Legal news and trends for Canadian in-house counsel and c-suite executives
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/1295479
www.canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse 1 canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse EDITOR'S DESK Regulatory and legal changes that may have been put on pause during the pandemic are now set to come back with a vengeance. The second (non- pandemic) wave N ow that the pandemic has been in-house counsel's main priority for more than six months, a new reality has set in. Economic turbulence, a dispersed workforce and the COVID-19 health risk factors are no longer new. But a new wave is hitting in-house departments, sped up by the pandemic but pre-existing it. Regulatory and legal changes that may have been put on pause during the pandemic are now set to come back with a vengeance. Lisa Skakun, general counsel and chief corporate development officer at Coast Capital Savings, predicts developments in the open banking framework, payments modernization and the implementation of the Financial Consumer Protection Framework (p. 19). None of these developments was caused by the pandemic, but an open banking environment and consumer protection have become more urgent with a mass consumer shift to digital banking during the pandemic. Airlines and school boards, which were both hit dramatically by the pandemic in employment law, are also pushing for structural changes to labour and employment law. "I do hope [the pandemic] translates into some changes in the law or policy or best practices so that if we ever encounter such a situation again, the transition in and out of pandemic contingency planning will be a lot easier to handle," says Leola Pon, general counsel, executive officer, legal at the Toronto District School Board. "I think there's an opportunity to take this experience and perhaps further [the changes put in place] as we embrace new ways of working, new locations of working and a deeper understanding of . . . health and safety elements," says Fred Headon, Air Canada's assistant general counsel, labour and employment law (p. 22). For in-house departments, these changes are a double-edged sword. A whole new wave of regulatory and legal changes to keep track of will add to strained legal departments. But they also mean that legal departments are increasingly being called by senior leadership for insight. Whether it is financial services, education or airlines, the legal department will be a vital player as this new wave of regulatory changes comes into effect. Tim Wilbur, Editor-in-Chief Canadian Lawyer InHouse is published 6 times a year by HAB Press Limited. KEY MEDIA and the KEY MEDIA logo are trademarks of Key Media IP Limited, and used under license by HAB Press Limited. CANADIAN LAWYER INHOUSE is a trademark of HAB Press Limited. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. Information presented is compiled from sources believed to be accurate, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Canadian Lawyer InHouse disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. Publications Mail Agreement #41261516 ISSN 0703-2129 ©2020 GST/HST Registration #703184911RT001 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 20 Duncan St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5H 3G8 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Tim Wilbur Production Editor Patricia Cancilla Writer Lucy Saddleton CONTRIBUTORS Philippe Bélisle, Giselle Chin, Cheryl Foy, Ken Fredeen, Melissa Tehrani ART & PRODUCTION Art Director Marla Morelos Lead, Media Production Coordinator Catherine Giles Global Production Manager Alicia Chin (on leave) Production Coordinator Kim Kandravy SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT VP, Media & Client Strategy Dane Taylor Senior Business Development Manager Steffanie Munroe Business Development Manager Lynda Fenton National Account Executive Abhiram Prabhu CORPORATE President Tim Duce Events and Conference Manager Chris Davis Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil Global CEO Mike Shipley Global COO George Walmsley HAB Press Limited 20 Duncan St., 3rd Floor Toronto, Ontario M5H 3G8 tel: +1 416 644 8740 www.keymedia.com EDITORIAL INQUIRIES tim.wilbur@keymedia.com CIRCULATION/ADDRESS CHANGES/ SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES Keith Fulford tel: 416 644 8740 ext 329 keith.fulford@keymedia.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES legaladvertise@keymedia.com ISSUE 15.05 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 canadianlawyermag.com/inhouse