The Complete Brief
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January 28, 2026
Top 10 business decisions of 2025, part one
Here is my annual list of the top 10 business decisions in Canada for the year just ended. This two-part series begins with the cases ranked sixth through tenth, in ascending order. Part two will cover the top five cases.
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January 28, 2026
MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT - Child support - Calculation or attribution of income - Retroactive awards
Appeal by respondent and cross-appeal by petitioner of trial judge’s variation of the child support order. The parties were married for nine years and separated in 2008. A final order set child support based on the respondent’s imputed income of $40,000 without requiring life insurance to secure his obligation.
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January 27, 2026
Privacy commissioner supports proposed data-mobility changes to PIPEDA, marks Data Privacy Week
On Jan. 26, Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne discussed provisions related to data mobility in Bill C-15, noting legislative changes. He also marked Data Privacy Week, taking place Jan. 26 to 30, by announcing his office’s theme of prioritizing privacy by design for organizations.
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January 27, 2026
Canadian private equity deals move forward despite risk, regulation: expert
Private equity dealmaking in Canada is expected to continue in 2026 despite uncertainty around tariffs, geopolitics and regulatory scrutiny, as buyers and sellers focus more closely on managing deal-specific risks, industry observers say.
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January 27, 2026
‘National crisis of antisemitism’ urgently demands law reform, federal action, advocacy groups warn
As Parliament resumed this week, Jewish advocacy groups renewed their calls for immediate legislative and other measures to address antisemitism and the dramatic resurgence of violent extremism against Jews in the wake of the mass murder by Hamas terrorists in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
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January 27, 2026
N.W.T. increases support for Indigenous bodies to have greater say in land, resource management
The Northwest Territories is boosting an assistance program for Indigenous groups in a bid to strengthen their ability to “participate meaningfully” in land and resource management.
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January 27, 2026
Dog bites, boating and injury claims: What Ontario’s liability laws mean for your clients
Serious injury can happen during everyday activities like walking a dog, having a good time on the water or visiting a friend’s property. Seasonal conditions in fall and winter can also increase everyday hazards that could trigger liability, especially when an injury happens on private property. When something goes wrong in any of these situations, it is not always clear who is legally responsible.
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January 27, 2026
Estate law: The benefits of a power of appointment
Broadly speaking, a power of appointment is a valuable estate planning tool that is frequently conferred on a person, including an executor, and the trustee and/or beneficiary of a testamentary or inter vivos trust (the “donee”), in relation to the disposition of assets including a trust fund.
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January 27, 2026
Aird & Berlis adds 9 new partners
Nine people have become partners at Aird & Berlis. According to a statement from the firm, they are:
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January 27, 2026
Misconduct, not retaliation: Court upholds OLRB decision on employee’s social media posts
Terminations following employee complaints often attract close scrutiny from courts and labour tribunals. Important questions arise: was the employer action against the complainant justified or was it a reprisal for the decision to file the complaint? And is the employee using the complaint process to gain an advantage in litigation?