Douglas New, former Chair of the firm's Antitrust/Competition & Marketing Law Group, carries on an active business law practice with special focus on advising clients, both domestic and foreign, with respect to pre-merger regulatory approvals under Canadian legislation including the Competition Act and the Investment Canada Act. Douglas also regularly advises manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers with respect to competition and marketing law issues in Canada.
Douglas served with Canada's Foreign Investment Review Agency (now the Investment Review Division of Industry Canada) in the position of Special Advisor (Legal) to the Deputy Commissioner. He has written articles on Canada's foreign investment laws for publications such as Business Lawyer (ABA), CA Magazine and International Financial Law Review and is currently a contributing editor to the Matthew Bender & Co publication Doing Business In Canada on this subject. He has also served as chair and lecturer on panels in Canada and abroad speaking on Canadian foreign investment and competition laws and is listed in Chambers Global – The World's Leading Lawyers for Business 2010 and 2011.
With respect to advertising and marketing law, Douglas regularly provides guidance to major manufacturers, distributors and other businesses on pricing and distribution practices, advertising and marketing practices, discount programs, packaging and labelling, promotions and promotional contests and telemarketing issues.
Douglas also conducts a general business law practice providing commercial and corporate law counsel services to a broad range of public and private companies including a number of Fortune 500 companies. As with his regulatory practice, his objective is to assist his clients in achieving their business objectives by providing knowledgeable legal advice in a timely and efficient manner.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Douglas obtained his Juris Doctorate at the University of Western Ontario in 1974 following which he was called to the degree of Barrister-at-Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada and enrolled as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ontario. During his tenure with the firm, he has served on numerous firm committees including as Chair of the Business Development Committee. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the firm's Diversity Committee.
Membership/Affiliations
- Competition Law Section, Canadian Bar Association
- International Antitrust Committee, Antitrust Law Section, American Bar Association
- Antitrust and Trade Law Section, International Bar Association
- Foreign Investment Review Committee, Canadian Bar Association
- Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Section, Ontario Bar Association
- Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (Lifetime Member)
- Ontario Investment Promotion Co-ordination Committee, a joint committee of the Ontario and Canadian Governments dealing with trade and investment issues (past member)
- Directorships (current and past): Rohm and Haas Canada Inc., Rio Algom Ltd., Munters Inc., Synergistics Industries Ltd., Handleman Company of Canada Ltd., Datastream International (Canada) Ltd., WEFA Canada, Inc., Cognizant Technologies Inc.