Mar. 13, 2024 – The Canadian government recently issued two policy statements (IDM Statements) affirming that it will enhance its scrutiny under the Investment Canada Act (ICA) of foreign investments in the Canadian Interactive Digital Media (IDM) sector. One of the statements sets out the government’s position...
Communications and Media
OUTFRONT Media Sells its Canadian Business to Bell Media
Oct. 26, 2023 – Davies is acting as Canadian counsel to OUTFRONT Media Inc. in the C$410-million sale of its Canadian business to Bell Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BCE. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. It is expected to close in 2024. The Davies team on the...
Ontario Court of Appeal Issues Decision in The Catalyst Capital Group Inc. v West Face Capital Inc.
June 06, 2023 – The Ontario Court of Appeal, following the guidance issued by the Supreme Court of Canada in 1704604 Ontario Ltd. v Pointes Protection Association 1 ( Pointes Protection ) and Hansman v Neufeld 2 ( Neufeld ), has issued its much-anticipated decision in The Catalyst Capital Group Inc. v...
Canada’s Top Court Confirms Anti-SLAPP Motions Protect Speakers, Not Plaintiffs
May 25, 2023 – The Supreme Court of Canada, in commenting on anti-SLAPP 1 legislation for the third time in the span of three years, has confirmed that even potentially meritorious claims must be dismissed if the public interest in the defendant’s expression outweighs the public interest in allowing the...
Transformative Deal Between Shaw and Rogers to Expedite Canada’s 5G Rollout
Mar. 15, 2021 – Shaw Communications Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. have reached an agreement for Rogers to acquire all of Shaw’s issued and outstanding Class A and Class B shares in a transaction valued at approximately $26 billion, including debt, representing a significant premium for Shaw’s shareholders....
Early Warnings: Canada’s Regulators Issue Warning Letters to Mobile App Companies
Dec. 18, 2020 – In late November, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) and the Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced the issuance of 36 warning letters to various mobile app companies in Canada. The letters are reported to...
Canada’s Top Court Provides Guidance on SLAPPs
Sept. 21, 2020 – Overview Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are lawsuits that are intended not to seek justice, but instead to intimidate and silence critics. Regardless of the merits of its underlying claim, a well-heeled plaintiff is often able to drag the critic through costly and...
DIF Capital Partners Buys Majority Stake in Valley Fiber
Apr. 23, 2020 – Davies acted for DIF Capital Partners in its majority investment in Valley Fiber Ltd., a rapidly growing Manitoba-based fiber-optics developer. Valley Fiber aims to connect more than 15,000 homes and businesses in rural Manitoba to high-speed networks over the next few years. DIF’s all-equity...
Not All Customers Are the Same: Top Court Rules Business Customers Cannot Join Consumer Class Action
Apr. 09, 2019 – In its recent ruling in TELUS Communications Inc. v Wellman , 2019 SCC 19 ( Wellman ), the Supreme Court of Canada held that business customers of TELUS that entered into mandatory arbitration agreements cannot seek relief in court by participating in a class action together with consumers. In ...
Nov. 12, 2018 – Perhaps the most controversial feature of Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) 1 is its broad approach to liability for various actors and intermediaries involved in electronic communications. As we have previously explained , persons may be liable under CASL if they “cause” or “permit” a...
Davies Welcomes Michel Gélinas
Sept. 07, 2018 – Davies is pleased to announce that Michel Gélinas has joined the firm as a partner in our Montréal office. Michel’s practice focuses on advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital and corporate finance, both in Canada and internationally. “Michel’s reputation...
Jim Dinning Comments on Influencer Sponsorships
July 13, 2017 – Davies partner Jim Dinning was quoted in a CBC article about a growing trend among Canadian athletes and other influencers who are tagging paid social media posts with #sponsored or #ad on their feeds. The rise of influencers making sponsored posts has highlighted the lack of clarity regarding...
Suspension of Private Relief: CASL’s Private Right of Action Delayed
June 09, 2017 – Since its implementation in July 2014, Canada’s anti-spam law, or CASL, has continued to generate a fair amount of controversy due to its broad application and the availability of significant administrative monetary penalties. As we described in prior publications ( The Other Shoe Drops: The...
The Other Shoe Drops: The Private Right of Action Under CASL
Apr. 26, 2017 – The bulk of Canada’s anti-spam law, known colloquially as CASL, came into force on July 1, 2014. CASL sets out strict rules for a variety of online behaviours and is considered the strictest anti-spam law in the world, providing for administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) of up to $1 million for...
Apr. 29, 2016 – A Financial Post article regarding the Ontario Securities Commission ’ s written reasons why it denied Catalyst Capital Group Inc.’ s application to delay a shareholders ’ vote on Corus Entertainment ’ s proposed acquisition of Shaw Media quotes Davies ’ publication on the matter .
Mar. 22, 2016 – On March 14, 2016, the Manitoba Court of Appeal issued its long-awaited decision in Hafichuk-Walkin v BCE , 2016 MBCA 32 , joining the increasing number of Canadian appellate courts that have stayed duplicative class actions using the “ abuse of process ” doctrine. In 2004, the Merchant Law...
The American Lawyer Covers Three Recent Davies Deals
Mar. 14, 2016 – Davies is acting in three recent significant deals covered in The American Lawyer : the sale of Shaw Media to Corus Entertainment; McKesson’s acquisition of Rexall and Rexall Pharma Plus; and Couche-Tard’s acquisition of Imperial Oil retail assets in Ontario and Québec. Widely considered the...
Shaw Communications Enters into Agreement to Sell Shaw Media to Corus Entertainment
Jan. 13, 2016 – Davies acted for Shaw Communications in connection with its sale of Shaw Media to Corus Entertainment for $2. 65 billion. Shaw Media owns Global Television Network and 19 specialty channels including HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada and Showcase. This transaction firmly positioned Shaw as a...
WIND Mobile Enters into Agreement to Be Acquired by Shaw Communications
Dec. 17, 2015 – Davies acted for WIND Mobile Corp. (WIND) and its shareholders including West Face Capital in connection with Shaw Communications Inc.’s acquisition, by plan of arrangement, of a 100% interest in Mid-Bowline Group Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiary, WIND, for an enterprise value of...
Stingray Digital Group Inc. Completes $140-Million Initial Public Offering
June 03, 2015 – Davies acted for Stingray Digital Group Inc. in connection with its initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) of an aggregate of 22,400,000 subordinate voting shares and variable voting shares at a price of $6. 25 per share, for total gross proceeds of $140 million. Stingray is...
First Penalty Issued Under Canada’s New Anti-Spam Law
Mar. 11, 2015 – On March 5, 2015, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) issued its first Notice of Violation under Canada’s anti-spam legislation (known as CASL), which came into force on July 1, 2014. Despite its name, CASL is not limited to what one might normally consider spam...
