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Top 10 commercial decisions of 2023: What Canadian businesses need to know

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We’ve examined some of the most significant commercial decisions of the last year. From a disagreement between a landlord and a commercial tenant to contract wordings and agreements by emoji, these cases serve as important guidelines and examples for businesses to take note of.  Our commercial litigators stay on top of commercial cases and decisions to help you understand the impact these outcomes could have on your business.

Williams v. Amazon Inc., 2023 BCCA 314

(Jake Cabott, Amy Laverdure and Jessica Hennings)

Introduction

The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Uber v. Heller, 2020 SCC 16, created questions over whether mandatory arbitration clauses between parties with uneven bargaining relationships are ever enforceable. In a notable development in post-Uber jurisprudence, the British Columbia Court of Appeal in Williams v. Amazon.com Inc., 2023 BCCA 314 decided that mandatory arbitration clauses will be presumptively enforceable even where there is a standard form consumer contract.

Niagara Falls Shopping Centre Inc. v. LAF Canada Company, 2023 ONCA 159

(Roberto Ghignone and Abubaker Ahmed)

Introduction

Amidst the continuing tumultuous fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, a legal skirmish between a landlord and their commercial tenant, shed light on the application of force majeure clauses and the intricacy of contractual interpretation.

In Niagara Falls Shopping Centre Inc. v. LAF Canada Company, 2023 ONCA 159, the Ontario Court of Appeal addressed the application of a force majeure clause in a commercial lease agreement within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the government mandated closure of all non-essential businesses.

This case, emblematic of the challenges faced by countless businesses during the pandemic, provides a reminder that the precise wording used in a force majeure clause will determine the obligations of each party.

Markowich v Lundin Mining Corporation, 2023 ONCA 359 and Peters v SNC-Lavalin Group Inc, 2023 ONCA 360

(Natalia Vandervoort)

Introduction

On May 24, 2023, two separate decisions were released by the Court of Appeal for Ontario that provide guidance on the requirement to disclose a “material change” under securities law.

Both cases were appeals from decisions that dismissed the motion for leave under section 138.8 of the Securities Act, and the motion for leave to proceed under the Securities Act. In both cases, the motion judge was not satisfied that there was a reasonable possibility that the plaintiff could succeed at trial by establishing that there was a material change.

Boal v International Capital Management Inc, 2023 ONCA 840

(Natalia Vandervoort)

Introduction

This December 2023 ruling from the Court of Appeal for Ontario was an appeal from one of the first decisions to consider whether Client-Focused-Reforms made it easier for a plaintiff to establish a fiduciary duty between a client and financial advisors.

On Oct. 13, 2023, the Supreme Court of Canada issued its highly anticipated opinion in Reference re Impact Assessment Act, 2023 SCC 23 (the IAA Reference). At issue in the IAA Reference was the constitutionality of the Impact Assessment Act (the IAA), which is a significant piece of federal environmental legislation that purports to govern when, and on what basis, certain projects are subject to federal oversight and regulation.

Read the full insight to learn more.

Unjust enrichment: Physicians’ Dialysis Center Inc. v Credit Valley Hospital, 2023 ONCA 402

(Roberto Ghignone and Carl Farah)

Unbeknownst to some doctors at the CVNA clinic, a group of their partners used an organization called PDC to secretly flow funds themselves while they provided nephrology services under an agreement with a local hospital. In the wake of this discovery, the two doctors who had been left out sued to recover funds. The plaintiffs were successful at trial, and this was upheld on appeal.

The Court of Appeal for Ontario found that the doctors behind PDC had unjustly enriched themselves at the expense of the remaining doctors and that the head of the nephrology department had breached his fiduciary duties in setting up this scheme. This decision serves as a reminder that contract interpretation is to be performed to give rise to the objective intentions of the parties and that persons in a position of trust have a legal obligation to act in the best interests of their clients.

Ponce v. Société d’investissements Rhéaume ltée, 2023 SCC 25

(Antoine Gamache)

Introduction

This case gave the Supreme Court of Canada (the SCC) the opportunity to clarify, under Québec civil law, the intensity of the contractual obligation to abide by the requirement of good faith. More importantly, in this case, the Court was allowed to clarify the extent of the information that must be disclosed during the pre-contractual phase in compliance with the requirement of good faith. Also, the SCC provided guidance regarding the disgorgement of profits under Québec civil law.

South West Terminal Ltd. v. Achter Land & Cattle Ltd., 2023 SKKB 116

(Jake Cabott, Amy Laverdure and Jessica Hennings)

Introduction

Technology and its usage have increased drastically over the last several years and this is a reality that cannot be ignored. In this case, the use of emojis is at the crux of this breach of contract case. In this novel decision, the Court recognized the emergence of technology and looked towards a number of factors to determine the meaning of a thumbs up emoji sent in response to photo of a contract. This decision will have a significant impact on the Canadian Courts’ future consideration of non-text communications, which is certain to become more common and create more issues.

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