Torys

Banking & Finance, Insurance

A preeminent figure in the financial services industry, Blair has decades of experience advising Canada’s leading financial institutions on regulatory matters and industry best practices, and has acted as counsel on some of the country’s most complex and novel issues in his field.

Blair is co-head of the firm’s Financial Services, Bank Regulatory and Insurance Regulatory practices, and is co-head of the Payments and Cards Practice. He advises on corporate and regulatory issues relating to financial institutions, as well as on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance in the financial services industry.

Blair is known for his in-depth understanding of all matters relating to the Bank Act. In addition, he has extensive experience in insurance and bank regulatory matters, banking and debt finance as well as payments and cards.

Ontario Bar, 1989

Blair was a member of the Regulatory Advisory Group to the Task Force for the Payments System Review in 2011, providing advice on regulatory and legal issues related to the payments industry in Canada.

Blair also recently provided advice to the Canadian life insurance industry on the insurance holding company capital regime, and, over the last several years, has provided advice to the Canadian life insurance industry on various government bills, which contained amendments to the financial institutions statutes.

In his capacity as Co-Chair of the Financial Services Legislative Reform Committee of the Canadian Bar Association, Blair appeared as a witness before the House of Commons Finance Committee on Bill C-67 (which implemented branch banking in Canada for foreign banks in 1999).

While on secondment to the Canadian Bankers’ Association, he testified before parliamentary committees, drafted amendments to the legislation and advised the Canadian Bankers’ Association on revisions to the legislation affecting federal financial institutions.