CBA Competition Law Section’s Young Lawyers Half Day Symposium
Presented by the CBA Competition Law and Foreign Investment Review Section’s Young Lawyers Committee
May 2-3, 2024 | Montreal, QC
Stikeman Elliott LLP, 1155 René-Lévesque Blvd. West, 41st Floor
The CBA Competition Law Section’s Young Lawyers Half Day Symposium is dedicated to competition lawyers and Bureau officers in their first 10 years of practice.
The annual CBA Competition Law Section’s Young Lawyers Half Day Symposium is returning and will be in the La Belle Province for its 9th year! This Symposium directly follows the CBA Competition Law Spring Conference, and attendees may opt to register for one or both.
The Symposium delves into the questions at the front of our collective minds as the Competition Act undergoes significant change: “what is the purpose of competition law in Canada?”
Join us on Friday, May 3 from 9: 00 am - 1:00 pm ET for an engaging morning of panel discussions that will explore whether recent amendments go too far or not far enough and how our political and economic landscape can be expected to influence our practices.
Early registration is encouraged to reserve your spot, which includes a light breakfast and lunch. Admission is free for CBA members.
We also welcome you to attend a networking reception from 8:30 pm to 12:00 am on Thursday, May 2, 2024 sponsored by TransPerfect Legal Solutions at Bevo pizza, 410 Saint-Vincent, Montréal, QC H2Y 3A5.
Agenda
TIME |
EVENT |
Thursday, May 2, 2024
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08.30pm-12.00am
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Networking Reception
Location: Bevo pizza
Sponsor
To join the Networking Reception, RSVP now.
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Friday, May 3, 2024
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09:00 – 09:20 AM
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Registration & Breakfast
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09:20 – 09:30 AM
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Opening Remarks & Sponsor Message
Alysha Pannu (Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP), Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee
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09:30 – 10:30 AM
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People over Processes: Consumer Driven Enforcement
2023 was the year of discussing competition law at the kitchen table in Canada and abroad. Calls for reform to competition law enforcement are increasingly focused on very specific consumer protection principles. How has the public’s focus on the highly publicized mergers and pricing conduct (e.g. inflation and grocery) impacted competition enforcement trends and priorities? What does the future look like for consumer driven enforcement?
Moderator:
Umang Khandelwal, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Speakers:
Cassandra Brown, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Brad Callaghan, Associate Deputy Commissioner of the Policy, Planning and Advocacy Directorate of the Competition Bureau
Gideon Kwinter, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
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10:30 – 11:30 AM
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Competition Law & Innovation
Innovation is a key driver for growth of the Canadian economy, but does Canadian competition law & policy promote or hinder innovation? Is it time to challenge the historic notion that competition drives innovation? What should practitioners think about in advising their clients to ensure outcomes from interactions with the Bureau do not stifle innovation? With the repeal of section 96, is there still room for dynamic efficiencies to factor into merger review?
Moderator:
Christina Skinner, Bennett Jones LLP
Speakers:
Renee Duplantis, Charles River Associates
Greg Lang, Senior Strategic Advisor to the Executive Director, Telecommunications, CRTC (formerly Major Case Director and Strategic Policy Advisor, Competition Promotion Branch at the Competition Bureau)
Megan MacDonald, Regulatory Counsel at Rogers Communications Inc.
Devin Persaud, Goodmans LLP
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11:30 – 11:45 AM
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Health Break
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11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
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Fireside Chat
Join us for an intimate discussion with Ed Iacobucci on his career, his discussion paper titled Examining the Canadian Competition Act in the Digital Era which helped kickstart the discussion on reforms to the Competition Act, and the recently implemented and further proposed amendments to the Competition Act.
Moderator:
Warren Fergusson, Stikeman Elliott LLP
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12:45-12.50 PM
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Closing Remarks
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Thank you to the YLC Symposium Conference Co-Chairs: Alysha Pannu, Warren Ferguson & Olivia Ells