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Hanaa Ameer-Uddin graduated from the University of Ottawa and now articles at Mercedes-Benz Financial Services. Her interest in corporate law traces back to growing up in a family of entrepreneurs; from a young age, she noticed the impact of business decisions on people’s lives. In this conversation, she walks us through her path from undergrad to articling and shares practical advice for law students finding their way.

Parental leave is often described as time away from one’s career, but for many lawyers, it becomes an unexpected chapter of growth, clarity, and transformation. In this candid reflection, Jessica Byles-Nolet shares how stepping back from practice during her first year of motherhood reshaped her understanding of identity, ambition, and balance. What began as a fear of losing her professional edge evolved into a profound realization: that legal skills can be strengthened outside the office, and that presence—both at home and at work—requires intention. Her story offers encouragement to lawyers navigating parental leave and redefining what it means to thrive.

In this deeply personal reflection, Dr. Ningjing (Natalie) Zhang revisits her journey from living in a women’s shelter to becoming an immigration and refugee lawyer in Ontario. Inspired by a recent GROWL gathering, she shares three lessons she wishes she could give her younger self — lessons shaped by hardship, resilience, mentorship, and growth. This article invites lawyers, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, to rethink belonging, reject comparison, and embrace their unique stories as sources of strength.

The goal of this article is three-fold: to reflect on my non-profit work experience working with children and youth, share limited relevant information about the self-contained bail regime of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, S.C. 2002, c. 1 (the “YCJA”), and briefly discuss how the proposed bail reform may affect youth bail hearings. As this goal is rather ambitious, I would only be able to scratch the surface of the last item. I leave the invitation to other counsel to contribute to this important discussion.

The Supreme Court of Canada’s ruling in Kosicki v. Toronto represents a pivotal development in Ontario property law, offering much-needed clarity on the application of adverse possession to municipal lands. The decision provides a practical precedent for homeowners asserting possessory title over public land. 

The OBA held its annual Privacy Law Summit on October 15, bringing together privacy lawyers and professionals from across the country. Over 20 experts in the field spoke on a wide range of timely topics, from the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence to practical privacy governance within organizations. This article sums up some of the key insights shared by these highly regarded speakers and highlights important takeaways to keep in mind as we head into 2026.

In a recent decision of the Ontario Court of Justice, R. v. X.C., 2025 ONCJ 366, Justice Jones provides important clarification as to how this provision of the YCJA should be interpreted. Specifically, Justice Jones contends with the definition of “at trial.” At the heart of Justice Jones’ analysis is the conclusion that a young person is “at trial” from the moment they have indicated they want to contest their charges.

On October 31, 2025, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (the “MECP”) announced the Province’s intention to create the Ontario Provincial Conservation Agency through forthcoming legislation. This article reviews these changes and previous changes to conservation authorities in Ontario over the past eight years.

Is a decision from a municipal committee of adjustment a matter of public or private importance? A recent trilogy of cases from the Ontario Divisional Court has split on this very issue, raising the important question of whether, and when, aggrieved third parties have standing to apply for a judicial review of such decisions.

Read about strategic considerations that all litigators should have in mind with the upcoming changes to Ontario's Rules of Civil Procedure.

Smart contracts are poised to reshape the way many businesses negotiate, store, and execute their agreements. In 2024, smart contracts – which store and execute agreements on a Blockchain – made up USD $2.02 billion in global transactional value, with projections forecasting that figure to reach USD $815.86 billion by 2034. In light of this rapid growth, this article looks to explore the ‘what, why, and how’ of smart contracts from the practitioner’s point of view, preparing them for a new frontier in commercial law by providing a list of best practices to adopt.

The OBA Immigration Section hosted a session with CBSA officials and senior immigration lawyers to discuss evolving port of entry issues, including TRPs, criminal rehabilitation, work permits, flagpoling, section 44 reports, enforcement flags, and searches of electronic devices. CBSA emphasized the importance of complete, well-organized applications and confirmed that officers cannot pause adjudications to request missing documents. Criminal rehabilitation applications should generally be submitted to consulates, not at the border, due to the risk of refusal. Flagpoling restrictions continue nationwide, and TRPs cannot be used to bypass them. For work permits, clients should bring full documentation and ensure processing occurs before leaving the port. Enforcement flag removals must be approved by a minister’s delegate, and CBSA clarified that device searches are limited to cases with reasonable grounds, with safeguards for solicitor-client privilege. The discussion highlighted that preparation, completeness, and client awareness are key to success at the border.

As the rights of the American 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and in particular the trans community, continue to be under serious attack, many 2SLGBTQIA+ Americans are beginning to consider immigration to Canada, where they may experience greater legal protections. Adrienne Smith, an immigration lawyer who assists 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in her practice, discusses the recent uptick in immigration inquiries from trans and non-binary Americans, and the challenges these individuals face in making a refugee claim in Canada.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic compounds valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. Their chemical stability has driven widespread industrial and commercial use, but also results in environmental persistence and potential health impacts. Recent developments include Health Canada’s updated drinking-water objective, the Government of Canada’s Final State of PFAS Report and proposed Risk Management Approach, and publicly reported mapping of PFAS hotspots nationwide by the CBC and The Globe and Mail. Class actions are also on the rise, largely addressing property-value impacts due to the stigma of PFAS contamination in residential drinking water.

Prospective franchise clients often ask when they should retain a lawyer. My answer is almost always the same. A franchisor client should retain a franchise lawyer from the moment they try to franchise their business. Conversely, a franchisee client should retain a franchise lawyer as one of the last steps in the process.

More than ever, franchise brands need to ensure that there are mechanisms, procedures and protocols in place to alter their system standards to readily adapt to changes in the market and to consumer demands. Franchisors in the restaurant industry, in particular, should regularly review and update their operations manual and their franchise agreements to ensure that franchisee operations are able to adapt and stay consistent in response to market changes and to rapidly evolving consumer expectations that exist in the post-pandemic era. This article summarizes some of recent changes to food and drink legislation, and health and safety initiatives, as well as recent developments in sustainability practices that restaurant brands have had to adapt to.

Franchise agreements commonly include so-called “entire agreement” clauses. These are contractual provisions that seek to exclude any statements, representations, and agreements that were made outside of the written franchise agreement. This article identifies the principles the courts rely upon when interpreting and applying entire agreement clauses in franchise disputes, identifies the key cases considering this issue, and offers practical advice for counsel engaged in disputes concerning entire agreement clauses.

Following are our summaries of the civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario for the week of October 27, 2025.

Discussion of recent BC Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal decision on how to handle AI submissions that include legal citation hallucinations and takeaways for adjudicators.

In a world where social media stars reach millions of viewers, the power of a single post can rival traditional advertising campaigns. From A-list celebrities to niche online personalities, influencer marketing has revolutionized how brands connect with their audiences, transforming personal recommendations into highly effective sales tools. Yet behind the glitz and viral content lies a complex maze of legal regulations that advertisers must navigate with care. Ignoring these rules isn’t just risky; it can result in serious consequences for advertisers - even if the influencer is ultimately responsible for the breach.

This week, I had the chance to attend a fascinating and insightful panel discussion, “Copyright in the Age of AI: Legal Implications and Emerging Issues,” hosted by the OBA Entertainment, Media & Communication Law and IT & IP Sections. The panel featured speakers from Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Fasken, and CBC/Radio-Canada who shared their incredible knowledge and perspectives on how artificial intelligence is reshaping copyright law. As a law student interested in intellectual property and technology, it was eye-opening to hear how quickly AI is challenging long-standing legal concepts.

Current Canadian copyright law faces a growing challenge in addressing creative works generated or assisted by artificial intelligence (AI). The law remains rooted in traditional notions of human authorship, leaving a gap between technological capability and legal recognition. While the United States, United Kingdom, and other jurisdictions have begun to develop guidance and case law in this area, Canada lags, creating uncertainty in authorship, ownership, and enforceability—particularly for those working in film, television, music, and digital media.

The article analyzes how Budget 2025 aims to promote innovation in Canada, and presents a growth opportunity for business lawyers in the space.

The 2025 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration confirms that Canada’s immigration system is entering a period of restraint after years of rapid expansion. Permanent resident admissions rose only slightly to 483,640 in 2024, while temporary streams saw sharp declines, new study permits dropped by more than 40 percent, from nearly half a million in 2023 to under 300,000, and work permits fell from 946,000 to about 905,000. Settlement agencies also served fewer clients, and the pool of temporary residents in Canada has begun to shrink, signalling fewer future pathways to permanent status. The report attributes these declines to new federal measures, particularly the study-permit cap and closer alignment of immigration with housing and labour capacity. The message from Ottawa is clear: the era of unrestrained growth has ended, and Canada is deliberately slowing intake to restore balance. For applicants and practitioners, this means a more competitive environment, tighter quotas, and the need for earlier, better-prepared, and more strategic applications.

A recent Federal Court of Appeal decision about medical psilocybin use exemptions is a great illustration of the administrative law principle that a significant policy shift must be adequately explained.