COVID-19 Resources
To meet the demand for resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we created this page to index articles, webinars, archives and links to government resources to keep you informed. We will update this page with new resources frequently. In the meantime, if you have any questions or if we can assist you in any way, please contact your relationship partner, firm contact or our Managing Partner Steven Zakem.
COVID-19 Publications
- Our Response to COVID-19 (March 18, 2020)
CANNABIS
- AGCO Updates and Ontario Government Emergency Order Permitting Pickup and Delivery of Recreational Cannabis by Licensed Retailers (April 9, 2020)
CAPITAL MARKETS
- Determining EBITDA in a Time of COVID-19 (January 27, 2021)
- Practical Canadian M&A Advice During the COVID-19 Outbreak (May 4, 2020)
- BDC Provides Debt and Convertible Debt Relief Programs for SMEs and VC-Backed Companies Impacted by COVID-19 (April 17, 2020)
- Termination Provisions in Securities Offerings – Impacts of COVID-19 (April 16, 2020)
- Proxy Advisory Firms Provide Guidance on Governance Matters in Light of COVID-19 (April 14, 2020)
- COVID-19 Update: Securities Regulators Grant Temporary Filing Relief (April 8, 2020)
- COVID-19 Update: Ontario Provides Temporary Relief Relating to Meeting Requirements Under the Corporations Act (Ontario) and Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (April 8, 2020)
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Disclosure and Filing Deadlines: Regulator Relief and Other Considerations for Canadian Public Companies (March 25, 2020)
- Virtual Shareholders’ Meetings: Navigating Social Distancing During Proxy Season in Light of COVID-19 (March 20, 2020)
COMMERCIAL LEASING
- Ontario Government Announces Changes to Eviction Moratorium (January 7, 2021)
- Rent Relief Update - The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (April 30, 2020)
- Rent Relief Has Arrived: Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (OCECRA) (April 27, 2020)
- Confronting the Challenges of COVID-19: A Commercial Leasing Perspective (March 27, 2020)
CONSTRUCTION
- Legal Update: COVID-19 & Construction (May 13, 2020)
- Ontario’s Suspension of Limitation Periods and Procedural Deadlines No Longer Applies to the Construction Act Effective April 16, 2020 (April 17, 2020)
- The COVID-19 Pandemic and Construction Issues (March 27, 2020)
CORPORATE/COMMERCIAL
- Federal Government Introduces Economic Measures Responding to COVID-19 Pandemic (April 3, 2020)
- COVID-19 and the Law of Frustration (March 24, 2020)
ENERGY
- OEB Issues Decision Regarding COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (June 18, 2020)
- OEB Seeking Input on Virtual Hearings (June 17, 2020)
- OEB Receives Comments on Issues Relating to Account for Utilities to Record COVID-19 Impacts(June 16, 2020)
- To Declare or Not to Declare? Should Ontario’s Local Electricity Distribution Companies Pay Dividends in the Age of the Pandemic? (May 5, 2020)
ESPORTS & GAMING
- COVID-19 & Esports – Part 3 – Implications For the Future (May 27, 2020)
- COVID-19 & Esports – Part 2 – The Socio-Cultural Context (May 26, 2020)
- COVID-19 & Esports – Part 1 – The Economic and Industry Impact (May 25, 2020)
ESTATES & TRUSTS
- Are You Looking After Yourself (Apart From Wearing Masks and Social Distancing)? (September 8, 2020)
- The Pandemic, the Province of Ontario and the Luddites (April 22, 2020)
FINANCIAL SERVICES
- Financial Services in the Time of COVID-19: Practical Considerations for Lenders When Dealing With Defaults (April 3, 2020)
- Financial Services in the Time of COVID-19: Defaults Under Credit Agreements and Options for Lenders in Response (April 3, 2020)
- Current Status of Court Access for Insolvency and Bankruptcy Matters in Light of COVID-19 (April 3, 2020)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
- The Canadian Intellectual Property Office’s COVID-19 Response (July 17, 2020)
MINES & MINERALS
- Legislative Amendments in Response to COVID-19 for Flow-Through Shares Obligations in the Canadian Mining Sector (January 6, 2021)
- The Use of Flow-Through Shares in the Canadian Mining Sector Amidst COVID-19 (November 10, 2020)
MUNICIPAL & LAND USE PLANNING
- Conservation Authorities Reimagined: Amendments to the Conservation Authorities Act Through Bill 229, Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 (November 24, 2020)
- Ontario Further Reduces Hearings of Necessity for Expropriations (July 17, 2020)
- Ontario Proposes Amendments to a Number of Statutes Affecting Municipalities and the Development Industry (July 13, 2020)
- Electronic Meetings and Proxy Voting – The Proposed “New Normal” for Municipal Meetings (July 13, 2020)
- Changes to Planning Act Timelines During Ontario State of Emergency (April 17, 2020)
LITIGATION & DISPUTE RESOLUTION
- What’s My Limitation Period Again? Update on the Suspension of Limitation and Time Periods During the COVID-19 Crisis (June 8, 2020)
- Limitation and Procedural Time Periods “Freeze” during COVID-19 State of Emergency (March 26, 2020)
- The Impact of COVID-19 on Contractual Performance (March 20, 2020)
PRIVACY & DATA SECURITY
- Cyberattacks and Cybersecurity Measures Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic (March 27, 2020)
- Geolocation and the Fight Against COVID-19 (March 27, 2020)
- Beware of Preying Cyber Criminals During the COVID-19 Pandemic (March 26, 2020)
TAX
- Fall Economic Update: Major GST/HST Changes to Non-Resident Businesses Selling to Canadian Consumers (December 1, 2020)
- The Plan to Reopen the Tax Court and the New Fast Track Settlement Conference System (June 9, 2020)
- CRA Resumes Audit Activity (June 1, 2020)
- COVID-19 Travel Restrictions and Tax Residency Relief (May 22, 2020)
- Tax Limitation and Appeal Periods Extended (May 21, 2020)
- The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Comes Into Force (April 12, 2020)
- Rent Deferrals – How They Affect GST/HST Obligations (April 8, 2020)
- Tax Planning in a Down Market – Seize the Opportunities (April 3, 2020)
- Canada’s Emergency Wage Subsidy Provides Relief to Canadian Corporations (April 3, 2020)
- COVID-19 – Keeping Up With the Tax Updates (March 31, 2020)
- Tax Disputes Amidst COVID-19 (March 27, 2020)
- Tax Aspects of Ontario’s Action Plan to Respond to COVID-19 (March 27, 2020)
- Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan (March 18, 2020)
WORKPLACE LAW
- To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate: The Employer’s Dilemma (March 11, 2021)
- New COVID-19 Measures Introduced by Province and City of Toronto: What a Stay-at-Home Order and the New Reporting Obligations Mean for Employers (January 14, 2021)
- Government of Ontario Extends “COVID-19 Period” Until July 3, 2021 (December 22, 2020)
- Provincial Government Introduces Mandatory COVID-19 Screening Requirement for Ontario Workplaces (September 30, 2020)
- Are Employees Entitled to Incentive Payments During the Notice Period? (October 19, 2020)
- Ontario’s Infectious Disease Emergency Leave Extended to January 2, 2021 (September 11, 2020)
- As Businesses Reopen, They Need to Be Thinking About Their Workplace Safety Plans (June 24, 2020)
- Ontario Government Introduces Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (June 2, 2020)
- COVID-19 and the Workplace: Remote Working Legal Considerations and Recommendations (May 26, 2020)
- Reopening Your Business in a Post-COVID-19 World (May 26, 2020)
- COVID-19 and the Workplace: Changes to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Summer Jobs Program (April 22, 2020)
- COVID-19 and the Workplace: Further Updates on Recent Federal Announcements (April 2, 2020)
- Temporary Layoffs During a Global Pandemic (March 26, 2020)
- COVID-19 and the Workplace: Recent Federal and Ontario Emergency Measures (March 2, 2020)
- Novel Coronavirus 2019 - Precautionary Measures in the Workplace (February 20, 2020)
Webinars
ARCHIVE:
Workplace Vaccinations: Legal Considerations and Recommendations for Employers
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Occupational Health & Safety: Lessons Learned From the Pandemic
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Women Leaders in the Post-Pandemic World of Business: Surviving to Thriving
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Frustration of Contract in a COVID-19 World: Safeguarding Your Business
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Understanding Today’s Vulnerable Businesses: Financial Integrity Pre- & Post-COVID-19
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Mental Health in the Workplace: The Impact of COVID-19
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Post-Pandemic Financial Considerations: Reopening vs. Closing the Business
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Go Beyond Mental Health Resources: Strategies to Drive Employee Well-Being and Performance
Click here to access the webinar archive.
The Cannabis Sector’s Public Policy Response to COVID-19: Canada, U.S. and International Impact
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Towards A "New Normal": Managing the Return of Staff From a Legal Perspective
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The Great Pause: Legal Lens on Business During the Pandemic from China, Italy, Germany, U.K., U.S. & Canada
Click here to access the webinar archive.
The Legal Implications of Managing a Remote Workplace
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Estate Planning in Unprecedented Times
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Challenges Associated with Administering Trust Property in the Time of COVID-19
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Opportunities for Financing and Restructuring in the Cannabis Sector
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Utilizing the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy to Benefit Your Business
Click here to access the webinar archive.
Crisis Response Strategies for Private Businesses
Click here to access the webinar archive.
The Coronavirus and Our Workplaces
Click here to access the webinar archive.
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Government & External Resources
- Government of Canada - COVID-19 Resources for Canadian Businesses
- Government of Canada - Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Awareness Resources
- Government of Ontario - COVID-19 Self-assessment
- Public Health Ontario - COVID-19 Public Resources
- American Bar Association - COVID-19 Mental Health Resources
- Canadian Federation of Independent Business - COVID-19 Small Business Help Centre
- Canadian Psychological Association - COVID-19: Virtual Health Care Services
- Stereo Decisis Podcast - Angela Swan on COVID-19 and Force Majeure
Key Contacts
Crisis Response & Risk Management Group
Joanne Coldwell, Co-Leader
Francesco Gucciardo, Co-Leader
Barb Worndl, Co-Leader
