Hello friends and colleagues:
I hope everyone is keeping well. There is a lot of activity in the Canadian competition law and foreign investment community, and no shortage of ways to stay involved and connected. Here is a brief roundup of recent developments and upcoming events:
Updated Section Name
The Section officially has a new name! To better reflect the scope of our Section’s activities, which covers both competition law and foreign investment review, the CBA Competition Law Section has been renamed the CBA Competition Law and Foreign Investment Review Section.
CBA Competition Law Spring Online Symposium
Have you registered yet? The CBA Competition Law Spring Online Symposium is scheduled for April 29 & 30, 2021 and the theme this year is Staying Ahead of the Curve: Advanced Topics in Mergers and Joint Ventures. Join leading experts to discuss topical issues on the law, policy and practice of mergers and joint ventures.
Check out the Symposium registration page for full program descriptions.
We look forward to seeing you there (virtually)! Don’t forget to sign up for the virtual networking event when you register for the Spring Online Symposium.
Missed the fall program? Recordings are available on demand.
Diversity and Inclusion Network
The Section recently launched a Diversity and Inclusion Network aimed at providing mentoring and networking opportunities for members of all backgrounds. The initial response has been outstanding. Participants include Section members of all levels of seniority, in-house counsel and several members of the Competition Bureau staff and management. Keep an eye out for upcoming events and discussions, and if you would like to participate, please drop me a note via the Section email address.
Upcoming Brown Bag Sessions
The Section’s 12 committees remain busy throughout 2021, bringing our members engaging, informative seminars and providing accredited professional development opportunities. Popular recent seminars have focused on “Defanging the FANGs: Why the Focus on Big Tech?” and “International Developments in National Security Screening”. A host of additional seminars are planned for the spring and summer of 2021, including sessions on mergers, big data, criminal matters, foreign investment reviews and the Section’s annual Roundtables with the enforcement agencies in May, June and July. Want to stay in the loop on upcoming Section events? Make sure you are signed up for any of the Section committee listservs, or join the Section’s LinkedIn group to receive notices for Section brown bag and social events.
Listings of upcoming Section events are also available on the Section’s Professional Development page.
James H. Bocking Memorial Award
Are you a law student or early career lawyer working on a scholarly paper on Canadian competition law or policy? Submit your paper today for consideration for the James H. Bocking Memorial Award. Established in memory of the late James H. Bocking, the award is presented annually and comes with a $2,500 monetary prize.
The submission deadline for this year’s contest is April 30, 2021. Details on contest criteria and eligibility are available on the Section’s essay contest webpage. Not a law student or early career lawyer? Please share this opportunity with your networks!
Canadian Competition Law Review
The latest edition of the Canadian Competition Law Review (CCLR), Volume 33, No. 2 is now available. The CCLR is a peer-edited review published twice annually by the Section. This edition features the 2020 winner of the James H. Bocking Award and an article looking at interactions between competition and environmental policy in Canada. While you’re there, check out CCLR Volume 33, No. 1, published in the summer of 2020, featuring articles on digital advertising, competition law in the age of populism, a year in review, and more.
Interested in submitting a paper for consideration? The CCLR welcomes submissions year-round in English or French for consideration. Visit the CCLR Author Guidelines page for more information on how to submit.
Engagement and attendance at all our activities has continued to be very strong as we adapt our programming to the virtual environment. On behalf of myself, the Section Executive and the Section Committees’ Chairs and Vice-Chairs, we appreciate your participation and look forward to your continued involvement.
All the best for the spring of 2021 and I look forward to connecting with you at the CBA Competition Law Spring Online Symposium on April 29 and 30!
Yours sincerely,
Navin Joneja
Chair, CBA Competition Law and Foreign Investment Review Section