Thursday, September 22, 2022 | Live Event
Name | Session Type | Description | Speakers | |
---|---|---|---|---|
8:45 AM - 9:00 AM (EDT) | ||||
Opening Remarks | Keynote & Plenary Sessions | Welcome to Franchise Law Day 2022!
| Liisa Kaarid - Sotos LLP Noah Leszcz - Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Ellery Lew - Witten LLP | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM (EDT) | ||||
Legal and Legislative Update | Keynote & Plenary Sessions | Whether you’re a new or established franchisor, a solid understanding of the Canadian franchise law issues that affect your business is imperative to protect your rights and limit your liabilities. This information session will get you up to speed through a fast-paced review of the highlights from the past year in franchise law and legislation. Beyond understanding the relevant laws, you also need to stay on top of any changes and emerging issues that can impact your franchise business. The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) works with all levels of government to protect franchising and ensure the best possible outcome for all stakeholders. This session will provide an update on the key issues affecting the Canadian and Quebec franchise rules and regulations. | Michael Melvin - McInnes Cooper Stephanie Sugar - McCarthy Tétrault LLP | ![]() ![]() |
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (EDT) | ||||
Injunction Efficacy: Reanalyzing Enforcement | Concurrent Session 1 | Learn about key recent decisions that are essential to understanding if, when and how you can use injunctions to protect your business. In this session, we will explore: • The key elements of obtaining injunctions to enforce your contractual agreements; | Derek Ronde - Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Dina Awad - Dentons LLP | ![]() ![]() |
Growing to the Next Level: Legal Planning & Preparation for M&A, Investment and Exit Options | Concurrent Session 1 | Advising a franchisor for an eventual exit is different from regular advice with respect to the franchising program. It requires deep understanding of the client’s operations, which will likely result in (re)structuring to maximize the disposition value of the system. Structuring (or restructuring) in preparation for eventual exit/investment can pay huge dividends for the vendors. A robust corporate structure, solid legal documentation along with a strong corporate team and first rate information systems, where everyone is making money, will attract strategic and financial purchasers offering high valuations. As a franchise lawyer, learn the key building blocks that will put your franchisor clients in the best position when they decide to divest. | John Sotos - Sotos LLP Jason Tsoukas - Foodtastic Inc. Marcus Cote - RBC Royal Bank | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
New Laws Impacting Growth in Quebec | Concurrent Session 1 | Growth of a franchise network in the province of Quebec is offering some challenges for Canadian franchisors from time to time. In addition to a different legal system and the absence of specific laws on franchising, the adoption of, or modification to a number of laws in the province of Quebec during the last year has brought its share of questions and concerns for franchisors already established in the province or wishing to develop their network. In this session we will navigate through the updates and recent developments relating to the Charter of the French Language since the assent of Bill 96 in June 2022, and we will highlight the new requirements arising from An Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information (Bill 64 - Act 25), some provisions of which come into force in September 22, 2022. Learning highlights:
| Stéphanie Destrempes - Cain Lamarre | ![]() |
11:00 AM - 11:15 AM (EDT) | ||||
Networking Break | Networking | |||
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM (EDT) | ||||
Managing the Impact of New Market Realities | Concurrent Session 2 | Session includes implications of the various market forces now faced including Supply Chain disruptions, inflation, soaring fuel and food costs and the Ukrainian war, such as:
| Amy Delisle - Keyser Mason Ball LLP Chad Finkelstein - Dale & Lessmann LLP Daniel So - McKenzie Lake Lawyers LLP Dixie Ho - MBIB Brands | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Disclosure Discussion: Disclosing in the New World | Concurrent Session 2 | This session will focus on the practical lessons we have learned over the last two years as well as best practices for franchise disclosure compliance with recent case law moving forward. It will focus on two basic questions with difficult answers: (1) How should we be disclosing? (2) What should we be disclosing | Daniel Hamson - Sotos LLP Christopher Horkins - Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Lucas Versteegh - Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Growing Across Borders: International Expansion | Concurrent Session 2 | The panel will provide practical business and legal considerations for expanding into these markets via franchising, including: a brief synopsis of the franchise industry in each jurisdiction (hot industries, trends, challenges, hot topics), key legal/regulatory requirements (franchise disclosure, registrations, preparing franchise agreements, ancillary and other core legal and operating documents, compliance with local laws etc...) to establish, operate and grow a franchise business in each jurisdiction, and best practice tips to adopt and traps to avoid for successful market entry and expansion for franchising in Canada. | HELEN FOTINOS - Dentons LLP Mark Cunningham - Smoke's Poutinerie Dylan Powell - Mary Brown's Inc. | ![]() |
12:15 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT) | ||||
Lunch | ||||
12:30 PM - 12:45 PM (EDT) | ||||
Lunch Keynote: Government Relations Update | Keynote & Plenary Sessions | A conversation about building future forward teams through a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging. Walk away with insights on how you can further the diversity, inclusion and belonging journey at your franchise organizations. | Gary Prenevost - FranNet of Southern Ontario and Eastern Canada David Black - Canadian Franchise Association | ![]() ![]() |
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT) | ||||
Lunch Keynote: Equity Diversity and Inclusion | Keynote & Plenary Sessions | Join Faye Pang, Xero Country Manager and Matthew Coons, Xero’s Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Lead for a conversation about building future forward teams through a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging. Walk away with insights on how you can further the diversity, inclusion and belonging journey at your organization. | Matthew Coons - Xero Faye Pang - Xero | ![]() ![]() |
1:30 PM - 3:00 PM (EDT) | ||||
Integrating Brands | Roundtables | Jason Tsoukas - Foodtastic Inc. | ![]() | |
Resolving Franchise Disputes Without Courts | Roundtables | Franchise disputes can happen, and when they do it may be difficult to know how to navigate. In this roundtable, participants will learn how franchisors can resolve disputes with franchisees quickly and efficiently without court proceedings, including by business means, mediation or arbitration. | Frank Zaid - Frank Zaid FRANlegal Support Services | ![]() |
Restrictive Covenants | Roundtables | Ashley Caldwell - McKenzie Lake | ![]() | |
Labour Issues | Roundtables | Matthew Badrov - Sherrard Kuzz LLP | ![]() | |
Disclosure | Roundtables | Madison Black - Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, LLP | ![]() | |
Resales | Roundtables | Idan Erez - Hoffer Adler LLP | ![]() | |
Growing with Technology | Roundtables | |||
Digital Marketing | Roundtables | Jennifer Zhang - Jones Law Professional Corporation | ![]() | |
Real Estate | Roundtables | Cassandra Da Re - Dale & Lessmann LLP | ![]() | |
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM (EDT) | ||||
Networking Break | Networking | |||
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM (EDT) | ||||
Fireside Chat: Intro to the Metaverse | Keynote & Plenary Sessions | The fireside chat will provide an introduction to the Metaverse, particularly as it intersects with franchising and intellectual property protections. Starting from the basics, the concepts of the metaverse, blockchain, cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will be articulated. Building on that foundation, the discussion will then focus on how those concepts intersect with the franchising world, including a discussion on protecting and enforcing IP rights in the Metaverse. Highlights:
| John Lemieux - Dentons Canada LLP Noah Leszcz - Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Noah Walters - Dentons LLP | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
4:15 PM - 4:30 PM (EDT) | ||||
Closing Remarks | Keynote & Plenary Sessions | Liisa Kaarid - Sotos LLP Noah Leszcz - Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Ellery Lew - Witten LLP | ![]() ![]() ![]() |