The Competition Bureau announced on February 7, 2012, that the pre-merger notification transaction size threshold will increase to $77 million, likely as of February 11, 2012. The party size threshold remains set at $400 million. Generally speaking, parties to proposed mergers must notify the Bureau in advance of closing where: The transaction relates to an [...]

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On February 6, 2012, the Competition Bureau announced that it would start publishing monthly reports of concluded merger reviews. The reports will include the names of the parties, the industry sector involved, and the result of the Bureau's review. The Bureau has even published a sample report involving a fictitious transaction.

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The Competition Bureau garnered its first conviction under the amended conspiracy provision of the Competition Act yesterday, as Domfoam International Inc. and Valle Foam Industries (1995) Inc. plead guilty to conspiracy and were fined $12.5 million. The investigation into the price-fixing of polyurethane foam has been ongoing since February 2010 and received cooperation through both [...]

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The Quebec Superior Court recently granted an unusually strict protective order to defendants in a class action to prevent evidence from the class action finding its way into parallel criminal proceedings against them. The defendants are a group of gas station owners (both corporations and individuals) who have been charged with conspiring to fix retail [...]

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In a recent decision, the Federal Court of Canada enforced a class action waiver and an arbitration clause in a private action under section 36 of the Competition Act.[1] The decision is significant because it clearly states two important principles: Class action waivers will be enforced unless they are contrary to statute Claims alleging breaches [...]

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