Insurance Archives - Blakes Business Class

Category: Insurance

Changes to Financial Services Regulation in British Columbia

November 5, 2019

British Columbia’s new regulator, the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA), commenced operations on November 1, 2019, when the key sections of its empowering legislation came into force, at which time the Financial Institutions Commission of British Columbia (FICOM) ceased its operations. BCFSA is a new Crown corporation governed by the Financial Services Authority Act, 2019 (Bill 26), which received royal…

Posted by:

Bonny Murray and Alana Scotchmer

Posted in: Banking, Financial Services Regulatory, Insurance

Revamping Canada’s Anti-Money Laundering Rules: What’s New, What’s Changed and What It Means for Business

July 3, 2019

Since the proposed amendments to the regulations (Regulations) to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) were released in June 2018, regulated entities (REs) have been anxiously awaiting the final version of the Regulations, after numerous rounds of consultations with the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). The suspense has now ended. Although…

Posted by:

Jacqueline Shinfield

Posted in: Banking, Financial Services Regulatory, Fintech, Gaming, Insurance

Proposed Changes to Stock Option Tax Rules

June 19, 2019

On June 17, 2019, Canada’s finance minister tabled a Notice of Ways and Means Motion regarding the taxation of employee stock options. This follows from the government’s announcement in the 2019 Budget that it intended to limit the availability of the 50 per cent deduction on employee stock option benefits (i.e., the deduction that effectively provides capital gains treatment on…

Posted in: Capital Markets, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Insurance, Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation, Tax

Canadian Mergers and Acquisitions: FAQs and 2019 Trends

February 6, 2019

The Blakes Canadian Mergers and Acquisitions: FAQs and 2019 Trends answers frequently asked questions regarding the regulation of public M&A in Canada and provides an outlook for what 2019 may hold based on significant developments we observed in the Canadian deal environment.

Posted by:

Markus Viirland and David Bristow

Posted in: Cannabis, Capital Markets, China, Competition & Antitrust, Corporate & Commercial, Fintech, Foreign Investment, Information Technology, Insurance, Japan, Latin America, Middle East, Mining, Oil & Gas, Pension Funds Investment, Private Equity, Trends, United States

OSFI Issues Updated Securitization Framework for Insurers

October 1, 2018

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) recently published Draft Guideline B-5: Asset Securitization (Draft Guideline), which sets out an updated regulatory framework for the securitization activities of federally regulated insurers, including foreign insurer branches and mortgage insurers (Insurers). The Draft Guideline will replace the existing OSFI Guideline B-5 published in November 2004, and the related OSFI Advisory:…

Posted by:

Adam Jackson, Vladimir Shatiryan and Ronald Zveiris (Student-at-Law)

Posted in: Financial Services Regulatory, Insurance, Structured Finance & Derivatives

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Revised Regulations to PCMLTFA

June 12, 2018

The wait is over. On June 9, 2018, the Department of Finance (Department) released the long-awaited amendments to the regulations to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) (Revised Regulations). Highlights include the regulations of virtual currencies, businesses providing foreign money services and pre-paid products. In addition, the life insurance sector is to become subject to…

Posted by:

Jacqueline Shinfield

Posted in: Banking, Financial Services Regulatory, Insurance

Alberta Court Releases Precedent-Setting Decision on Insurers’ Right and Duty to Defend

March 13, 2018

In its recent decision in Temple Insurance Company v. Sazwan, the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta (Court) considered the scope of, and exceptions to, an insurer’s right and duty to defend. This is the first decision in Alberta to conclude that, in an appropriate case, an insurer may have to surrender its right and duty to defend to its…

Posted by:

Keith Marlowe, David Tupper and Kene Ilochonwu

Posted in: Insurance, Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Canadian Mergers and Acquisitions: FAQs and 2018 Trends

February 16, 2018

Our Canadian Mergers and Acquisitions: FAQs and 2018 Trends answers frequentlyasked questions regarding the regulation of public M&A in Canada and provides anoutlook for what 2018 may hold based on significant developments we observedfrom the Canadian deal environment in 2017.

Posted by:

Markus Viirland and Madison Wosminity

Posted in: Cannabis, Capital Markets, China, Competition & Antitrust, Corporate & Commercial, Fintech, Foreign Investment, Information Technology, Insurance, Japan, Latin America, Mergers & Acquisitions, Middle East, Mining, Oil & Gas, Pension Funds Investment, Private Equity, United States

Quebec Introduces Much Anticipated Bill 141 to Revise Framework for Quebec Financial Sector

October 10, 2017

On October 5, 2017, Quebec’s Minister of Finance Carlos Leitão (Minister) introduced Bill 141, An Act mainly to improve the regulation of the financial sector, the protection of deposits of money and the operation of financial institutions (Bill) in the National Assembly, a much anticipated omnibus bill that is meant to improve the framework of Quebec’s financial sector and strengthen…

Posted by:

Philippe Bourassa and Annick Demers

Posted in: Banking, Capital Markets, Corporate & Commercial, Corporate Governance, Financial Services Regulatory, Insurance, Structured Finance & Derivatives

2017 Federal Budget – Selected Tax Measures

March 23, 2017

On March 22, 2017 the Minister of Finance introduced Canada’s 2017 Federal Budget (2017 Budget). Despite persistent rumours, no change was proposed to the capital gains inclusion rate. The 2017 Budget does include a mix of targeted anti-avoidance rules, legislative responses to recent jurisprudence, and other narrow changes to address perceived problems in the existing provisions of the Income Tax…

Posted in: Capital Markets, Corporate & Commercial, Financial Services, Insurance, Investment Products & Asset Management, Oil & Gas, Pensions, Benefits & Executive Compensation, Renewable Energy, Tax