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​Blockchain
 "Distributed Ledger Technologies - Issues and Opportunities"
June 18, 2019
Metro Convention Centre

In-person & Webcast (in-person registration is limited)

Blockchain:

Will you be ready? Don’t be left behind!

Blockchain will significantly disrupt several industries including banking, insurance, health care,
supply chain management, education, real estate, public sector etc.

It will be important to adapt before your competitors do.

Tips, traps and opportunities in this rapidly changing environment.

Agenda

8:00 am - Coffee

 

8:50 am - Welcome + Introduction

 

9:00 am - Setting the Stage
Usman Sheikh, Partner, Gowlings, National Head, Blockchain & Smart Contract Group
Why this is important. The businesses and activities most affected. The rapidly changing environment and escalating risks. Navigating the landmines.

 

9:30 am - Blockchain in Financial Industry
Soumak Chatterjee, Partner, Deloitte
Faster more efficient processing recorded and verified  electronically.
Reducing the cost of cross border transaction fees. Underlying protocols support more robust identity management and KYC (know your customer) requirements.
Smart contracts streamline settlement and titling processes. The scalability issue of seven transactions per second. Lightening Network

 

10:15 am - Break
10:30 am - Blockchain in Supply Chain Management
Stephen Laaper, Principal, Deloitte, Digital Supply Networks Leader
Manufacturing /retail (supply chain), Pharmaceuticals and Food processing (track & trace serialization)
UPS and FEDEX and BiTA (Blockchain in Trucking Alliance)
How Maersk and Walmart are taking advantage of Blockchain.

 

11:15 am - Smart Contracts
Andrea Johnson, Partner, Dentons Canada LLP
Blockchain technology can also be used to implement and enforce so-called “smart contracts”, which can utilize the blockchain system to automate, verify, and timestamp the completion of contractual steps, potentially eliminating the need for intermediaries, such as escrow agents, to oversee and verify contractual agreements.
Creation and enforcement of contracts. Cutting out intermediaries from your day-to-day operations. BaaS (Blockchain as a Service).
Integration with existing business data, systems of record (SOR)

 

11:45 - Investment opportunities in Blockchain
Peggy Van de Plassche, Founding Partner, Roar VC
Investing in coins and tokens. Investing in startups that exploit blockchain technologies. Investing in blockchain service providers.  Investing in blockchain ETFs.

 

12:15 pm - Lunch
1:00 pm - Significant Regulatory Developments
Blair Wiley, Partner, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
When does an initial coin offering (ICO) constitute trade in securities and fall under securities laws.
Getting exemptions for an ICO. When does an ICO or an ITO offering meet the definition of "investment contract".
Case studies including Token Funder Inc., CreUnite, BTCReal, BitSerial

 

1:45 pm - Legal issues related to Blockchain Payments and Guarantees
Jacqueline Shinfield, Partner, Blake Cassels & Graydon, Samantha Wu, Reuters LLP
Regulation and Compliance. Payments and new Anti-Money Laundering rules. Virtual currencies.
The accessibility of information during system outages or unforeseeable circumstances.
The nature of documentary evidence required by a Court to prove a party's rights - is it enough to extend a digital demand for payment?
The "digital guarantee" ... relying on the operation of the shared ledger to ensure the validity and integrity of a guarantee. Existence is immediately visible to both issuer and recipient.
Dematerialization of paper-based guarantees and the impact.

 

2:30 pm - Break

 

2:45pm - Taxation and Accounting Implications as a Result of Blockchain Implementations
Paritosh Gambher, Audit Partner, Financial Services Practice, KPMG
Understanding the issues that must be taken into account;
Key steps that should be taken from a taxation and auditing perspective when entering into blockchain implementations.

 

3:15 pm - Role of the Cybersecurity Consultant
Claudiu Popa, CEO, Datarisk Canada & Informatica Security
Corporation; Ed Dubrovsky, Managing Director, Cyber breach response, Cytelligence
The security of the blockchain is dependent on ensuring the identity of the parties submitting transactions to the ledger. While the identities of the parties are secured through encryption, should someone’s private key be publicly disclosed, then anyone else could use that key to authorize any transaction on their behalf.
Hacking, Shut downs, Absconding. How the Cybersecurity consultant can engage before an issue arises. Helping organizations put policies and practices in place to protect themselves. What steps should be taken now in anticipation of new regulations.

 

3:45 pm - Next Steps
Usman Sheikh, Partner, Gowlings, National Head, Blockchain & Smart Contract Group
Can Blockchain add value in your organization?
If so, actions you will need to take to protect your organization.
Anticipated changes in the regulations. How our panel of experts can help

 

4:15 pm - Round Table Discussion

 

4:45 pm - Cocktail Reception

Speakers

Usman Sheikh

Usman Sheikh is Gowling’s National Head of the Blockchain & Smart Contract practice group as well as the firm's National Litigation Lead - Securities, Compliance & Investigations.  He has extensive experience in complex corporate / commercial, securities, administrative and crypto-currency litigation.  In 2016, Usman was recognized by Benchmark Canada’s Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Future Star” in litigation.

Prior to joining Gowlings, Usman was a Prosecutor / Litigation Counsel in the Enforcement Branch of the Ontario Securities Commission. Prior to that, Usman served as an associate with a premier litigation boutique in Toronto.

Usman has authored over 25 publications. He is also a frequent lecturer at the University of Toronto (Faculty of Law), Osgoode Hall Law School, the DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University) as well as at various continuing legal education seminars and conferences on securities law, corporate law and administrative law. He is also authoring the upcoming book, The Law of Blockchain Technology. 

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Soumak Chatterjee

Soumak Chatterjee leads Deloitte’s payments and blockchain team in Canada.

He helps clients drive business value through disruptive products, services and partnerships leveraging his deep expertise at the joint of innovation, business and technology from strategy to execution. Soumak has delivered Blockchain projects at large financial services, government and healthcare clients.

He co-leads Deloitte’s Blockchain work with the World Economic Forum and is a published author and speaker.

Andrea C. Johnson

Ms. Johnson’s practice focuses on corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on technology and emerging growth companies.

She has extensive experience in the private equity and venture capital area and as lead counsel on many of the largest VC financings in Canada.

She advises TSX-listed companies on IPOs, financings (including PIPEs), M&A, stock-based compensation and corporate governance.

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Peggy Van De Plassche

Peggy Van De Plassche is an experienced technology, operations, strategy and finance executive with expertise in new venture development, business management and restructuring, investment management, strategic planning and financial analysis.

A finance professional by trade, Peggy started working in technology 15 years ago, before fintech was a word. She is a founding partner at Roar VC, which invests in Canadian Data AI startups catering to the financial services industry. Prior to launching Roar VC, she was senior advisor at Portag3 Ventures as well as VP Innovation at CIBC. Peggy has also worked at CGI and BMO, founded 113 Ventures, invested in tech companies, and consulted for large organizations and startups.

She has been involved in the community as head of committee and volunteer for several non-profits, is a board member for Zoom.ai, FrontFundr, Hackergal, the Digital Finance Institute Advisory Board, the National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada Advisory Board, and acts as an advisor for the AI Fintech Holt Accelerator and Portag3 Ventures.

Peggy holds a M.Sc. and a B.B.A. from the IÉSEG School of Management and is a CFA Institute member.

Dai Mukherjee

Dai is a senior manager in Deloitte Canada’s Technology Strategy and Architecture practice with over 13 years of consulting experience. Dai has proven expertise in IT strategy development and strategic planning and leading large-scale IT implementations.

Dai has provided advisory services for organizations such as Trillium Health, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, eHealth Ontario, Provincial Community Care Access Centres in Ontario, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Bank of Montreal, Husky Energy, Ontario Lottery and Gaming, Farm Credit Canada, and BC Hydro.

His strength lies in providing strategic advisory services with special focus on health care and other public sector industries.  

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Blair Wiley

Blair is a partner in Osler’s Toronto office.  He practices in the area of corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on regulatory matters relating to trading securities and derivatives, including registration and marketplace regulation.  He leads Osler's cross-disciplinary team advising on issues related to blockchain and crypto-currencies, particularly with respect to regulatory matters and capital-raising.  He also advises on a range of other fintech-related legal matters, including online advice, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding. 

He is currently a member of the Securities Advisory Committee of the Ontario Securities Commission where he provides input on the development of securities regulatory policy in Ontario.

Jacqueline Shinfield

Jacqueline is a Partner in the Financial Services Group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. With over 20 years experience, Jacqueline is one of Canada’s leading financial services regulatory lawyers. 

Her practice focuses on all aspects of regulatory compliance in the retail financial services industry at both the federal and provincial level with a special emphasis on payment card compliance, and anti-money laundering legislation.  She provides advice to numerous Canadian and foreign providers of financial services including banks, foreign banks, trust companies, financing companies, payday loan companies, money services businesses, mortgage brokers, foreign exchange dealers, and gift and payment card networks, issuers, processors, retailers and service providers.

She has extensive experience providing advice in respect of Canada’s anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism financing legislation, the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act.  In addition, Jacqueline has particular expertise in the payment card industry where she provides advice to payment card networks, credit card issuers, gift card issuers, prepaid card issuers, as well as to credit card and other payment processors and merchant acquirers.  

Jacqueline Shinfield
Paritosh-Gambher

Paritosh Gambher

Paritosh is an Audit Partner in KPMG’s Financial Services Practice, specializing in asset management and banking. He has over 15 years of professional experience servicing financial institutions.

Organization involvement includes Private Capital Markets Association of Canada (PCMA), Director; Member of Industry Regulation and Tax Committee, Portfolio Management Association of Canada. 

He has experience in servicing large financial institutions in Canada, helping clients meet the challenges of an ever-changing environment. These financial institutions include asset management firms, investment funds including alternative investments, exchange traded funds and private equity.  His experience includes leading segments such as personal and commercial banking, credit risk, securitizations and wealth management.

Paritosh is an expert on the taxation and accounting implications as a result of blockchain implementations.

Claudiu Popa

Claudiu Popa, CISSP, CIPP, PMP, CISA, CRISC, is the CEO of Datarisk Canada and Informatica Security Corporation. He is a leading authority on risk management, personal information protection, data security strategy and author of four books including The Canadian Cyberfraud Handbook: A Professional Reference (Thomson Reuters) and Managing Personal Information: Insights on Corporate Risk and Opportunity for Privacy-Savvy Leaders (Thomson Reuters).

He is the co-founder of the KnowledgeFlow Foundation, a Canadian non-profit organization with the unique objective of bringing children, families and communities in touch with cybersafety techniques that provide lifelong protection from scams, privacy abuses, online victimization and cybercrime.

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List of Conferences for Blockchain

Blockchain in Oil & Gas
September 20-21 | Houston, Texas

CryptoBlockCon
September 24-25 | Houston, Texas

Blockchain Live
September 26, 2018 | London, UK

Dubai Blockchain Expo
October 18, 2018 | Dubai, UAE

World Blockchain Summit Dubai
October 24-25, 2018 | Dubai, UAE

What’s Included

Conference fee includes conference information kit including speakers notes, lunch and cocktail reception.

Please note that conferences can count towards up to 9 of the 12 hours of mandatory CPD for Ontario lawyers.
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