Our Section Committee leadership is hard at work preparing for the 2023-2024 year. On behalf of the Executive, I am delighted to welcome the new and returning Section members who have accepted leadership positions on the Section’s Committees.
Contact information for Committee leadership and details on upcoming and past events are available for each committee on the committee’s webpage. The webpage will be updated as the Committees finalize their plans for the 2023-2024 year, and I encourage all Section members to look for opportunities to get involved in the Committees’ activities this year.
Fall Conference – October 26-27, 2023
We’re excited to remind you of the upcoming CBA Competition Law Fall Conference on October 26-27, 2023, at the Delta Hotels Ottawa City Centre.
Our theme, “Brave New World? Confronting Current Competition and FDI Challenges,” promises stimulating discussions:
Telecommunications: Re-examining Facilities-Based Competition
Panelists will assess the effectiveness of facilities-based competition in Canada and discuss the potential need for reconsideration.
Mind the Gap(s): Evaluating the ICA’s National Security Protections
Panellists will draw on experience from the private bar and government to discuss whether the proposed amendments to the Investment Canada Act are sufficient, and whether further amendments or other tools in the ISED/DOD/CSIS toolkits are required to address any substantive gaps in the current proposal.
In addition to these panels, the conference offers valuable networking opportunities and a chance to enhance your professional expertise. Connect with industry leaders, share insights, and stay updated on competition law developments.
And of course, we are looking forward to the Commissioner’s annual luncheon address.
Check out the conference agenda for details on all the sessions and join us in Ottawa!
REGISTER NOW →
An Update from the Competition Bureau – Deceptive Marketing Practices Directorate – November 21, 2023
Join an engaging and timely overview discussion on the plans and priorities of the Competition Bureau’s Deceptive Marketing Practices Directorate (DMPD) in championing a culture of competition in Canada. The discussion will be both forward looking as well as reviewing the accomplishments and activities of the past year. The session will be led by DMPD management, including its senior and regional managers. This presentation is free for CBA members.
REGISTER NOW →
Awards
Bill Miller Memorial Award
We are pleased to announce that Edward Iacobucci is the winner of the 2023 Bill Miller Memorial Award for the article “The Competition Bureau’s Rejection of Efficiency as the Key Criterion in Competition Policy: A Critique”. The award is presented annually for up to two of the best articles published in the Canadian Competition Law Review during the previous calendar year.
James H. Bocking Memorial Award
We are also pleased to announce that Gordon Milne is the winner of the 2023 James H. Bocking Memorial Award for his paper, “Nipped in the Bud: Applying Abuse of Dominance to Facebook’s Nascent Competitor Acquisitions”. The award is presented annually to a law school student or early career lawyer. Gordon Milne’s essay will also be published in an upcoming edition of the Canadian Competition Law Review.
We look forward to presenting Gordon with his award at the Fall Conference. Thank you to our judging panel, Margaret Sanderson, Michelle Lally, Pierre-Luc Herbert and Paul Johnson for their hard work and dedication.
Canada’s Competition Summit 2023 – October 5, 2023
Virtual attendance at Canada’s Competition Summit taking place October 5, 2023 is open to the public. Section members are encouraged to register to this free event. At this year’s Summit, the Competition Bureau will examine the relationship between competition and government regulations and policies.
This one-day event will host Canadian and international speakers from both the private and public sectors!
ABA Antitrust Law Section’s Fall Forum – November 9, 2023
For Section members looking for more great content, the ABA Antitrust Law Section’s Fall Forum is coming up on November 9, 2023 in a hybrid format, offering attendees the option to join in-person in Washington, D.C. or virtually. The 2023 Fall Forum, “Can Antitrust and Consumer Protection Keep Up with Artificial Intelligence? What you Need to Know”, will unpack major competition, consumer, and privacy themes surrounding AI and identify current and potential roles for antitrust and consumer protection enforcement. More information is available.
Counterfactual Podcast
I encourage you to take a moment to listen and subscribe to the Counterfactual Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Keep an eye out for the latest episode featuring the Honourable Andrew D. Little, Federal Court Judge and Chair of the Competition Tribunal in conversation with his former clerk Umang Khandelwal.
Canadian Competition Law Review (CCLR) – Special “Amendments” Edition
The Canadian government’s consultation on the future of the Competition Act stands to fundamentally change competition law enforcement in Canada and has garnered significant academic interest. The Editorial Board is pleased to publish a special edition of the CCLR focused on potential amendments to the Competition Act.
The special edition includes the following papers:
- “Back to the Future: Modernizing Canada’s Monopolization Law” (Michael Osborne);
- “Optimal Enforcement for Abuse of Dominance – The Case for a Private Cause of Action” (Julie Rosenthal, Adil Abdulla, and Arash Rouhi);
- “Institutional Design and the Administration of Canadian Competition Law: Modernizing the Competition Tribunal” (Laura Rowe, Tessa Martel, and Zach Rudge);
- “A Justice as Fairness Framework for a Revised Efficiencies Defence” (Ken Jull and Adil Abdulla);
- “Should Canada Overhaul the SLPC Test for Mergers?” (Andy Baziliauskas and Margaret Sanderson).
The CCLR is traditionally published twice annually and submissions are accepted year-round. Submissions may be original articles, case comments, book reviews, and essays on significant current issues in competition law and economics. The deadline for submissions for the 2024 spring edition is March 1, 2024.
Check out the articles in our latest publication: Special Edition 2023, Volume 36, Number 2!
Join the committee listservs to participate in our committees and find us on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up-to-date.
See you all at the Fall Conference!
Elisa Kearney
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Chair, CBA Competition Law and Foreign Investment Review Section 2023-2024