Articles 2024

Please find below our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for the week of November 8, 2021.

As widespread vaccination against COVID-19 continues in Ontario, many lawyers are transitioning from working at their kitchen tables to working at the office. With this in mind, here are some considerations and observations on returning to the office after spending almost 20 months working from home.

In Owsianik v. Equifax, the Divisional Court held that organizations that collect and store private information cannot be liable for the tort of intrusion upon seclusion when third parties steal or access that information. While it will not be the final word on the subject, this decision significantly curtails the scope of privacy breach class actions in Ontario that arise out of third-party hacking and cyberattacks.

Much has been done to protect public interest speech, like in Canada the judicial adoption of the new defence of responsible communication and the introduction of anti-SLAPP legislation. However, little has been done to address the harm caused by the malicious and defamatory use of platforms like Google, Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook’s recent re-branding to Meta has significantly increased interest in the “metaverse”. Although the concept of the metaverse is still evolving, it is generally understood to be a persistent virtual environment where users can interact with each other, and increasingly with brands. This new environment will pose both challenges and opportunities for brand owners seeking to extend their engagement with consumers to the virtual world.

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are the latest development in disruptive blockchain technology innovations, this time in the world of digital art, collectibles, and even luxury goods. Traditional auction houses have already started leveraging the technology, and luxury brands, like LVMH, are collaborating to develop the world’s first global luxury blockchain which utilizes NFTs. But what exactly are NFTs, and why are they currently drawing so much attention?

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unique situations for corporations, including social distancing orders. These orders are challenging in the regular course of business and particularly tricky if an annual general meeting (AGM) timeline fell in the midst of these orders. This paper outlines the most recent federal and provincial legislation relevant to AGMs and provides general guidance to corporations for holding restriction-compliant AGMs.

The article discusses the Public Sector Lawyers session “Welcome to the Practice of Public Law: Exploring Careers in the Broader Public Sector" held on November 15, 2021.

The Trusted Contact Person reforms by Securities, Life Insurance and Banking regulators are designed to overcome privacy barriers which limited proactive steps by advisors and dealers to protect investors in specified circumstances. Although the progress is uneven, policies are moving in the right direction.