Joshua Krane

A nationally and internationally acclaimed leader in competition/antitrust and foreign investment law, Josh brings a wealth of experience to MLT Aikins. His work spans strategic transactions, regulatory matters and high stakes commercial disputes and investigations. Clients also look to Josh to provide insight into pricing strategies, contracting practices and managing relationships with customers, suppliers and competitors.

Josh is a trusted authority on foreign investment law, frequently advising on matters under the Investment Canada Act, including national security reviews. He has testified before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry and Technology on the Act, and was formerly a co-author of Investment Canada Act: Commentary and Annotation, a detailed and straightforward guide for lawyers, government officials, foreign investors and Canadian businesses that participate in the review processes under the Act.

Josh is widely recognized for his work in advertising law. He regularly advises on the ever-evolving realm of digital marketing – from large, high-profile campaigns to the nuances of social media and influencer marketing. He represents clients in disputes before Canadian courts and regulatory bodies including the Competition Bureau, Ad Standards Canada and the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). Notably, he achieved a first-of-its kind resolution in a highly publicized digital marketing case, securing the Competition Bureau’s agreement to limit its remedy to Canadian websites.

Prior to entering private practice, Josh served as counsel with government agencies such as the Competition Bureau’s legal services branch, Ontario’s constitutional law branch and the Federal Prosecution Service.

• Moderator, “Creating Economic Opportunity through Deregulation and Competition,” Harper Economic Forum (November 28, 2024)
• Co-chair, Canadian Bar Association 2024 Competition Law Spring Conference (May 1-2, 2024)
• Speaker, “Making a successful transition to graduate studies/law school,” University of Ottawa (March 24, 2021)
• Presenter, “Government Control of Business,” McGill University Faculty of Law (February 12, 2021)
• Speaker, “Abuse of Dominance Comes in for a Landing: The State of s. 79 Following VAA and TREB,” The Reviewable Matters/Unilateral Conduct Committee and Competition Litigation Committee of the CBA Competition Law Section, the Canadian Bar Association (Toronto, Ontario, January 17, 2020)
• Speaker, “Economist Roundtable with the Competition Bureau,” Economics and Law Committee of the CBA Competition Law Section, Canadian Bar Association (Toronto, Ontario, May 16, 2018)
• Speaker, “Paper, Rock, and Privilege – Document Production in an Age of the Million Document Case,” Competition Litigation Committee of the CBA Competition Law Section, Canadian Bar Association (Toronto, Ontario, March 13, 2018)

• “Here’s what we need to do to keep Canadian journalism alive,” The Toronto Star (June 23, 2024)
• “Some advice for Matthew Boswell, the once and future competition king,” The Globe and Mail (December 21, 2023)
• “Canadian Lawmakers Bolster Investment Screening Regime Bill,” Global Competition Review (October 5, 2023)
• “For improving air travel, WestJet’s Sunwing acquisition is a step forward,” The Globe and Mail (March 15, 2023)
• “The government is dragging criminal law into the Competition Act – it shouldn’t,” The Globe and Mail (February 13, 2023)
• Co-author, “Drip Pricing Amendments to the Competition Act,” C.D. Howe Institute (May 3, 2022)
• “The way Canada reviews foreign investments is out of date,” iPolitics (March 18, 2022)
• “National security amicus would make foreign investment review more efficient and transparent: report,” Canadian Lawyer Magazine (February 22, 2022)
• Co-author, “A Friend in High Places: A Proposal to Add a National Security Amicus to Canada’s Investment Review Regime,” C.D. Howe Institute (February 17, 2022)
• “Competition Act Changes: Proceed with Caution,” C.D. Howe Institute (May 10, 2021)
• Co-author, “Opinion: Vigorous enforcement, not studies, are what Canada’s competition laws need,” National Post (April 13, 2021)
• “Merger regulators don’t have crystal balls, but we have backstops if they get it wrong,” The Globe and Mail (December 29, 2020)
• “Opinion: New Competition Bureau guidelines deliver chilling message to businesses already feeling the heat,” The Globe and Mail (November 1, 2020)
• “Canada Chapter,” Cartels, Eighth Edition, Global Legal Insights (February 2020)
• “Canada Chapter,” Cartels, Seventh Edition, Global Legal Insights (February 2019)
• “Opinion: The truth about TREB,” REMonline.com (October 9, 2018)
• “Important Recent Competition Law Developments in Canada,” Canadian Corporate Counsel: A Practical Reference for Corporate, Municipal and Crown Counsel, Volume 27, No. 7 (September/October 2018)
• “Canada Hikes Merger Filing Fee,” Global Competition Review (April 25, 2018)
• “Canada Chapter,” Cartels, Sixth Edition, Global Legal Insights (February 2018)

Recent transactional matters include:

• Sunwing Vacations on its combination with WestJet
• Calian Group on its acquisition of Ottawa-based Decisive Group
• Domtar on its proposed US$2.7-billion acquisition of Resolute Forest Products
• SYNNEX on its US$7.2-billion merger with Tech Data to create TD Synnex
• Domtar on the US$300-million sale of the Kamloops pulp mill to Kruger
• Quickie Convenience Stores on the sale of 22 retail gas stations and 51 convenience stores to MacEwen Petroleum
• Paper Excellence on its US$3-billion acquisition of Domtar
• West Fraser Timber on its $4-billion acquisition of Norbord
• The Jim Pattison Group in the sale of Sun-Rype Products Ltd. to Lassonde Industries Inc.
• Harris Corporation on its US$34-billion merger with L3 Technologies
• The Washington Companies on its US$1.2-billion acquisition of Dominion Diamond
• Summit Park on its US$50-million acquisition of certain assets from Iron Mountain Incorporated under a consent agreement with the Commissioner of Competition
• Westlake Chemical Corporation on its US$3.8-billion acquisition of Axiall Corporation
• Imperial Oil on its $2.8-billion sale of 497 company-owned Esso retail stations
• Holcim Ltd on its $50-billion merger with Lafarge S.A. and on its divestment of certain North American cement, ready-mix, aggregates and construction businesses to CRH plc
• Schneider Electric SA on its acquisition of Invensys plc in a transaction valued at US$5.2-billion
• Daylight Energy Ltd. on its $2.2-billion acquisition by China Petrochemical Corporation, known as Sinopec Group

Recent disputed matters include:

• The Competitive Network Operators of Canada in connection with access to wholesale high-speed internet before the CRTC
• A complaint to the Competition Bureau in connection with a merger that resulted in a significant divestiture remedy
• A real estate board in connection with an abuse of dominance investigation by the Competition Bureau
• StubHub in connection with a Competition Bureau investigation into advertising practices
• The Toronto Real Estate Board in its appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in connection with a Competition Bureau challenge under the Competition Act
• Alcon Canada in relation to a Competition Bureau investigation under the abuse of dominance provisions of the Competition Act
• Canadian Civil Liberties Association in relation to its intervention before the Supreme Court of Canada in an asset forfeiture case
• An auto parts company in response to a production order issued under the Competition Act
• United airlines in relation to the Competition Bureau’s challenge of alliance agreements with Air Canada under the civil merger and competitor collaboration provisions of the Competition Act before the Competition Tribunal

• Recognized as a leading lawyer, Competition/Antitrust, Chambers Canada (2025)
• Recognized as a leading lawyer, Advertising and Marketing Law and Competition/Antitrust Law, Best Lawyers in Canada (2025)
• Recognized as a leading litigator, Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2024
• Recognized in 2024 Who’s Who Legal: Competition Guide
• Recognized as a Consistently Recommended Lawyer, Competition Law, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2023, 2024)
• Recognized as a leading lawyer, Competition/Antitrust, Chambers Global (2024)
• Recognized as a leading lawyer, Competition/Antitrust, Chambers Canada (2024)
• Recognized as a leading lawyer, Advertising and Marketing Law and Competition/Antitrust Law, Best Lawyers in Canada (2024)
• Recognized as a leading litigator, Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2023
• Listed as a leader in Competition, Who’s Who Legal: Canada (2022, 2023)
• Listed as a Future Leader – Partner, Competition Law, 2023 Who’s Who Legal: Competition Guide
• Listed as a Future Leader, Competition and Foreign Investment Review, Who’s Who Legal: Global 2022
• Winner, Lexpert Rising Star Awards: Leading Lawyer Under 40 (2022)
• Thompson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer based on client service excellence
• Recognized as a Repeatedly Recommended Lawyer, Competition Law and Advertising & Marketing Law, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
• Recognized by Who’s Who Legal: M&A and Governance (Foreign Investment Review) and as a future leader in Competition/Antitrust Law

• Trustee, Ontario Science Centre
• Co-chair, Canadian Bar Association 2024 Competition Law Spring Conference