Articles

On March 23, 2020, the Premier of Quebec, François Legault, announced the complete shutdown of all non-essential businesses.

This measure, which covered most construction sites, officially came into force on March 25, 2020.

At the time of writing, the date for the resumption of construction activities remains uncertain, except for specific residential construction sites that meet the criteria set out in the Ministerial Order dated April 19, 2020.

On Wednesday April 22, 2020, 20 working days have passed since the order to close most construction sites came into force.

On February 11, 2020, the new Regulation respecting the procedure of the Administrative Tribunal of Québec came into force. The main changes are as follows…

In these uncertain times, only employers providing so-called “essential services” are allowed to operate. Identifying and implementing safe work practices to protect employees’ health and safety are now key to keeping these operations running. This requirement is highlighted by the fact that, since the outset of the pandemic, the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) has massively rejected the right of refusal invoked by many workers.

Mergers and acquisitions were particularly active in Canada until the government response to COVID-19 disrupted transactional practices and led to a slowdown. Parties involved in M&A transactions must keep a watchful eye on the situation and be proactive about managing the accompanying risks at every stage in the process. In the current context, prudent risk management will primarily involve negotiating or renegotiating a deal’s terms and conditions, some of which are discussed in this article.

The professionals at Langlois Lawyers and the experts at Cafa Corporate Finance highlight 5 practical considerations and creative suggestions related to COVID-19.

As the world undergoes this unprecedented crisis, the ability of many companies to meet their contractual obligations is being compromised. The crisis is having a significant impact on the global economy and the real estate sector won’t be spared. Moreover, the impact of the crisis on tenants and landlords is likely to linger and worsen with the passage of time.

With the COVID-19 health crisis and its myriad of impacts on companies and their employees, operations, service providers and securities, it is reasonable to expect increasing scrutiny from regulators, government agencies and private litigants alike during and following the crisis. The current crisis also substantially increases the risk that employees, business partners, insiders and service providers become entangled in dicey situations, including corporate misconduct— whether deliberate or not—that might trigger the need for an internal investigation.