The Canadian Competition Law Review (CCLR) is another great way to get involved or brush up on the latest legal or economic thinking. CCLR is a peer-edited review that is published twice a year and is available free online. Papers can be submitted to cancomplrev@cba.org. The submission deadline for the spring edition is November 30, 2018. As an added incentive, the Bill Miller Memorial Award is presented annually for up to two of the best articles published in CCLR.
With the arrival of a new Commissioner begins a new era. Fascinating cases are working their way through the courts and the Tribunal, industry changing transactions continuously challenge the Bureau and Investment Canada officials, and day-to-day businesses are now more aware than ever of the importance of competition law. I hope you will all continue to be active and engaged members of our Section and I look forward to seeing all of you at our many events this year.
Best regards,
Oliver Borgers,
McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Chair, CBA Competition Law Section 2018-19
Reminder for Ontario Members:
Ontario members need to re-join the Section annually. Please visit the Ontario Branch Sections Enrollment page (CBA membership number required). Once logged in, please scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find a box entitled “CBA'S NATIONAL SECTIONS (COMPLIMENTARY).” Simply check the box marked “Competition Law,” and then click “submit.” Your membership in the Section will be renewed within 24 hours. Please contact cbacompetitionlaw@cba.org should you need assistance.