News from LaBarge Weinstein

• Marijuana has become a hot topic across Canada in recent months. In April, Health Minister Jane Philpott announced that federal marijuana legislation will be introduced in spring 2017. The shift from legal medical marijuana in Canada, as is the case now, to legal recreational marijuana will bring with it a number of challenges and opportunities for businesses, regulators and the public. In order to tackle some of these issues head on, in May, LaBarge Weinstein together with Wildeboer Dellelce LLP and Dundee Capital Markets presented the Marijuana Regulation Conference: Policy and Business Considerations in Toronto. The event featured keynote speaker Bill Blair, the parliamentary secretary to the justice minister who serves as the point person on the legalization legislation. LaBarge Weinstein’s Debbie Weinstein spoke to the crowd about what can be learned from jurisdictions that have already legalized recreational pot and how the marijuana industry is changing. Some of the highlights of Debbie’s presentation can be read on the LaBarge Weinstein blog: How Canada’s marijuana industry is going mainstream and Lessons Canada can learn about marijuana regulation from Colorado and Washington
   
• LaBarge Weinstein co-founding partner Paul LaBarge is a champion of Canada, especially when it comes to the Trans Canada Trail (TCT), the network of more than 20,000 kilometres of multi-use trails that span the country. Paul was one of the founding members of the TCT in 1992 and remains not only an avid user of the trail system but as Board Chair, he’s a key part of the organization, too. In June, the Globe and Mail published a feature on the Trans Canada Trail and its quest to connect all parts of the network by 2017. Paul’s thoughts on the Trail and its impact on Canadians can also be read in our blog post.
   
• In May, Kyle Lavender and Gisèle Salazar spoke to a group of tech company insiders as part of the BC Tech Association’s Grub in the Hub series. Kyle, a member of our Corporate, Commercial and Securities group, and Gisèle, part of our Licensing team, outlined everything startup workers need to know about growing their business, focusing on Minimum Viable Legals.  Interested in having LaBarge Weinstein present to your company or group? Contact our Marketing Specialist to make arrangements.
   
• LaBarge Weinstein is proud to support a number of incubators and accelerators across the country in order to help give the next great startups the tools and information they need. It’s been a busy few months at LaBarge Weinstein as partners and associates have made their way to Demo Days, pitchfests and other events including the Propel ICT Demo Day in Halifax, Founder Fuel’s Demo Day in Montréal and L-Spark’s 2016 Canadian SaaS Showcase and Cottage Pitchfest in the Ottawa area. For more information on our startup work, click here.
   
• We’re happy to announce that articling students Sam Gregg-Wallace (McGill) and Laura Venasse (University of Ottawa) will be joining the firm full time as associates in August. Both Sam and Laura were called to the bar this summer and are enjoying some downtime before returning back to work. The two first joined the firm as summer students in 2014. We are also pleased to welcome five summer students to LaBarge Weinstein this year. Joining the firm until August are Mindy Boparai (University of British Columbia),  Christopher Dittrich (University of Ottawa), Olivia Lysenko (University of Ottawa), Jessica Ward (University of Ottawa) and Eric Widdowson (University of New Brunswick). Later this summer, we will be welcoming back last year's summer students Greg Brown (Queen's University), Nick Jasperse (Dalhousie Law School), Nicolas Joubert (University of Ottawa) and Leigh-Anne Norris (University of Ottawa) as articling students.

Client Updates

• Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company has sold the company … to employees. The Vankleek Hill, Ontario-based brewery, a family-run company since it began in 2006, announced the sale under an Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP). The approximately 150 employees will become co-owners and an even greater part of the Beau’s family, says CEO Steve Beauchesne. Employees will share responsibility for the brewery’s future and continued growth as it sets to expand across the country by the end of the year. Beau’s Lug Tread also becomes the official beer of Ottawa 2017, the event celebrating Canada’s 150^th birthday.
   
• Smiths Falls, Ontario-based Canopy Growth Corporation was the first federally approved, publicly traded cannabis provider in North America when it listed on the TSX Venture Exchange in April 2014. Now, the company is graduating to the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). In June, Canopy received conditional approval to graduate from TSX Venture and list its common shares on the TSX. The common shares will commence trading on the TSX under the symbol "CGC" effective as of the open of the market on July 26, 2016. â€œThe sector is growing rapidly and we have focused on maintaining our leadership position as it grows,” said a statement from Canopy Growth Chairman and CEO Bruce Linton. “Listing on the TSX will bring even more visibility and credibility as we pursue domestic and international business." Canopy continues to see growth. For the fourth quarter of 2016, the company reported revenues of $5 million - an increase of more than 300 percent over the three month period ended March 31, 2015 and a 45 percent increase over Q3 of the 2016 fiscal year. For the fiscal year 2016, the company reported revenues of $12.7 million, representing a greater than 430 percent increase over the fiscal year ended March 31, 2015.
   
• Frank & Oak have relaunched with new platform including a new app and website, introducing of two-hour delivery and a team of chatbots and stylists. To attract even more of the market, the popular menswear brand announced that it is launching a womenswear line this fall.
   
• Mobile Klinik, fresh off of its success in the National Capital Region, opened its first location in Toronto in mid-May. Mobile Klinik offers smartphone and tablet repair done onsite and in less than 60 minutes. Its Toronto location is located in the PATH at Commerce Court at 199 Bay Street.
   
• Identity verification provider Trulioo’s flagship GlobalGateway solution now covers the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries, the company announced. Trulioo says e-commerce growth rates are expected to grow faster than more advanced markets including the U.S., U.K. and Germany. The company is also going to be expanding opportunities through participation in the Fintech Mission to Brazil program, an initiative supported by the Consulate General of Canada, Global Affairs Canada and Industrial Research Assistance Program. The program will help foster research and development between Canadian and Brazilian companies as well as the overall development of global FinTech products.

Deal Flow Update

• Graphite Software raises $8 million in Series B financing
• TechInsights and Chipworks combine to bolster technical intelligence and patent advisory services
• Buddybuild secures a USD $7.6 million Series A funding round
• Nudge raises $6.5 million in seed round
• Mappedin closes seed extension, bringing venture capital financing raised to $3.5 million to date
• Wellington Financial Fund V provides financing for Acquisio
• The Better Software Company secures $1.6 million in VC funding
• Moncton’s Qimple raises $1.1 million in seed funding
• Peraso raises $20M series C Financing co-led by Integrated Device Technology (IDT) and Roadmap Capital