BARE BONES BRIEFS: “Most positively reviewed” lawyer faces new misconduct allegations | Law firm openly adopts slippery slope | Calling colleague “pathetic human” is professional misconduct | FCA boosts climate litigation | FC certifies “older inmates” class action
By Julius Melnitzer | January 31, 2024 SAMFIRU TO FACE MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS IN ALBERTA Lior Samfiru, the Toronto-based national co-managing partner of employment law boutique Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, a firm that claims to be the “most positively reviewed employment law firm in Canada”, must now contend with allegations of professional misconduct in Alberta in addition […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: OCA upholds $2.5 million award to human rights lawyer | Jeremy Diamond appeals from de facto suspension and $100,000 fine for professional misconduct | Are law firms paying ransomware? | Report: Lawyers are high on AI extinction list | Unaware council passes ChatGPT-drafted law |
By Julius Melnitzer | December 17, 2023 LAWYER’S CAREER-ENDING INJURY JUSTIFIES $2.5 MILLION AWARD: OCA The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld a $2.5 million award to Geraldine Sanson, a “highly respected human rights lawyer” whose career ended when a car struck her as she was cycling home from work in 2012. The trial judge […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: LSO panel splits on whether Black Lives Matter criticism is professional misconduct | Firm sues ‘underbilling’ associates | Remote lawyering: longer hours: CLIO survey | LSO suspends paralegal who cost clients $500,000 | CTA: compensation for passenger applies to all others on same flight
By Julius Melnitzer | March 8, 2023 IS AGGRESSIVE CRITICISM OF BLACK LIVES MATTER PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT? A Law Society Tribunal has split on whether social media posts criticizing Black Lives Matter, Pride Day and public health mask mandates amounted to professional misconduct. Lisa Simone, who was applying for a paralegal license, admitted the posts were […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Family lawyers make these professional misconduct mistakes | Clio offers escape from restrictive legaltech contracts | Wikipedia influences judges’ decisions: MIT study | Former CJO Strathy joins Arbitration Place | Medical device mass torts proliferating
By Julius Melnitzer | January 30, 2023 PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT MISTAKES FAMILY LAWYERS SHOULD AVOID In a Six Minute Family Lawyer Program, Bill Trudell, who defends lawyers before the Law Society of Ontario, outlined five Rules of Professional Conduct “that frequently are not followed and ones that may be of particular relevance to the family law […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Lawyer disbarred for extramarital affairs | Five-year ban for harassing associate with 900 texts | How not to respond to disciplinary proceedings
By Julius Melnitzer | September 11, 2024 PHILLIPPINES SUPREME COURT HAS A PLACE IN LAWYERS’ BEDROOMS The Phillipines Supreme Court, concluding that sex with a third party while married amounts to grossly immoral conduct, has disbarred a lawyer who had extramarital affairs with at least three different women, “completely disregarding his marital vows”. It’s not […]
BREAKING NEWS: Law Society Tribunal of Ontario reprimands “most positively reviewed” Toronto lawyer Lior Samfiru, who faces additional misconduct allegations in Alberta
By Julius Melnitzer | June 10, 2024 The Law Society Tribunal of Ontario has reprimanded Lior Samfiru, the Toronto-based national co-managing partner of employment law boutique Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, a firm that claims to be the “most positively reviewed in the country”, and ordered him to pay $5,0000 in costs. The Tribunal found that Samfiru […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Appeal panel: Jeremy Diamond denied procedural fairness – Mercer should have recused | Report: international and domestic arbitration growing in Canada | “Most positively reviewed” lawyer misconduct hearing set | BLG appoints Canadian law firms’ first chief AI officer | Jason Kroft joins Gowling as head of structured finance
By Julius Melnitzer | June 4, 2024 DIAMOND WILL GET NEW PENALTY HEARING A new panel will determine the penalty Toronto lawyer Jeremy Diamond will face in his advertising misconduct case. A split (3-2) Appeal Division of the Law Society Tribunal has sent the case back for re-hearing after finding that the original panel’s chair, […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Lawyer fined for x-exam of rape survivor | Fired: Receptionist couldn’t pronounce firm’s name
By Julius Melnitzer | May 29, 2024 LAWYER “CROSSED LINE” QUESTIONING RAPE VICTIM Scotland’s Faculty of Advocates imposed a fine equivalent to C$3500 on defence lawyer Lorenzo Alonzi, concluding he “repeatedly crossed the line” while cross-examining rape victim Ellie Wilson and during his remarks in closing argument and his client’s sentencing. Among other things, Alonzi […]
Be Wrong, Confidently!
Photo by Rene Asmussen at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | May 7, 2024 I came across a lawyer the other day who makes mistakes in his communications with clients and the other side. None of the errors will likely land him in too much trouble. They may even be excusable based on the theory that spending […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: LSO alleges misconduct against “most positively reviewed” lawyer | Judge cites lawyers’ conduct in concluding international arbitration susceptible to fraud | Associates seek to refuse work for ethical reasons | $817 million settlement in veterans’ disability class action | Litigation funder’s losses up fivefold
By Julius Melnitzer | November 20, 2023 LSO alleges misconduct against high-profile employment lawyer Lior Samfiru, the Toronto-based national co-managing partner of employment law boutique Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, a firm that claims to be the “most positively reviewed employment law firm in Canada”, is facing professional misconduct allegations stemming from litigation that he threatened or […]