Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1181006
8 www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse NEWS ROUNDUP Building a global cannabis brand What sparked your interest in the cannabis industry? I identified that the government was changing its focus in cannabis from regulating a patient to regulating production and distribution, so I saw an opportunity. I was fortunate to have had a mentor in my legal career who had picked up on a regulatory change that would generate a lot of business and I had watched Years in the industry: 18 Fast fact: Alves is an adjunct professor at the University of Western Ontario Law School, where he co-created and teaches marijuana law and practice Career highlights: Making partner at a firm like Bennett Jones, and having the passion and belief in what I'm doing to take the risk to start a company with a close group of friends and business associates. Career lowlight: Giving 100% commitment to a transaction that doesn't result in success is very hard to deal with, but it is good training for the resiliency and fortitude you need to be successful. Hugo Alves CEO and co-founder Auxly Cannabis Group Q&A him build a legal practice around it. I saw a lot of analogues here, so I enlisted the help of a junior and we set about building a practice and put in the time and effort needed to get expertise in the field. What have been the most difficult legal challenges you have faced? In the early days, the main challenge was Daniel Bourque elected chairman of CCCA The Canadian Corporate Counsel Association has announced that Daniel Bourque, senior legal counsel for TD Bank Group, has been elected as chairman. His one-year tenure began on Sept. 1 when he took over from outgoing chairman Mike McKinney. In his new role, Bourque hopes to boost member- ship numbers throughout Canada, with a focus on the Quebec market, where the association will be holding its national conference in spring 2020. Another goal is to break down international borders and enhance membership for Canadians by lever- aging global initiatives. New federal labour rules address sexual harassment Canada is overhauling its Labour Code, including strict regulations on workplace sexual misconduct and violence. Other changes, some of which came into force on Sept. 1 and others that will come later, include allowances for more flexible work arrangements, increased personal leaves of absence, providing notice for employee scheduling changes, increased vacation and equal pay for employees from temp agencies or who are part-time, casual, contract or seasonal. The amendments to the Canada Labour Code include changes to the occupational health and safety section that focuses on workplace sexual harassment and violence. NEWS BRIEFS U$1 million to fund research and ideas that address the issues of inclusion and diversity in the legal profession. They will be joined by 26 general counsel from firms including Starbucks, Ford, Uber, HP, eBay and Bloomberg.