Competition Law
MLT Aikins has a broad range of experience dealing with matters relating to Canadian competition laws. Our team will help you to understand and comply with competition laws, so that you can focus on running your business. Our lawyers have the experience to assess what issues are relevant and create a plan of action to address them. Whether your concerns are ongoing compliance issues or merger issues that arise when buying or selling a business, MLT Aikins can help.
Our competition law practice focuses on:
- Advising businesses and trade associations on compliance issues including:
- helping to understand and not contravene the criminal provisions of the Competition Act
- helping to understand and not contravene the civil provisions of the Competition Act, including refusal to deal, resale price maintenance and deceptive marketing practices
- Assisting businesses in navigating the Competition Bureau’s merger review process
- Helping develop internal policies and protocols to help ensure compliance with competition laws
When buying or selling a business or proposing to complete other merger transactions that fall with the purview of Canadian competition laws, issues often arise. Our lawyers have the experience necessary to help determine how to proceed. We can provide assistance with respect to the following, among others:
- Merger notifications, if and when necessary
- Requests for advance ruling certificates
- Merger review and clearance
- Supplementary information requests (SIRs)
- Foreign investment advice under the Investment Canada Act
As businesses grow, competition law compliance becomes more important. For trade associations or industry groups, compliance issues are always a concern. Our lawyers have experience working with companies and trade associations to put the necessary policies and protocols in place to help ensure compliance with competition laws. We can also assist in the development of readiness protocols, with respect to possible inquires or investigations by the Bureau.
Our competition law merger experience includes assisting clients in preparing required notifications to the Bureau and in drafting arguments in support of applications for advance ruling certificates and no action letters from the Commissioner of Competition to permit merger transactions to proceed.
Recently, members of our team have been involved in transactions including:
- the purchase by Federated Co-operatives Ltd. of agri-retail outlets from Viterra Inc.
- the sale of Weyburn Inland Terminals Ltd. to a subsidiary of Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited
- the sale of Prairie West Terminal Ltd. to a subsidiary of Canadian Wheat Board
- the sale of West Central Road & Rail Ltd. and its affiliates to AGT Food and Ingredients Inc.
- XL Foods Inc.’s acquisition of a beef packing plant operated by a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc.
- SaskEnergy’s sale of its interest in Heritage Gas Limited to AltaGas Income Trust
