Wednesday, January 20, 2021Stephen A. ThieleLitigationDefamation, Courts of Justice Act

Vigorous and passionate debate over matters of public interest are the lifeblood of democracy because it is often...

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Monday, January 18, 2021James R.G. CookLitigationCopyright, Ontario Court of Appeal , Rules of Civil Procedure, Documentary Film-makers, Copyright Act

For perhaps the first time, the Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered an unsuccessful litigant to post security for costs of a trial judgment before being allowed to proceed with...

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Friday, January 15, 2021Stephen A. ThieleLitigationEvidence, Political Law, Witnesses, Adverse Witness

The examination of witnesses at a trial is governed by certain basic rules. For a witness who is being questioned by the side for which that person is a...

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Friday, January 15, 2021James R.G. Cook, Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigation, Real EstateMunicipal Act, Easement

Home buyers would do well to ensure that their local municipal by-laws and easements do not prohibit their development plans before they embark...

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Thursday, January 14, 2021James R.G. CookLitigationArbitration, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadian Human Rights Act, Canadian Media Guild

Employees frequently use laptop computers provided to them by their employer for personal matters as well as employment-related tasks. To what extent can an employer review private messages...

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Wednesday, January 13, 2021Soma Ray-EllisLitigation, Employment LawCOVID-19, Ontario, Child Care and Early Years Act, Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act

The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, has responded to the unsettling levels of mobility in the province and has declared a second provincial emergency under...

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Friday, January 8, 2021Stephen A. ThieleLitigationCivil Litigation, Evidence, Witnesses, Political Law, Interprovincial Summonses Act

Despite courts moving to electronic hearings whereby theoretically a witness could appear virtually from anywhere...

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Friday, January 8, 2021James R.G. CookLitigation, Employment LawCivil Procedure, Trial Procedure, Non-Compete, Contract Law

Freelance consultants may often be faced with a decision to enter into contracts which purport to limit their ability to seek out what might be construed as...

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Monday, January 4, 2021Stephen A. Thiele, James R.G. CookLitigationLetters of Request, Ontario Evidence Act, Ontario Court of Appeal

As a result of the highly integrated economies and efficient cross-border movement between Canada and the United States (at least prior to the 2020 pandemic), the courts in each country frequently seek each other’s...

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Wednesday, December 30, 2020James R.G. CookLitigationNon-Compete, Restaurant, Interlocutory Injunction , Ottawa, Shareholders’ Agreement

Many will be grateful to see 2020 in the rearview mirror, none more so than restaurant owners. With restaurants scrambling to re-focus on take-out service, perhaps the last thing...

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Monday, December 28, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigation, Real EstateAlberta, Fraud, Dream Home, Construction , Kickbacks

Although building a house can take much planning and hard work in securing a developer, labour and material, it is meant to be a joyous exercise which...

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Thursday, December 24, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigation, Election Law, Public Law, Political Law

Over eight years ago, the Supreme Court of Canada in Opitz v. Wrzesnewskyj, 2012 SCC 55 rejected a bid to overturn a close election result under a contested election application by applying a...

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Thursday, December 24, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateMortgage Fees, Ontario Mortgages Act, Interest Act

Mortgagees suing to recover amounts owing under a mortgage in default should not expect a court to rubber stamp the amounts claimed for fees...

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Wednesday, December 23, 2020James R.G. Cook, Kenneth Jull, Jonathan James Nehmetallah, Ian SpiegelLitigationContract Law, Supreme Court of Canada, Compliance

The Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in C.M. Callow Inc. v. Zollinger on December 18, 2020. This decision is ground-breaking in the world of contracts, and can...

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Tuesday, December 22, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateZoning By-Law, Agreement of Purchase and Sale, Ontario

A recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice affirmed that preliminary discussions between a buyer and seller regarding the potential zoning or...

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Monday, December 21, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigationRules of Professional Conduct, Research, Disciplinary Hearing, Ethics, Legal Research, Law Society of Ontario

Legal research is important. In general, every legal issue requires some form of legal research because each legal issue is informed either by...

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Tuesday, December 15, 2020Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigation, Municipal LawConservation Authorities Act, Bill 229: Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures) 2020, LPAT: Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, Conservation Authority

Ontario has 36 conservation authorities that act as community-based management agencies who undertake watershed-based programs to protect the community from...

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Monday, December 14, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Civil LawOntario Court of Appeal , Fraud

The Ontario Court of Appeal has confirmed that liability for civil conspiracy may arise from the “constructive intent” of a defendant to cause harm even if they are not in direct communication with the plaintiff during...

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Monday, December 14, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigationResearch, COVID-19, Lexis Advance, Quicklaw, CanLII, NextCanada

I have been a legal research lawyer for almost 30 years. When I started law school in 1987 the use of laptops to take notes in lectures was completely unknown. Our first year legal research and writing class was based... 

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Friday, December 11, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Estate PlanningReal Estate, Wills, Trusts, Smith Falls

Property is often transferred between family members without money exchanging hands. There are many reasons for doing so, including estate planning, assisting children with buying a home, removing property from...

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Friday, December 11, 2020Soma Ray-EllisLitigation, Employment LawCOVID-19, Employer, Employee, Employment Agreements, Ontario, Human Rights Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act

If 2020 has felt like a horror movie, the COVID-19 vaccine is the highly anticipated final act. Now with the vaccine’s...

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Wednesday, December 9, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigationDefamation, Supreme Court of Canada

The law of defamation is about protecting a person’s reputation. Accordingly, as determined by the Supreme Court of Canada in the seminal case of...

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Tuesday, December 8, 2020James R.G. CookLitigationCOVID-19, Retail Shopping, Commercial Landlord, Commercial Tenancies Act, HVAC

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumers leery of indoor shopping and retailers being forced to keep their doors closed due to health...

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Monday, December 7, 2020James R.G. CookLitigationDefamation, Damages, Ontario Court of Appeal

In response to a series of negative and untruthful online reviews, a medical doctor sued the author of the posts for defamation and was awarded...

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Wednesday, December 2, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateAgreement of Purchase and Sale, Stouffville, Ontario Court of Appeal , Misrepresentation

A misrepresentation by the seller and real estate agent as to the square footage of a residential property in Stouffville, Ontario resulted in the rescission of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale... 

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Monday, November 30, 2020James R.G. CookLitigationToronto, Easement, Land Title Act, Conveyancing Law and Property Act , Real Estate

In a densely populated city like Toronto, many older neighbourhoods contain tightly-packed homes separated by narrow easements which provide access to...

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Friday, November 27, 2020James R.G. CookLitigationDefamation, Damages, Social Media, BLM Movement, Free Speech

A recent case of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice illustrates the difficulties that a plaintiff may encounter when seeking to stop allegedly defamatory posts...

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Monday, November 9, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateCottage Country, Ontario Court of Appeal , Damages, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry , Lake Simcoe, Boat Dock

After years of litigation, a dispute between neighbours of waterfront properties on Lake Simcoe led to a mandatory order requiring the removal...

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Friday, November 6, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateCottage Country, Zoning By-Law, Georgian Bay, Fire-Pit

Seasonal residents of cottage properties in Tiny Township obtained an injunction prohibiting the municipality from interfering with their use of disputed lands containing...

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Thursday, November 5, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Municipal Law, Real EstateBuilding, Building Code Act, 1992, Conservation Authorities Act

A property owner’s application for an injunction against his neighbour to stop construction of a property which he claimed was in contravention of municipal and conservation authority regulations was...

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Monday, November 2, 2020James R.G. CookLitigationOntario Superior Court of Justice , Courts of Justice Act, Ringette, Coaching, Defamation

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed a defamation claim which arose from an email sent by parents of a competitive ringette player expressing their dissatisfaction with

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Wednesday, October 28, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Municipal LawEnvironmental Protection Act, Municipal Act

Potential harm to a hotel’s online reputation for providing a quiet night’s sleep may be sufficient grounds to obtain an injunction to restrain a noisy neighbour. In JJ’s Hospitality v. Kal Tire, 2020 ONSC 6198 (CanLII), a hotel in...

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Tuesday, October 27, 2020Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawOntario Government, Retirement Homes , Pharmacy, Long-term Care Homes, Ministry of Health

Effective January 1, 2020, the Government of Ontario announced significant changes to the way that pharmacies are paid for services provided to long-term care (LTC) home residents, as set out in...

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Friday, October 23, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateAgreement of Purchase and Sale, Damages, Flooding, Insurance Policy

In Bilotta v. Booth, 2020 ONCA 522, the Ontario Court of Appeal determined that the buyer of a residential property did not have the right to...

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Wednesday, October 21, 2020Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawCOVID-19, Retirement Homes , Bill 218, Supporting Ontario’s Recovery Act, 2020

On October 20, 2020, the Ontario Government introduced Bill 218, Supporting Ontario’s Recovery Act, 2020, which if passed, would...

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Tuesday, October 20, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateOntario Superior Court of Justice , Agreement of Purchase and Sale, Damages

In Akelius Canada Inc. v. 2436196 Ontario Inc., 2020 ONSC 6182 (CanLII), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice...

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Wednesday, October 14, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateFlooding, Ontario Superior Court of Justice , Termination, Damages

In Giancola v. Dobrydnev, 2020 ONSC 6007 (CanLII), the Ontario Superior Court of Justice rejected a buyer’s attempt to...

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Friday, October 9, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Municipal LawOntario Court of Appeal , Land Title Act, Land Registry

In Paleshi Motors Limited v. Woolwich (Township), 2020 ONCA 625 (CanLII), the Ontario Court of Appeal affirmed that a Township had established a prescriptive easement over private lands for the...

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Wednesday, October 7, 2020Stephen A. Thiele, James R.G. CookLitigation, Insurance ActCOVID-19, Business Interruption Loss Policy

As we head into the seventh month of the artificial economic lockdown ordered by Canadian governments at all levels and brace ourselves for the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses in multiple sectors continue to seek compensation from their...

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Monday, October 5, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateOntario Court of Appeal , Development, Ontario, Restrictive Covenant, Land Title Act

A recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed a developer’s attempt to enforce a “building scheme” restricting the construction of an...

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Thursday, September 24, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateDefamation, Online Review, Anti-SLAPP Legislation

In Niu v. Cao, 2020 ONSC 5407 (CanLII), an Ontario real estate agent was permitted to proceed with a defamation claim stemming from online postings maligning...

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Monday, September 21, 2020Stephen A. Thiele, James R.G. CookLitigation, Bankruptcy and Insolvency, Insolvency law, Insurance ActCOVID-19, Ontario, Business Interruption Loss Policy, Ontario Business Loss Coverage Litigation, Prevention of Access Clauses , Disease Clauses, Financial Conduct Authority

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant slowdown in many sectors of the economy, forcing businesses to either seek creditor protection or...

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Monday, September 14, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateDefamation, Small Claims Court, libel, slander

A dispute between two neighbours over a fence led to a $70,000 judgment against an online activist who posted defamatory comments about one of the...

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Friday, September 4, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateCottage Country, Right-of-way Access , Lake Waseosa

In a dispute not uncommon to Canadian cottage country, the Ontario Court of Appeal recently addressed whether the owner of a non-lakefront property...

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Wednesday, September 2, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateAgreement of Purchase and Sale, Contract Law, Damages

The party seeking damages arising from a failed real estate transaction is often the seller, who seeks to recover the agreed-upon sale price from a buyer. Conversely, when a seller breaches the agreement...

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Monday, August 31, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateIrrevocability Clause, Contract Law, Toronto

In Forest Hill Homes (Cornell Rouge) Limited v. Wei, 2020 ONSC 5060 (CanLII), Justice F.L. Myers applied the Supreme Court of Canada’s recent review of the...

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Monday, August 17, 2020James R.G. CookLitigationComplaints, Defamation, Anti-SLAPP Legislation, Online Review

Consider a time when you had a terrible customer service experience while shopping, going to the dentist, or grabbing a bite to eat with some friends. Perhaps you felt sufficiently motivated to post a negative...

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Monday, June 29, 2020John A. Campion, Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigation, Employment Law, Employment Standards ActSupreme Court of Canada, Uber, Employment Agreements

On June 26, 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision on Uber Technologies Inc. v Heller regarding the enforceability of mandatory arbitration clauses in an employment agreement and whether that could...

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Friday, June 19, 2020Stephen A. Thiele, Gavin J. TigheLitigationBill 192 - Protecting Small Business Act, Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA), Commercial Tenancies Act, Commercial Landlord, COVID-19, Ontario Government

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have implemented physical distancing measures to “flatten the curve”. 

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Tuesday, June 9, 2020Stephen A. Thiele, Gavin J. Tighe, Rojin JazayeriLitigationRules of Professional Conduct, Small Claims Court, Short Motions

As we near the three month anniversary date of Ontario’s state of emergency, our court system continues to re-emerge from its suspension and to evolve.

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Wednesday, June 3, 2020Kenneth Jull, Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigation, Competition ActCompliance, Advertising, Administrative Monetary Penalty

On May 19, 2020 the Competition Bureau announced that Facebook Inc. will pay a $9 million administrative monetary penalty (“AMP”), and an additional $500,000 for the costs of the Bureau’s investigation, after...

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Thursday, May 7, 2020Stephen A. Thiele, Gavin J. TigheLitigationCOVID-19, Ontario Government, Ontario, State of Emergency

With Victoria Day a little more than a week away and people experiencing a growing urge to return to pre-COVID-19 routines, many governments, including the Ontario government, have...

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Monday, April 27, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateCOVID-19, Coronavirus, Ontario

In Ontario regular civil court operations have been largely suspended since mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One consequence of this has been the temporary postponement of...

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Tuesday, April 21, 2020Soma Ray-EllisLitigation, Employment LawCOVID-19, Termination, Employment Agreements, Employee, Employer, Employment Standards Amendment Act, State of Emergency

Canada lost a staggering million plus jobs in the month of March. The International Labour Organization has said based on current statistical information, 1.25 billion workers or 38% of the Global Workforce may face workplace displacement as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Wednesday, April 8, 2020Soma Ray-EllisLitigation, Employment LawCanada Emergency Wage Subsidy, Not-for-Profit/Charities, COVID-19

On April 8, 2020, the federal government announced that it was making a significant change to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program that it had previously announced on March 30, 2020.

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Monday, April 6, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigationCOVID-19, Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

On Friday, April 3rd, 2020, the Government of Canada released a comprehensive question and answer resource on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. Specifically, eligibility requirements and the application process was clarified

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Monday, April 6, 2020Soma Ray-EllisLitigationCOVID-19, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Employer, Employee, Employment Agreements, Employment Standards Amendment Act

The global spread of COVID-19 has impacted employers and employees across the globe, and Canada is no exception. Soma Ray-Ellis, Chair – Employment and Labour Law Group has prepared the ten most relevant questions that employers and employees need to understand in this COVID-19 work reality we now find ourselves in.

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Saturday, April 4, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigationCOVID-19, Ontario, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Emergencies, Healthcare

On April 3, 2020, the Ontario government expanded the list of non-essential businesses that will be required to close while the province courageously battles to control the spread of COVID-19.

Under Regulation 82/20, the Ontario government had previously provided a list of businesses that it had deemed essential and that could remain open during the current health emergency.

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Thursday, April 2, 2020Kenneth Jull, Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigationCOVID-19, Compliance, Frustration, Force Majeure, Contract Law

In these times of global health uncertainty and economic troubles it is tempting to jump to the “frustration of contract” conclusion. While we acknowledge that it is tempting to see the current economic trouble as frustrating the performance of contract there are a number of factors that must be considered when...

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Thursday, April 2, 2020Stephen A. ThieleLitigation, Business LawLayoffs, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Wage Subsidy, Work-Sharing Program Extensions, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP)

This blog will provide an overview of the most significant federal and provincial relief measures to assist businesses and entrepreneurs in the face of the unique and pressing challenges presented by the current COVID-19 pandemic.

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Friday, March 20, 2020Soma Ray-EllisEmployment Law, Employment Standards Act, LitigationEmployment Agreements, Ontario, Safety, Wrongful Dismissal, COVID-19, Coronavirus, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Emergencies, Ontario Government, Bill 186

On March 19, 2020, the Ontario Government introduced the Employment Standards Amendment Act (Infectious Disease Emergencies), 2020, which amends the Employment Standards Act, 2000, to protect the jobs of employees who...

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Wednesday, March 11, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateZombie Deed, Probate, Land Registry

Absent a sequel by way of appeal, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice may have struck the final blow to the head of “zombie deeds”. A “zombie deed” generally refers to...

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Wednesday, January 29, 2020James R.G. CookLitigation, Real Estate, Land Use Regulation, Land Titles ActCosts, Ontario

Can the location of an outhouse grant title to a portion of the neighbour’s land? This was the smelly issue facing the Court in a matter that went through a seven day trial followed by a recent trip to...

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Wednesday, January 22, 2020Lad KucisHealth Law, LitigationCollege of Veterinarians of Ontario, Veterinarians, Disciplinary Hearing, Complaints

As legal counsel for veterinarians, we are regularly asked questions about the complaints process before the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (the “College”).

Although the regulatory framework governing complaint matters is quite extensive, the following is the essential...

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Wednesday, October 23, 2019Lad KucisHealth Law, LitigationComplaints, Disciplinary Hearing, Massage Therapists

As legal counsel for registered massage therapists, we are regularly asked questions about the complaints process before the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (the “College”).

Although the regulatory framework governing complaint matters is quite extensive, the following is the essential information that...

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Thursday, October 3, 2019Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawComplaints, Disciplinary Hearing, Compliance, Inquiries, Complaints and Report Committee

As legal counsel for audiologists and speech-language pathologists, we are regularly asked questions about the complaints process before the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (“CASLPO”).

Although the regulatory framework governing complaint matters is quite extensive, the following is the essential information...

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Tuesday, September 17, 2019Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawComplaints

As legal counsel for optometrists, we are regularly asked questions about the complaints process before the College of Optometrists of Ontario (the “College”).

Although the regulatory framework governing complaint matters is quite extensive, the following is the essential information that...

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Tuesday, September 10, 2019Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawHealthcare, Complaints

It is the long-standing practice of the Health Professions and Appeal Board (HPARB) to identify parties by their...

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Wednesday, September 4, 2019Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawComplaints, Healthcare, College of Psychologists of Ontario, Disciplinary Hearing

As legal counsel for psychologists, we are regularly asked questions about the complaints process before the College of Psychologists of Ontario (“CPO”).

Although the regulatory framework governing complaint matters is quite extensive, the following is the essential information that...

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Monday, August 26, 2019Lad KucisHealth Law, LitigationComplaints, Compliance, Royal College of Dental Surgeons

As legal counsel for dentists, we are routinely asked questions about the complaints process before the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (“RCDSO”).

Although the regulatory framework governing complaint matters is quite extensive, the following is the...

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Wednesday, August 21, 2019Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawDisciplinary Hearing, Ontario College of Pharmacists, Pharmacy

As legal counsel for pharmacists, we are regularly asked questions about the complaints process before the Ontario College of Pharmacists (“OCP”).

Although the regulatory framework governing complaint matters is quite extensive, the following is the essential information that pharmacists need to know.

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Tuesday, August 13, 2019Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawCollege of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, Complaints, Dental Hygienists, Inquiries, Complaints and Report Committee, Disciplinary Hearing, Ontario

As legal counsel for dental hygienists, we are often asked questions about what happens when a dental hygienist is referred to the Discipline Committee of the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (the “CDHO”).

The following is the essential information that dental hygienists need to know about...

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Friday, July 26, 2019Kenneth Jull, Jonathan James NehmetallahCannabis, LitigationCannabis Laws, Compliance, Marijuana

Health Canada is investigating CannTrust for growing over ten thousand kilograms of cannabis in unlicensed rooms between October, 2018 and March, 2019. The Globe and Mail reported this week that...

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Monday, July 22, 2019Lad KucisHealth Law, Litigation

On June 8, 2019, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (“FSRA”) came into existence, replacing the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (“FSCO”) and the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario (“DICO”).

Among its various tasks, FSRA will be responsible for...

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Tuesday, November 20, 2018Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigation, Municipal LawMarijuana, Cannabis Laws

Now that the production and sale of cannabis is legal, individuals and corporations should pay close attention to zoning by-laws within their respective municipality when...

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Monday, November 12, 2018Litigation, Bankruptcy and InsolvencyExcise Tax Act, HST, GST

Callidus Capital has struck back against what some call the evil empire aka CRA. In a unanimous decision on November 8th the Supreme Court of Canada allowed...

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Tuesday, October 2, 2018Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigation, CannabisAlcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Compliance, Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, Marijuana, Cannabis Laws, Ontario

On September 27, 2018, the Ontario government tabled Bill 36, the Cannabis Statute Law Amendment Act, 2018 (the “Act”). The Act contains four schedules and...

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Thursday, September 27, 2018Jonathan James NehmetallahLitigation, CannabisMarijuana, Ontario, Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation, Compliance

On September 26, 2018 Attorney General and the Minister of Finance released highly anticipated information regarding the proposed legislation on private cannabis...

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Thursday, July 19, 2018Litigation, Construction LawConstruction , Education, Liens, Building

Sweeping reforms to the Construction Lien Act received Royal Assent in December 2017. The law of construction liens and payments has been modernized and updated and a...

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Wednesday, May 30, 2018Litigation, Limitations, Contracts, EquityExtensions, Forbearance

Enone Rosas is a lucky lady. First, Ms. Rosas moved to Canada from the Philippines in 1990 and became friends with Mr. and Mrs. Toca. Positive luck but it gets better...

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Wednesday, March 21, 2018Scott GfellerLitigation, Employment Law, Employment Standards Act, Class ActionsUber, UberEats

Uber is certainly no stranger to Canadian court rooms. In its latest tussle, a $400 million dollar proposed class action in Ontario by Uber “drivers” alleging they are employees of Uber and... 

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Tuesday, February 27, 2018Anna HusaLitigationToronto, Backyard Chickens, Toronto Politics

“Locally-sourced food” is taking on new meaning in the City of Toronto.

Late last year, City council approved a backyard chicken pilot project which will allow residents in four ward...

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Tuesday, February 20, 2018Stephen A. ThieleLitigationDefamation

The #MeToo movement has started a revolution. No longer are women, in particular, afraid to speak about incidents in which they have...

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Wednesday, December 27, 2017LitigationInsolvency, Collections, Lending, Loans, Banking, Recovery

Deciding not to advance any more money and shifting a debtor’s account into the...

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Tuesday, December 5, 2017James R.G. CookLitigationSmall Claims Court, Ontario, Advertising

How much is your physical image worth if it is used in an advertisement without your permission? A recent decision of the Ontario Superior of Justice (Ottawa Small Claims Court) addressed this...

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Wednesday, October 25, 2017Alexander MelfiLitigation, Bills of Exchange ActSupreme Court of Canada, Fraud

When the employee of a large corporation defrauds their employer through a fraudulent cheque scheme, should the banks which paid out on the cheques be...

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Wednesday, September 27, 2017Chris JuniorLitigation, Employment Law, Human Rights LawWrongful Dismissal, Discrimination

The Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Stewart v. Elk Valley Coal Corp. (2017 SCC 30) earlier this year, a landmark case concerning the current framework for determining discrimination in the workplace. The majority...

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Friday, September 15, 2017Dara HirbodLitigationlibel, slander, newspaper

As technology continues to usher individuals towards online based content, it has initiated the mummification of printed media, spearheading a...

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Wednesday, August 30, 2017Litigation, Intellectual Property, InjunctionsSupreme Court of Canada, Technology, Freedom of Expression

In true common law tradition, let’s start this blog post with some obligatory Latin: audentes Fortuna iuvat.  “Fortune favours the bold.”

This might have been the principle that governed the behaviour of Datalink Technologies Inc. when it... 

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Tuesday, August 22, 2017James R.G. CookLitigation, Municipal Law, Land Titles Act, Land Use Regulation

With the 2017 summer cottage season winding down, a recent case involving sparing neighbours reminds us of the importance of ensuring you have some form of legalized road access to your rural retreat.

Brown v Savage, 2017 ONSC 4357, involved two waterfront properties on Buckham’s Bay on the Ottawa River...

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Tuesday, August 15, 2017Stephen A. ThieleLitigationMarijuana, General Interest, Ontario, Mental Health

As Canada prepares to legalize marijuana next July, questions remain about the restrictions that will be put on this drug.

In a recent position paper released by the Ontario wing of the Canadian Mental Health Association, it is...

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Wednesday, July 26, 2017Stephanie ClarkLitigation, Employment Law, Employment Standards ActEmployment Agreements, Reasonable Notice, Ontario

Employers often rely on a probationary period to determine whether a new employee is suitable for an employment position. If an employer determines that an employee is...

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Wednesday, July 5, 2017Stephen A. ThieleLitigation, Employment LawToronto, Toronto Politics, Termination, Ontario, Canada Day

On July 1, 2017, Canada turned 150 years old. All across the nation, public and private organizers...

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Wednesday, June 14, 2017Bryan SkolnikLitigation, Employment LawEmployment Agreements, Termination

At the time of an employee’s termination, the most crucial clause is typically that relating to the employee’s entitlement upon a...

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Wednesday, June 7, 2017Litigation, Environmental Law, Municipal Law, Conservation, Administrative Law, Criminal LawConservation Authority, Bill 139, Prosecutions, Search and Seizure

The Ontario government introduced Bill 139 on May 30, 2017 called the Building Better Communities and Conserving Watersheds Act, 2017. This bill is an amalgam of changes to various pieces of...

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Wednesday, May 31, 2017Environmental Law, Municipal Law, Conservation, Administrative Law, LitigationConservation Authority, Safety, Standard of Review, Flooding, Development, Prohibition

Conservation Authorities (“CAs”) in Ontario are breathing a bit easier following the May 23rd 2017 decision of the Court of Appeal in...

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Wednesday, May 24, 2017Scott GfellerLitigation, Privacy LawSupreme Court of Canada, Rules of Civil Procedure

Collecting can be a pain. Getting a judgment is one thing but getting paid is a different ball game entirely, particularly when...

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Tuesday, May 9, 2017Chris JuniorLitigation, Civil LawSummary Judgment, Rules of Civil Procedure

Wajeb Assaf, former lawyer for the defendant, represented Master Tech in the unsuccessful defence of a summary judgement motion which...

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Wednesday, April 19, 2017Dara HirbodLitigation, Civil LawSmall Claims Court, Civil Resolution Tribunal, Ontario, British Columbia

The Ontario Small Claims Court is often referred to as the “People’s Court”. The colloquial title has even been adopted by Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General. The People’s Court is designed to... 

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Wednesday, April 12, 2017Ian A. BlueLitigationLiquor Control Act, Constitution Act, Alcohol, New Brunswick, Supreme Court of Canada

Readers may recall that in R. v. Comeau, 2016 NBPC 3 in which we are acting for M. Comeau, the New Brunswick provincial court...

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Wednesday, April 5, 2017Bankruptcy and Insolvency, LitigationPolitics, Budget, Finance

A few weeks ago, I decided to take a break from reading cases, arguments and alternative arguments to peruse the news (read: basket-cases, facts and “alternative facts”) instead.

Amongst other things, I learned that the federal government is this year planning to write off approximately...

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Wednesday, March 29, 2017James R.G. CookLand Titles Act, LitigationMortgage Fraud

A recent Ontario Divisional Court decision, CIBC Mortgages Inc. v Computershare Trust Company of Canada, 2016 ONSC 7094...

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017Gavin J. TigheLitigationCivil Liability, Summary Judgment, Alcohol, Beer Pong

The recent decision of Hon. Justice Wendy Matheson of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Wardak v. Froom, 2017 ONSC 1166 has certainly caused a media sensation and sent tongues wagging...

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Wednesday, March 15, 2017Stephen A. ThieleLitigationGeneral Interest

Good legal writing is an important skill.

The failure to properly draft a contract or a legislative provision can have significant...

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Wednesday, March 8, 2017Employment Law, LitigationTermination, Reasonable Notice

Employment contracts often contain termination rights of the parties. In particular  there is often a clause permitting the employer to terminate on a...

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Wednesday, March 1, 2017Lauren KasonLitigation, Professional Liability, Solicitor’s Duties

The recent case of Meehan v Good, 2017 ONCA 103, has some unsettling implications for lawyers, as the case leaves open the possibility of extending a lawyer’s duty of care beyond the scope of the written retainer agreement even where the...

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Wednesday, February 22, 2017Dara Hirbod, Kevin W. FisherLitigationSummary Judgment, Rules of Civil Procedure, Wrongful Dismissal

Following a long line of cases, it has become standard practice in wrongful dismissal actions, even where the potential damages may exceed the prescribed monetary limit, to commence a claim under the...

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Wednesday, February 1, 2017Rob WintersteinLitigation, Landlord and Tenant Law, Human Rights LawResidential Tenancies

Recently, a Toronto landlord found herself the subject of a news article on CBC.com and the subject of discussions on various news radio...

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Wednesday, January 25, 2017Bankruptcy and Insolvency, LitigationBankruptcy, Insolvency, Transfer at an undervalue

Individuals faced with financial pressures and money problems understandably try to protect what little assets they may have left. In particular they...

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Wednesday, January 18, 2017Stephen A. ThieleSolicitors Act, LitigationLegal Fees, Small Claims Court

For the past few years, the courts have grappled with the issue of whether the Small Claims Court has jurisdiction to hear cases about the collection of unpaid legal fees. First, a court determined that...

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Wednesday, January 11, 2017Bryan SkolnikLitigationConstruction

The Ministry of the Attorney General recently released a report reviewing Ontario’s Construction Lien Act.

While the Ministry supports maintaining the current lien/holdback regime, it also recommends....

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Wednesday, December 21, 2016Chris JuniorIntellectual Property, LitigationCopyright, Trademarks, Santa Claus, Retail Shopping

Last year, Paul Mason became a social media phenomenon while working the holiday season as a pseudo...

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Wednesday, December 14, 2016Stephen A. ThieleReal Estate, LitigationCondominium, Rental Property, Tenant

With Toronto still in the middle of a condominium boom and more people buying condominium units for investment purposes, particularly for short-term rentals, it is important to review both the...

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Wednesday, December 7, 2016Stephen A. ThieleIntellectual Property, Litigation, Common LawHockey, Trademarks, NHL, Copyright, Las Vegas, Nevada, Sports, Vegas Golden Knights

At the end of November, the new National Hockey League franchise awarded to Las Vegas unveiled, along with a logo, that the team would be named the...

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Monday, November 21, 2016Anna HusaLitigationNAFTA, Free Trade, Trump

It has been almost two weeks since Donald Trump was elected President of the United States of America. The election results have created a considerable amount of...

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Wednesday, November 9, 2016Dara HirbodLitigation

Most lawyers have taken for granted, or assumed it was trite, that the Rules of Civil Procedure expressly prohibit a pre-trial conference Judge from hearing a subsequent summary judgment motion in the same matter. Put simply, the Rules...

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Wednesday, November 2, 2016Stephen A. ThieleLitigation

Last week, 4 adults were killed at the Dreamworld Amusement Park in Australia when they were thrown from a family-friendly, river-raft ride onto a conveyor belt. Media reports indicated that...

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Wednesday, October 26, 2016Land Use Regulation, Litigation, Conservation, Environmental Law

On December 20, 2016, the Ontario Court of Appeal will hear an appeal of an appeal overturning a refusal by a Conservation Authority to issue a permit for development of...

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Wednesday, October 5, 2016Stephen A. ThieleCivil Law, LitigationBaseball, Civil Liability

On October 4, 2016, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion hit a dramatic three-run homerun to lift his team past the Baltimore Orioles in their...

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Wednesday, September 28, 2016Bill MichelsonLitigationFull Indemnity, Costs

The Department of Justice states that Canadian Courts help people resolve disputes fairly, that they interpret and pronounce law, set standards, and...

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Wednesday, September 14, 2016Rob WintersteinLitigation, Residential Tenancies, Landlord and Tenant LawTenant, Landlord, Damage to Rental Unit, Jurisdiction

It has not been uncommon for Deputy Judges of the Small Claims Courts in Ontario to dismiss claims by landlords for damage to a rental unit. Most often the stated basis for...

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Wednesday, August 24, 2016Bryan SkolnikEmployment Law, LitigationArbitration, Employment Agreements, Sales Incentive Plan

Many employment agreements contain clauses which require the parties to submit to arbitration or some other dispute resolution mechanism prior to or ...

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Wednesday, August 17, 2016Stephen A. ThieleMunicipal Law, Criminal Code, LitigationGeneral Interest, Technology, Mobile Phones

The proliferation of iPhones, iPads, androids and other personal technology devices has also resulted in the growth of online games for both the young and old. It is difficult to watch television without... 

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Wednesday, August 10, 2016Alexander MelfiLitigation, Privacy Law, Charter of Rights and FreedomsMobile Phones, Technology

The smartphone has quickly become one of the fastest-selling electronic gadgets in history, with some estimates indicating that more than...

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Thursday, August 4, 2016Scott GfellerInsurance Act, LitigationMedical Insurance, Travel Insurance, Travel

Your bags are packed and you suddenly remember that you haven’t purchased travel medical insurance. After employing your finely honed “google-fu” you make a call to...

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Wednesday, July 27, 2016Lad KucisHealth Law, Litigation

On July 20, 2016, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care posted a Notice that it will be removing higher strength doses of long-acting opioids from...

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Tuesday, July 26, 2016Kathleen Skerrett, Heather ZordelCapital Markets, Business Law, Securities Law, LitigationOntario Securities Commission, Rule 72-503

The line designating when the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) will regulate a distribution of securities is being redrawn. The current “rule”, Interpretation Note 1 Distributions of Securities Outside Ontario under a repealed OSC Policy 1.5 (OSC Interpretation Note 1.5) has...

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Wednesday, July 20, 2016Chris JuniorAdministrative Law, Constitutional Law, LitigationEntertainment, General Interest, Toronto

In the past two weeks, the City of Toronto saw the manifestation (albeit coincidentally) of two very distinct yet related events; the release of Pokémon Go and...

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Wednesday, July 13, 2016Anna HusaLitigationBrexit, European Union, United Kingdom, Referendum

On June 23, 2016, Britain held a historic referendum on its membership in the European Union. Today, three weeks later, the world is still reeling from...

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Wednesday, June 29, 2016Ian A. BlueAdministrative Law, Constitutional Law, LitigationImportation of Intoxicating Liquors Act, New Brunswick, Supreme Court of Canada, Liquor Control Act

The recent New Brunswick court decision in Regina v Comeau, April 29, 2016 has profound implications for interprovincial trade. The court held that a provision of the New Brunswick Liquor Control Act prohibiting...

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Wednesday, June 22, 2016Litigation, Insolvency law, Environmental LawAlberta, Oil Sands, PHC contamination

I’ll leave the proselytizing on the Fort McMurray wildfires and notions of karma to the pundits. What I want to talk about is...

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Wednesday, June 15, 2016Gavin J. TigheLitigation, LegalRob Ford, Toronto Politics, Toronto, General Interest

Many people have asked me what it was like to be the lawyer for former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Rob’s recent passing left those who knew and supported him saddened and those who did not confounded as to...

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Wednesday, June 8, 2016LitigationTransport Canada, Drone

“Unmanned air vehicle, model aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft system, drone. Call it what you want, but always Think Safety First.” Transport Canada.

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Wednesday, June 1, 2016Stephen A. ThieleLitigationMarijuana, Charter

Toronto police and the City of Toronto licensing and standards officers carried out dozens of search warrants of marijuana dispensaries and arrested nearly 100 people.

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