On July 31, 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada provided clarity regarding the treatment of administrative monetary penalties and disgorgement orders resulting from securities violations in Poonian v. British Columbia (Securities Commission).
Thalbinder Singh
Continue Reading 2024 Notable Cases (Part 5) – Supreme Court Clarifies Bankruptcy Treatment of Securities Penalties and Disgorgement Orders
On November 29, 2024, the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba in WSIB Investments (Infrastructure) Pooled Fund Trust v. Plenary Group (Canada) Ltd., awarded over $259 million to the plaintiffs (an employee pension fund
Continue Reading 2024 Notable Cases (Part 4) – $259M Disgorgement Ordered for Breach of Fiduciary Duty
In the summer of 2024, Baker McKenzie obtained a trial judgment in fraud in CHU De Québec-Université Laval v. Tree of Knowledge International Corp. This decision provides clarity on the application of the “recklessness” standard
Continue Reading 2024 Notable Cases (Part 3) – Civil Fraud and Personal Liability Established by Finding that a Corporate Officer’s Conduct was Reckless
The bankruptcy of Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed ‘Crypto King’ began on August 9, 2022, with a court application brought by Baker McKenzie on behalf of a group of investors. This case garnered significant media attention
Continue Reading 2024 Notable Cases (Part 2) – Bankruptcy of the Crypto-King and Related Rulings
As we enter 2025, we look back on five important decisions that made the news in 2024. Here is the the first case.
On October 11, 2024, the Supreme Court of Canada released two decisions
Continue Reading 2024 Notable Cases (Part 1) – Supreme Court clarifies Corporate Attribution DoctrineThe general rule in bankruptcy is that a debtor receives a “fresh start” and is discharged from prior debts, but this is subject to certain exceptions. Subsection 178(1) of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (BIA) sets out eight
Continue Reading Supreme Court Clarifies Exceptions to Fresh Start Principle in Canadian Bankruptcies
Can individuals take steps to make themselves ‘creditor proof’ against future creditors, even when there is no such creditor at the time? If there are sufficient “badges of fraud” present, the answer may be no.Continue Reading Fraudulent Conveyances Act – Future Creditors may challenge transfers
In a post last year, we discussed the decision of the British Columbia Court of Appeal in Poonian v. British Columbia (Securities Commission), 2022 BCCA 274 in which the British Columbia Court of Appeal
Continue Reading Update: SCC To Rule On Survival of Securities Sanctions in Bankruptcies
A bankruptcy discharge releases the debtor from pre-bankruptcy debts or liabilities. The purpose is to give the debtor a “fresh start” from excessive debts that cannot be repaid, except in certain situations such as where the debt arises from deceitful or fraudulent conduct. In Poonian v. British Columbia (Securities Commission), the British Columbia Court of Appeal held that securities sanctions are excluded from bankruptcy discharge. This is significant because this decision diverges from other Canadian appellate decisions.
Continue Reading Securities Sanctions Survive Bankruptcy, British Columbia Court of Appeal Rules
On October 28, 2020, the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned a respected Commercial Court judge’s decision on a motion affecting a range of important legal issues, including the fraud exception to the autonomy principle regarding letters of credit. In 7636156 Canada Inc. (Re), 2020 ONCA 681, Ontario’s highest court clarified the law regarding a landlord’s right to call on a letter of credit (“LC”) when its tenant becomes bankrupt. The Court of Appeal confirmed that, under the autonomy principle, a bank’s obligation under an LC is independent of a tenant’s obligations under the lease, and clarified the fraud exception that allows a bank to refuse to pay on an LC. The case also holds implications for Canadian bankruptcy law.
Continue Reading Fraud exception to letter of credit autonomy principle requires “impropriety, dishonesty or deceit”. Court of Appeal overturns ruling that had denied commercial landlord of bankrupt tenant full amount of credit.