Pensions and Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions

Pensions and Employee
Benefits in Mergers and
Acquisitions
Presented by the Canadian Bar Association’s
National Pensions and Benefits Law Section and the
Continuing Legal Education Committee
November 20 - 22, 2008
Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel
Toronto, ON
SPONSORS
This program offers substantive sessions dealing exclusively and in-depth with pensions
and benefits in the context of mergers, acquisitions and corporate reorganizations. It will
provide educational and networking opportunities as well as practical drafting and
negotiating tips. The faculty includes leading practitioners and lawyers from across
Canada. It also includes highly regarded guest speakers, Dave Gordon, Deputy
Superintendent, Pensions, Financial Services Commission of Ontario and Henry
Eickelberg, who among other things, is Vice President Human Capital Processes, General
Dynamics Corporation, an adjunct professor of two ERISA programmes at Georgetown
University Law Center, and a director of Deallawyers.com.
While this is an especially important area for pensions and benefits lawyers who advise
corporations and plan administrators, it is no less significant for pensions and benefits
lawyers who advise trade unions or individuals about their employment rights. The
program should appeal to senior practitioners, regulators and junior lawyers as well as
corporate practitioners in firms that are seeking more background in this field.
Background reading on pension basics will be available to all registrants prior to the
conference (see program for details).
Les régimes de retraite et avantages sociaux
dans le cadre des fusions et acquisitions
Ce programme offre des séances, portant exclusivement sur des questions de fond en
matière de régimes de retraite et d’avantages sociaux dans le contexte des fusions,
acquisitions et réorganisations de sociétés, qui vous donneront l’occasion d’obtenir de la
formation et de faire du réseautage, tout en vous fournissant des conseils pratiques en
négociation et en rédaction. La Conférence regroupera des praticiens et des juristes de
renom de partout au Canada et comprendra des exposés de conférenciers renommés,
notamment, Dave Gordon, surintendant adjoint des régimes de retraite, Commission des
services financiers de l’Ontario, et Henry Eickelberg, Vice President Human Capital Processes,
General Dynamics, professeur auxiliaire de deux programmes portant sur la loi américaine
Employee Retirement Income Security Act au Centre juridique de l’Université Georgetown et
directeur de Deallawyers.com.
Bien qu’il s’agisse d’un secteur particulièrement important pour les avocats qui conseillent les
sociétés et les administrateurs de régimes en matière de régimes de retraite et d’avantages
sociaux, il n’en est pas moins important pour les avocats oeuvrant dans ce domaine qui
conseillent les syndicats ou les individus sur leurs droits en matière d’emploi. Le programme
intéressera les juristes chevronnés, les autorités chargées de la réglementation, les jeunes
avocats, ainsi que les avocats pratiquant le droit des sociétés dans des cabinets qui cherchent
de l’expérience dans ce domaine.
Ce programme est offert uniquement en anglais.
Pr o g r a m A g e n d a
Thursday, November 20
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Welcome reception for all registrants, speakers and members of the Pensions and Benefits Law Section of the CBA in
the upstairs lounge of the Peridot Restaurant, 81 Bloor St East Toronto -- across the street from the Marriott hotel.
Sponsored by Towers Perrin
Friday, November 21
7:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by Merrill Corporation Canada
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction by Conference Chair
Randy V. Bauslaugh, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
9:00 a.m. – 10:25 a.m.
Overview of Employee Benefits in Mergers and Acquisitions
Moderator: Bethune Whiston, Morneau Sobeco LP
Speakers: Mario Chassé, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Andrew Harrison, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Martin Rochette, Ogilvy Renault LLP
10:25 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by Lawson Lundell LLP
10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Description of Due Diligence Process
Moderator: Ari Kaplan, Koskie Minsky LLP
Speakers: Karen Shaver, McMillan LLP
Deron Waldock, Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Negotiating the Agreement Part I: Representations
Moderator: Mark Newton, Heenan Blaikie LLP
Speakers: Mitch Frazer, Torys LLP
Mary Picard, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP
12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Lunch
Sponsored by Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Keynote Address by Dave Gordon, Deputy Superintendent, Pensions, Financial Services Commission of Ontario
1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Negotiating the Agreement Part II: Pension Covenants
Moderator: Susan G. Seller, Bennett Jones LLP
Speakers: Jana Steele, Goodmans LLP
Greg Winfield, McCarthy Tétrault LLP
2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Negotiating the Agreement Part III: Non-Pension Covenants
Moderator: Martin Rochette, Ogilvy Renault LLP
Speaker: Ross Gascho, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Refreshment Break
Sponsored by Koskie Minsky LLP
3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Changing or Terminating Benefits
Moderator: Jennifer J. Burnell, Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson LLP
Speakers: Chris Brown, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Mike Mazzuca, Koskie Minsky LLP
Susan Nickerson, Hicks Morley LLP
5:00 p.m.
Cocktails and dinner (for ticket holders only) See registration form for details
Matisse Restaurant located in the hotel.
Please purchase your dinner ticket prior to Nov 7th – no tickets will be sold on site.
Saturday, November 22
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by Merrill Corporation Canada
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Employee Benefit Plans in Global Transactions
Moderator: Murray Campbell, Lawson Lundell LLP
Speakers: Henry Eickelberg, Vice President Human Capital Processes, General Dynamics (USA)
Gary Nachshen, Stikeman Elliott LLP
10:00 a.m. – 10:40 a.m.
Special Issues on Insolvency Purchases
Moderator: Hugh Wright, McInnes Cooper LLP
Speakers: Robin Schwill, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Larry Swartz, Morneau Sobeco LP
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Refreshment Break
11:00 a.m. – noon
Post-Closing Integration Issues
Moderator: Catherine Graham, Hewitt Associates
Speakers: Murray Campbell, Lawson Lundell LLP
Mark Eagles, Mercer Human Resources Consulting
12:00 noon
Closing remarks by Conference Chair
Randy V. Bauslaugh, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Background Reading
Several well-respected experts have agreed to prepare background materials for the conference. The following
materials will be available for registrants prior to the conference:
Design and Funding of Employee Benefit Plans by Janet Downing and Lori Satov, FSA, FCIA, Watson Wyatt
Worldwide
Regulation of Employee Benefit Plans in Canada by Susan G. Seller, Bennett Jones LLP and Ari Kaplan, Koskie,
Minsky LLP
Background Reference Bibliography by Mitch Frazer and Adam Banack, Torys LLP
Toronto offers many opportunities for recreational activities to be pursued after the conference
For more details visit http://www.toronto.ca/visitors
This program has been accredited by the Law Society of
Upper Canada for 9 hours towards the professional
development requirement for certification
Speakers are subject to change