Peter Dillon

Peter works primarily with Canadian, US and international businesses involved in the technology, manufacturing and services sectors. Many of his clients are household names in the franchise sector. He has decades of experience in mergers and acquisitions of businesses. He advises clients on matters relating to cybersecurity, disaster recovery plans, privacy and anti-spam, including PIPEDA, Privacy Shield and GDPR compliance. Peter is a trusted advisor, lawyer and attorney to Presidents and CEO’s on matters relating to business acquisitions, strategic business decisions, product licensing, distribution agreements, franchise disclosure and other issues that affect enterprise viability, survival, and prosperity.

He has received an Osgoode Certificate in Negotiating and Drafting IT Agreements and an Osgoode Certificate in Blockchains, SmartContracts and the law. He is a member of the Canadian Technology Law Association, TechAlliance, Toronto Computer Lawyers Group, Legal Hackers, and Blockchain Canada. He serves on the Board of Directors of 1855 Accelerator, City Flow Project, a number of foreign-owned Canadian entities, and on the Non-Executive board of Learning Enterprises Organization Ltd. (UK). Peter served as the only Canadian member of the Franchise Advisory Board of the North American Securities Administrators Association, and as Canadian Governmental Expert to the International Organization for the Unification of Private International Law (UNIDROIT) in Rome in connection with the development by UNIDROIT of a model international franchise law. He has prior experience with litigation and insolvency law, with reported decisions in the Tax Court of Canada, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, and the Ontario Superior Court (In Bankruptcy). He is the author of Franchise Legislation in Canada (Thomson Reuters), the first and leading annotation of Canadian franchise legislation.

Canadian Technology Law Association, Member
Tech Alliance, Member
Toronto Computer Lawyers Group, Member
Legal Hackers, Member
Blockchain Canada, Member
American Bar Association Forum on Franchising, Member
Canadian Bar Association, Past Member
Canadian Franchise Association, Past Member
Franchise Law Group, Commercial Law Affiliates, Past Chairman
Ontario Bar Association, Past Member, Executive of the Ontario Bar Association Subcommittee on Franchising, Government Liaison

Peter has received the following distinguished appointments:

• By the Deputy Attorney General for the State of Maryland to the Franchise and Business Opportunities Advisory Board of NASSA (the North American Securities Administrators Association) in Washington, D.C., as the only non-American representative.
• By the Government of Canada to the Committee of Governmental Experts of UNIDROIT (the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law) in Rome, in connection with the preparation by UNIDROIT of a Model Franchise Law recommended for adoption by all nations.

In Autumn 2022, Peter was named to the Mondaq Thought Leadership Awards in Data Protection for his authorship of Data Privacy Comparative Guide

Peter is named in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a consistently recommended practitioner for his expertise in assisting franchisor-side law.

Listed in Who’s Who Legal

Named “Franchise Lawyer of the Year – Canada” in 2017 by CorporateINTL

Prior experience with litigation an insolvency law, with reported decisions in the Tax Court of Canada, the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, and the Ontario Superior Court (In Bankruptcy).

• Franchise Legislation in Canada, Canada’s leading legal commentary on provincial franchise legislation, published by Canada Law Book.
• Contributing Editor to the Lexis/Nexis Siskinds Netletter on Franchise Law
• Contributing Editor to the Journal of Franchise and Distribution
• Author of more than 40 other published articles

• Tech Alliance, Board of Directors
• 1855 Accelerator, Board of Directors
• Neighbourhood Association, President
• London Community Foundation, Past Director
• Junior Achievement, Past Director

• Privacy laws in Canada: to infinite fees and beyond
• Changes on horizon for Canada’s privacy laws thanks to Bill C-11
• Who has you covered? Ontario Court of Appeal narrows the availability of coverage for cyber matters under traditional insurance policies
• Top five things you need to know to get your business to be PCI compliant
• Google’s landmark win could set precedent for Canada
• Data breach highlights how easily it can happen
• Canadian case provides valuable lessons for crypto users
• Vehicle ‘black boxes’ need tighter rules
• Coffee giant, franchisee group close to settling two class action lawsuits
• If it looks like a franchise, it’s a franchise
• E-signatures legally equivalent to handwritten ones
• Cities could add another layer to data protection
• Tech firms must follow Canadian anti-spam laws
• Siskinds files proposed class action against Facebook
• Canadian companies may soon be impacted by the GDPR
• Is Your Franchise Disclosure Document Up to Date?
• Protecting one’s information on social media
• A ‘dose of pragmatism’ from Court of Appeal
• ‘Canada: it’s like watching a car crash in slow motion’
• Don’t just throw old electronics in the trash