Why Every Small Business Owner Should Care About Property Law
By Krystalynn Singh | October 6, 2025 For entrepreneurs, signing a commercial lease is often an exciting milestone. It means growth, stability, and a new home for their business. But behind the excitement, commercial property agreements are full of hidden clauses that can cause headaches—or even financial ruin—if overlooked. Many small business owners assume that […]
Invention Harvesting: How to Fully Tap Your Company’s IP Potential
“Invention harvesting is the first step in obtaining patent protection” – Nicholas Aitken Tapping the full creative potential of its innovators, or invention harvesting, is the golden nugget for companies seeking to build strong patent portfolios. “If intellectual property [IP] is a valuable asset for a company—which it is these days for many—invention harvesting is a […]
The Hidden Legal Risks of Being a Landlord in Ontario — and How to Avoid Them
By Krystalynn Singh | September 30, 2025 For many Ontarians, investing in rental property seems like a straightforward way to generate income. But ask anyone who has appeared before the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), and they’ll tell you the same thing: managing rental property is far more complex than it appears. While property ownership […]
What Do AI Copyright Cases Tell Us About the Future of AI Regulation?
“Recent decisions give us some guidance about how to frame AI regulation, but only partial guidance.” – Vincent Bergeron If there’s a narrative emanating from the host of copyright suits against artificial intelligence (AI) companies across the globe, including 40 in the United States (U.S.) alone, it doesn’t augur well for a harmonised international regulatory scenario. […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Ontario Superior Court approves $900M counsel fee | Equity partners’ income soars 42% | Four-day work week making inroads for lawyers | Airlines can’t hide behind “safety” excuse in denying passengers compensation for delay or cancellation
By Julius Melnitzer | August 26, 2025 $900M COUNSEL FEE APPROVED IN TOBACCO LITIGATION Ontario Superior Court Chief Justice Geoffrey Morawetz, who is presiding over the CCAA proceedings brought by victims of tobacco-related diseases against the tobacco companies, has approved (2025 ONSC 4497) a request by plaintiffs’ lawyers in the two Quebec class actions for […]
A Guide to Mortgage Brokers’ Liability
By Andy MacDonald | July 17, 2025 Ensuring suitability in private mortgage investments is a legal imperative, not just a best practice. The recent downturn in real estate values across Ontario has exposed significant risks in the private lending market, particularly for investors who were placed into unsuitable mortgage products at inflated property valuations. In […]
What employers need to know when terminating employees in remote-working arrangements
By: Julius Melnitzer | July 14, 2025 In order to avoid exposure to unnecessary and expensive litigation and unforeseen liabilities, it’s important for employers to determine which jurisdiction’s rules apply when terminating an employee in a remote-working arrangement, according to several employment lawyers. “Most employment relationships in Canada are governed by local provincial or territorial law, […]
How I Almost Failed Law School Taking Accounting 101
By Murray Gottheil | July 13, 2025 I did pretty well in law school. I studied all of the time, had no life, and got great marks. By my final year, I may have been just a little bit full of myself. When selecting my courses for my final year of law school, I needed one […]
The importance of a well-drafted confidentiality clause, and the dangers of AI
By Julius Melnitzer | July 8, 2025 A recent US$3.1-million award by a Florida jury in favour of Pliteq, Inc. (Pliteq, Inc. v. Mostafa, 2025 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60316), a Canadian international engineering services and manufacturing enterprise, against a high-ranking Dubai-based employee who stole trade secrets demonstrates that — despite cross-border tensions — Donald Trump’s America may […]
The Real Estate Correction’s Domino Effect: Perspectives from an Expert Witness
By Andy MacDonald | July 3, 2025 I was recently hired to write an expert witness report for a case that perfectly illustrates the domino effects of the real estate correction that started in 2022. As you may recall, the Bank of Canada began to raise interest rates in the spring of 2022, signalling the […]