Hosted by associate Adam Goldenberg, Law in the Time of COVID-19 cuts through the information overload to drive conversations around COVID-19. Listeners receive regular updates, industry insights and legal perspectives, helping to keep them informed and prepared to address the global business implications of the virus.

Law in the Time of COVID-19 is available on Anchor, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

McCarthy Tétrault LLP is providing this podcast as a public service, and while it may contain legal information, it is neither legal advice nor a legal opinion, recommendation or statement of policy of McCarthy Tétrault LLP. The information, views and personal opinions expressed by guests from outside of McCarthy Tétrault LLP are entirely their own and their appearance on the podcast does not express or imply an endorsement by McCarthy Tétrault LLP of the information, views or opinions expressed by any guest, or of any entity they represent.

Season 2 - Episode 11: WFH 101 – Many businesses forced into work-from-home models during the pandemic lockdowns have since adopted, or are considering adopting, permanent hybrid workplaces. Employers now face what for many businesses was once unthinkable – a primarily digital workforce. But regardless of where workers perform their jobs, an employer retains significant workplace obligations. So, what rights and duties apply when a worker slips and falls at home or when employees who left the city are asked to return to the office? In this episode, host Adam Goldenberg speaks with three of McCarthy Tétrault's labour and employment experts from across Canada about the moment's most vexing issues for employers. Justine Lindner is a partner in our Toronto office, Laura DeVries is an associate in our Vancouver office, and Émilie Thibault is an associate in our Montréal office.

This program qualifies for up to 0.75 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

Barreau du Québec Continuing Education: This program contains 0.75 hours of content. Upon completion of this podcast, contact us to request your certificate of attendance.

Season 2 - Episode 10: Zap, You're Frozen? – The Omicron variant has moved the finish line again, upending personal plans and forcing governments around the world to postpone efforts at reopening in the race to return to normal. In Canada, responses differ from city to city and province to province. Host Adam Goldenberg brings back to the discussion Jean Charest and Paul Zed to discuss Canada’s patchwork response to the Omicron variant, what roles remain for the federal government to intervene, and what businesses and listeners can expect in the near future. Jean Charest is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and a former Premier of Québec. Paul served as a Member of Parliament and as a Parliamentary Secretary. Jean is now a partner in McCarthy Tétrault’s Montréal office, while Paul is a Senior Strategic Advisor to the firm and our clients, based in Toronto.

Season 2 - Episode 9: Job or Jab – Canadian businesses have been grappling with the fundamental question of whether to implement a vaccine mandate in their workplaces, however the legal landscape is still evolving and companies must factor in a range of key considerations when making their decision. On this episode host Adam Goldenberg speaks to Nicole Deniset and Adam Kanji, two lawyers who are working on the front lines of vaccine law, in litigation and labour and employment, about how vaccination requirements are shaping our public spaces and workplaces — and how the courts might eventually shape them, too.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

 

Season 2 - Episode 8: 10 Years in 10 Months - The pandemic has accelerated the pace of change and transformed the business world, and in a time marked by a need for rapid operational response the makers of COVID-19 vaccines have had a front row seat. In this week’s episode, McCarthy Tétrault CEO, Dave Leonard sits down with Patricia Gauthier, General Manager of Moderna’s Canadian operations to discuss how the company successfully managed tremendous change while also playing a critical role in responding to the ongoing global health emergency.

 

Season 2 - Episode 7 Patents, Pronouns, and Second Doses - From virtual IP trials and a new guidance on preferred pronouns in Ontario courts to how our day-to-day lives are changing now an increasing number of Canadians are vaccinated, host Adam Goldenberg interviews Tracey Doyle, a multi-talented guest capable of speaking to all three important issues. Tracey is a doctor of immunology, McCarthy Tétrault associate and the lawyer responsible for an important recent change to court practices in Ontario.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

 

Season 2 - Episode 6: Start-ups in a Shutdown – Guest host, Aliya Ramji, Partner and Co-founder of MT>Ventures speaks with entrepreneurs, Richard Steiner, Head of Policy and Communications at Gatik and Derek Szeto, Co-Founder of Walnut, about what impact COVID-19 has had on their new businesses. They discuss how persevering through a pandemic has made them more resilient and how the experience of the past year has changed how they develop and implement long-term strategies. MT>Ventures is a division of McCarthy Tétrault that focuses on start-ups, scale-ups, and other fast-growth businesses. This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

 

Season 2 - Episode 5: Faraway Jury – How do you conduct a jury trial without compromising physical distancing? On September 30, 2020, Ontario’s first civil jury trial of the COVID-19 pandemic got underway. Host Adam Goldenberg speaks to McCarthy Tétrault litigators Moya Graham and Leah Ostler, who successfully represented the defendant, about how the trial was conducted, the refigured courtroom, and what they believe future trial litigation will look like.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

 

Season 2, Episode 4 : The Crown Must Win - What happens if COVID-19 spreads to the very top of the Canadian government and if the Prime Minister were to become too sick to carry out his responsibilities? Host, Adam Goldenberg speaks with Richard Fadden, OC, former National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada and Wayne Wouters, PC OC, former Clerk of the Privy Council and McCarthy Tétrault Strategic Advisor about how Canadians would ensure the continuity of constitutional government during a deadly pandemic.

 

Season 2 - Episode 3: Reasonably Unforeseeable – What’s the role of legal counsel in confronting a crisis? Host, Adam Goldenberg speaks with one of Canada’s leading crisis management lawyers and McCarthy Tétrault partner, Awi Sinha about how COVID-19 has changed our understanding of risk and what lawyers can offer clients who are confronting the risk that’s inherent in global uncertainty.

 

Season 2, Episode 2: South of the Border (Part 2) - McCarthy Tétrault’s political and legal panel discuss what a Biden administration will mean for Canada’s oil and gas sector, exporters and tech companies, and for what might follow a chaotic presidential transition as the pandemic’s second wave sweeps across America. This episode is moderated by Alison Smith.

 

Season 2, Episode 1: South of the Border (Part 1) – McCarthy Tetrault’s political and legal panel discuss one of the most significant world events in the last 12 months, the US Presidential Election. After an election cycle that dominated world news throughout the pandemic, Joe Biden will take office as the 46th President of the United States of America on January 20th 2021. The panel will explore the effect of the election outcome on Canadian businesses, industries and the relationship with our largest trading partner. This episode is moderated by Alison Smith.

 

On Episode 23: Student Takeover – McCarthy Tétrault Summer Students take over the podcast to discuss the transition from a virtual classroom to a virtual summer program. Arsalan Ahmed interviews Shailaja Nadarajah, Rebecca Ferguson and Jon Adessky about their personal experiences working in a national law firm in the midst of a pandemic and how they integrated into the fabric of firm and the practice of law from their home office. 

 

On Episode 22: Raising the Bar - Across North America, bar examiners are struggling to adapt to circumstances in which in-person exams may not be possible due to the pandemic. Adam Goldenberg speaks to McCarthy Tétrault litigation associate and Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario, Atrisha Lewis, and Gurvir Sangha, a 2020 graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and incoming articling student at McCarthy Tétrault, about what lawyer licensing looks like now and the future of accrediting lawyers in a post-pandemic world.

 

On Episode 21: Politics in a Pandemic – As Erin O’Toole takes office as Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Party of Canada, host Adam Goldenberg speaks with McCarthy Tétrault’s panel of Strategic Advisors, The Honourable Jean Charest, The Honourable Wayne Wouters and Paul Zed, about what a new opponent means for the Trudeau government’s pandemic response and what we can expect to see in this fall’s Throne Speech and the next federal budget.

 

On Episode 20: Pandemic Protectionism: In light of the recent decision by President Trump to impose tariffs for Canadian non-alloyed unwrought aluminium and the subsequent response by the Canadian government, Adam Goldenberg speaks to Martha Harrison, partner in McCarthy Tetrault’s International Trade and Investment Law group, and Paul Zed, a former Member of Parliament, and Strategic Advisor at McCarthy Tétrault about what will this mean for Canadian businesses trying to recover from the pandemic and the impact on the trading relationship between Canada and the United States.

This program qualifies for up to 0.75 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

Barreau du Québec Continuing Education: This program contains 0.75 hours of content. Upon completion of this podcast, contact us to request your certificate of attendance.

 

On Episode 19: Cases without courts: As courts across Canada figure out how to hear cases while maintaining physical distancing – and as growing backlogs mean that one’s day in court could take years longer to arrive, Adam Goldenberg speaks to Junior Sirivar, partner and Co-Chair of McCarthy Tétrault’s International Arbitration Group, and Sandra (Aigbinode) Lange, associate and member of the International Arbitration Group, about why this old alternative to court-based litigation has been attracting extra attention in the time of COVID-19.

This program qualifies for up to 0.75 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario. 

Barreau du Québec Continuing Education: This program contains 0.75 hours of content. Upon completion of this podcast, contact us to request your certificate of attendance.

 

On Episode 18: Mask Nicely: As municipal and provincial governments start requiring Canadians to wear masks indoors, host Adam Goldenberg speaks to McCarthy Tétrault Partners Miranda Lam and Véronique Wattiez Larose and Associate Patrick Pengelly about what businesses can and sometimes must do to keep their premises – and their employees – safe.This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

 

On Episode 17: History in the making – We hope, our regular host, Adam Goldenberg, speaks to Dr. Natasha Crowcroft, an internationally recognized expert in immunization and the incoming Senior Technical Advisor, Measles and Rubella Control, at the World Health Organization, about the prospects of vaccine research and the science of going back to work.

We are pleased to be joined by an esteemed guest speaker who presents a spectrum of views on this episode. The opinions and views cited are their own and not those of the firm.

 

On Episode 16: Same Storm, Different Boat – Inclusion in the Time of COVID, Nikki Gershbain, Chief Inclusion Officer, explores the differential impact the pandemic is having on diverse communities and considers what an inclusive recovery might look like in her discussion with Jonathan Cohen, Director of the Open Society Public Health Program; Rosel Kim, a Staff Lawyer at LEAF, the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund; Atrisha Lewis, a Senior Associate at McCarthy Tétrault; and Ken Fredeen, General Counsel of Emeritus and a Senior Partner with Deloitte Canada.

We are pleased to be joined by esteemed guest speakers who present a spectrum of views on this episode. The opinions and views cited are their own and not those of the firm.

 

On Episode 15: Contact (Tracing) High – Part Two, we continue to explore the privacy implications of contact tracing applications and what it means for your data in part two of Jade Buchanan’s discussion with Charles Morgan and Christine Ing, two leading technology and privacy lawyers, and Kate McNeill-Keller, a leading labour and employment lawyer.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

 

On Episode 14: Contact (Tracing) High – Part One, we explore the privacy implications of contact tracing applications and what it means for your data in part one of Jade Buchanan’s discussion with Charles Morgan and Christine Ing, two leading technology and privacy lawyers, and Kate McNeill-Keller, a leading labour and employment lawyer. This is part one of a two part series.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario. 

 

On Episode 13: All Rise – If You’re Wearing Pants, Adam Goldenberg speaks to Dorothy Charach and Andrew Kalamut about how litigators and courts are keeping matters moving during COVID-19, and about the lasting effects that the lockdown could have on civil dispute resolution.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario. 

 

On Episode 12: Vigilamus pro te, Pippa Leslie speaks with Canada’s former Chief of the Land Staff, retired Lieutenant General the Honourable Andrew Leslie — yes, there is a relation — about the military’s role in responding to COVID-19, and about how the Canadian Forces operate when the enemy is a virus.

We are pleased to be joined by an esteemed guest speaker who presents a spectrum of views on this episode. The opinions and views cited are their own and not those of the firm.

 

On Episode 11: Open and Shut, Adam Goldenberg speaks with our panel of Strategic Advisors — Jean Charest, Wayne Wouters, and Paul Zed — about how governments and politicians are weighing the costs and benefits of an extended shutdown, and about what governments will do to “reboot” the Canadian economy afterward.

 

On Episode 10: Family Time, All the Time, Adam Goldenberg speaks to Gillian Kerr and Michael Scherman about the rules and realities of working from home, including the need to juggle cybersecurity obligations and family responsibilities. This is Part Two of a series on working from home.

 

On Episode 9: Check Your Privilege, Adam Goldenberg talks to Malcolm Mercer, Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario, about the challenges that lawyers face in fulfilling their professional obligations while working remotely. This episode is the first in a series about working from home.

We are pleased to be joined by an esteemed guest speaker who presents a spectrum of views on this episode. The opinions and views cited are their own and not those of the firm.

 

On Episode 8: Commercial Leases in Unreasonable Times, Adam Goldenberg speaks with Abraham Costin and Annie Gagnon-Larocque about how COVID-19 is affecting relationships between commercial landlords and tenants – and what it may mean for the future of commercial real estate.

This program qualifies for up to 0.5 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario.

 

On Episode 7: Force Majeure Across Canada, Adam Goldenberg speaks with Gabriel Querry and Miranda Lam about how force majeure will operate under the Civil Code of Québec and across provincial boundaries as businesses and consumers manage the impact of COVID-19.

This program qualifies for up to 0.75 hours of CPD credit under the mandatory education regimes in British Columbia and Ontario. 

Barreau du Québec Continuing Education: This program contains 0.75 hours of content. Upon completion of this podcast, contact us to request your certificate of attendance.

 

View a list of past episodes of Law in the Time of COVID-19 here.

 

(In French)

Le droit aux temps de la COVID-19 is available on SoundCloud, Spotify et Apple Podcasts

• Listen to Episode 14: Une discussion avec le délégué général du Québec à Tokyo

• Listen to Episode 13: Avancées technologiques en pandémie : risques et espoirs

• Listen to Episode 12: Fusions et acquisitions transfrontalières

View a list of past episodes of Le droit aux temps de la COVID-19 here

Worker Non-compliance with Health & Safety Guidelines and Precautions in the Workplace - What’s the Risk?

In our first installment of our “What’s the Risk” series, Marco Fimiani and Meghan Hillstrom from our Labour & Employment Group consider the risk to organizations as a result of worker non-compliance with health and safety guidelines and precautions in the workplace. They touch upon the risks organizations may face as a result of workers potentially contracting and spreading COVID-19, including potential civil, criminal and regulatory implications if health and safety guidelines and precautions are not effectively implemented, adhered to and enforced. 

(Video is available in English only)

PE Market Snapshot

McCarthy Tétrault’s Private Equity Co-heads, Patrick Shea and Shevaun McGrath, interview the former Quebec Premier and former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Jean Charest, who provides his insights about the impact of COVID-19 on PE players and what to expect on the macro business and public policy fronts going forward.

Alberta Business Outlook

Alberta is more than oil & gas. In our Alberta Business Outlook: An Interview Series, business leaders from across the province share the best options for diversification and how the Prairies are innovating business in Canada. Hosted by McCarthy Tétrault.

In our first interview, partner John Osler speaks with Wilson Acton, Chief Commercial Officer at VergeAgro, a tech company at the intersection of digital and autonomous agriculture.

In our second interview, partner Cathy Samuel speaks with Jennifer Carlson, CEO & Co-founder of Baby Gourmet Foods Inc., Canada's leading brand of organic baby meals and snacks.

Is your Project “Stimulus Package Ready” for Canada’s Economic Reboot? 

The federal and provincial governments are preparing plans to advance billions of dollars in infrastructure spending as a way to stimulate the Canadian economy once current pandemic restrictions are lifted. Project stakeholders need to ensure projects are not only “shovel-ready” but also “shovel worthy” to qualify for government stimulus funding.

If you missed it, McCarthy Tétrault lawyers led a panel discussion to get practical perspectives on how to position your project to qualify for infrastructure stimulus funding to help get Canada’s economy back on track.

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