Michael Melvin in The Franchise Voice | Legal Digest (Spring 2020)

Disputes between shareholders of a corporation, and shareholders and their corporation, are stressful and complicated, and often attract…

Owning your own business offers many opportunities. But it also carries inherent risks, including exposure to personal liability. These three…

Effective June 23, 2023, Section 45(1.1) of the Competition Act makes it a criminal offence for all unaffiliated employers to enter into…

All businesses need written contracts. Determining what written contracts are essential depends on many factors, including the nature of the…

Updated July 7, 2023. Bill 24 An Act to Amend the Business Corporations Act effected significant amendments to the New Brunswick Business…

On May 22, 2010 (affectionately known as “Bitcoin Pizza Day”), a Floridian bought two Papa John's pizzas with Bitcoin. The day is famous…

On April 1, 2022, changes to the Newfoundland and Labrador Corporations Act proposed in Bill 24 An Act to Amend the Corporations Act will take…

More and more people are using smart contracts: the global smart contracts market was valued at USD $145M in 2020; it’s projected to be valued…

On January 17, 2022, the New Brunswick Court of Queen’s Bench issued the first decision interpreting the New Brunswick Franchises Act. In…

The Supreme Court of Canada continues to develop and clarify the organizing principle of good faith performance in contract law. In its 2014…

The Supreme Court of Canada, in the 2014 case of Bhasin v. Hrynew, recognized a general organizing principle of good faith performance in…

We updated this publication on July 11, 2023. Spurred by the COVID-19 Pandemic and bricks-and-mortar closures, businesses – from SMEs to…

Updated August 1, 2024. The rapid adoption of ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) principles and the growth of mandatory disclosure…

McInnes Cooper Lawyer Mike Melvin and 3rd Degree Training/Actual Nutrition CEO and Co-Founder Steve Collette discuss the importance of a legally…

Franchisor-franchisee relationships tend to be long-term relationships, so having a franchise Agreement that covers all the common…

Getting the right legal advice at the beginning of a dispute can help you avoid mistakes that could come back and haunt you in the future. In…

In this episode, McInnes Cooper Lawyer Mike Melvin and 3rd Degree Training / Actual Nutrition CEO and Co-Founder Steve Collette discuss…

A multi-unit franchise agreement can create significant efficiencies when it comes to growing and managing your franchise network, if it is done…

Strategic advice goes beyond the preparation of documents and technical legal assistance and provides you with solutions to strategic problems…

The financial technology (Fintech) industry uses technology to support and enhance financial and banking services.

The Supreme Court of Canada recently released a much-awaited decision regarding the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The CCAA is…

The global COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2) outbreak has implications for many commercial relationships, its evolving nature and…

Intellectual property (IP) can be a business’s most valuable (even only) asset. Once you’ve taken steps to understand what the five main IP…

Intellectual property (IP) can be an important source of revenue to a business. There are three main ways intellectual property (IP) owners…

Updated July 10, 2024. If you “own” a company incorporated under either the Canada Business Corporations Act or under the corporate…

On June 17, 2019, big changes to Canada’s Trademarks Act (the law that protects, essentially, a brand) fundamentally altering Canada’s…

Updated January 26, 2023. Prince Edward Island corporations were formerly governed by the P.E.I. Companies Act – legislation that was…

This publication has been updated as at July 8, 2022. Changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) over the past several years have…

On November 30, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada denied Geophysical Service Incorporated’s (GSI) application for leave to appeal the decision…

Corporations are the leading business vehicle in modern commerce. For startups, properly structuring and incorporating is critical to avoid…

Intellectual Property (IP) can be a valuable asset – even the most valuable asset – of a business. So it’s worth making sure the business…

A corporation does not always sail in calm or safe waters. Cash shortages, unattainable or unmet goals, Board disagreements over the best course…

When growing your business, you face many decisions, including choosing the business structure that is right for you. Your legal team can be…

On June 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada confirmed a Canadian court can issue an interlocutory injunction (an order requiring an entity or…

On June 23, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that in a contest between the choice of forum clause in Facebook’s online terms of use…

NOTE: On November 30, 2017, the Supreme Court of Canada denied Geophysical Service Incorporated’s (GSI) application for leave to appeal the…

On April 13, 2017, Canada’s federal government introduced legislation that, if passed into law, will legalize recreational cannabis in Canada.…

Social media platforms, like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and GooglePlus, arguably have more followers and are more closely…

Doing business with the public sector creates an often overlooked – but very real – risk that the confidential information a business…

The balance between the public’s interest in accessing offshore petroleum resources data and operators’ commercial interests is at the heart…

Updated August 19, 2024. All shareholders – whether in a startup, a small or large business or a family-owned business – can benefit from…

We updated this publication on January 17, 2023. For many businesses, large and small, their “Intellectual Property” (IP) is one of their…

Updated January 27, 2023. A key legal decision in starting or growing your business is choosing the business structure that’s right for…

When a business responds to a public sector Request for Proposal or Expression of Interest (both of which we’ll refer to as an RFP for these…

Updated April 13, 2023. A well drafted and properly implemented written employment contract can be instrumental to both avoiding or resolving…

On November 13, 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) effected a significant development in Canadian contract law by recognizing the…

Updated August 25, 2022. Many believe that only public companies or large, established companies with many shareholders need to be concerned…

Updated June 5, 2024. A general security agreement (GSA) is the most common form of personal property security to secure commercial loans and…