The CBA Pensions and Benefits Law Section is Canada’s leading association of pensions and benefits lawyers. The Section is the non-partisan voice furthering the knowledge of pensions and benefits law in the legal profession across Canada.
Our Section organizes activities for the benefit of Section members and is actively engaged in advocating for pension standards reform. Please check out our website to find out more about the resources available to Section members, our submissions on pension standards reform and the articles written by Section members.
The 2018-2019 Executive Committee will continue the good work of the previous Executives. Our key focuses for 2018/2019 are outreach and enhancing benefits to our Section members. Activities in planning include professional education programs, joint activities with other Sections and organizations which are helpful in advancing our Section members’ practice of pensions and benefits law; communications with Section members and enhanced involvement of Section members in the organization of Section activities.
We have an ambitious agenda for the year. WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT BY BECOMING COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERING.
We are looking for members for the following Committees.
- Outreach Committee: This is a new committee with the mandate of organizing activities to champion our Section and reach out to Section and Branch members and other organizations.
- Advocacy and Government Relations Committee: The mandate is to prepare submissions to governments and their agencies on pension reform and developing pension benefits legislation.
- Professional Development Committee: The mandate is to develop, organize and present professional development programs of high academic quality, interest and practical application for pension and benefit lawyers.
- Communications Committee: The mandate is to solicit, prepare, recommend and review contents for the Section website, including articles, case law discussions, legislative updates and links of interest.
We will also be looking for volunteers to work on special projects from time to time.
We value diversity and the importance of having diverse members for all Committees. If you are interested in joining a Committee or becoming a volunteer for Section special projects, please contact Marina Ceclan by October 31, 2018.
The Section Executive has hosted meetings with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Canada Revenue Agency and Finance Canada in the last few years to discuss matters which are relevant to our advocacy on developments in pensions and benefits law. We are hosting our meetings in November this year and would like to invite Section members to suggest topics for our discussions with the regulators. The suggested topics must be of general interest to Section members or relevant to developments in pensions and benefits law. They must not relate to any particular case. The Executive has the discretion whether or not to include a suggested topic on the agenda and whether and how to report the discussions to the Section. If you would like to suggest a topic or topics, please email your suggestions (with a brief description to explain the topic(s)) to Gaylene Schellenberg no later than 4 p.m. (EST) on October 31, 2018.
RECENT ARTICLES AND NEW LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS
UPCOMING SECTION ACTIVITIES
Managing Pension Plan Audits: What Lawyers Need To Know (Oct. 30, 2018)
This webinar will provide an essential guide to successfully managing the three types of audits that pension plans may be subjected to:
- annual audits of financial statements;
- cyclical audits conducted by the CRA; and
- risk assessment audits conducted by provincial regulators.
CBA Administrative Law, Labour And Employment Law Conference (Nov. 16-17, Ottawa)
Pensions & Benefits is on the program at the CBA Administrative Law, Labour and Employment Conference! Register now
I, together with the entire Executive, look forward to your support and participation.
Sonia T. Mak
Chair, CBA Pensions and Benefits Law Section