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 […]
Hawkers & Hookers
Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | November 20, 2023 Young lawyers often do not realize, or want to accept, that they are in sales. “I am no salesperson” they think. “I am a professional.” Well, I have news for you. There are only two types of professionals. Those who cannot market themselves, […]
Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Seven: The Supervising Lawyer
Photo by Sora Shimazak at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | November 29, 2023 This is the last in a series about the questions articling students and new associates should ask when when deciding if they want to stay at their firm long-term. This time, I will speak about supervising lawyers (SL). I was an SL for […]
Amendments to Ontario’s Rules of Civil Procedure aimed at improving trial readiness
Courts no longer amenable to parties coming to pre-trials without their experts’ reports ready This article was produced in partnership with Bogoroch & Associates By Julius Melnitzer | November 28, 2023 Amendments to Ontario’s Rules of Civil Procedure enacted in March 2022 have served to establish firm boundaries around the delivery of expert reports and […]
Case selection difficult ‘particularly with respect to role of causation in establishing liability’
Practical realities of value versus cost important factor: Bogoroch & Associates’ Toby Samson This article was produced in partnership with Bogoroch & Associates By Julius Melnitzer | November 27, 2023 Deciding whether to take on a medical malpractice case can be a conundrum – and a great deal of work – even for experienced lawyers. At […]
Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Six: The Law Clerks
Photo by Anna Shvets at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | November 25, 2023 This is the sixth in a series about information that articling students and new associates should have before deciding to stay at a firm for the long-term. Today it is about some of my favourite people in law firms – the law clerks […]
Canadian jurisdictions enacting pay transparency legislation, but more work to be done
By Julius Melnitzer | November 23, 2023 Pay transparency legislation is quickly gathering steam in Canada as provincial governments take steps towards shrinking the gender wage gap. Prince Edward Island was first to the post with pay transparency provisions in June 2022. While Newfoundland and Labrador’s Pay Equity and Transparency Act received royal assent in November […]
Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Five: The Chief Financial Officer
Photo by RDNE Stock project at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | November 22, 2023 This is the fifth in a series about questions articling students and new associates should consider when sizing up their new firm. This time, I will address the senior person in charge of the money, who could have any of the following […]
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 […]
Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Four: The Chief Technology Officer
Photo by Murray Gottheil By Murray Gottheil | November 14, 2023 This is the fourth in a series about questions that articling students and new associates should ponder in determining whether they have landed in the right place. This time I will address the chief technology officer (the “CTO”). Of course, being lawyers we need a […]