Named in the Pandora Papers? Now what?
By Julius Melnitzer | November 17, 2021 If you’re one of the Canadians named in the Pandora papers, the latest massive leak of information related to tax havens, how much sleep do you really need to lose? That depends. “Is there smoke or is there fire?” asks David Rotfleisch, the founding partner at Toronto tax […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: BLG to manage Ivanhoé Cambridge leasing legal services | Study: junior counsel beat senior counsel as often as seniors beat them | Litigation funding fees capped | Judges need safety too | Top law firm bulletins
By Julius Melnitzer | November 11, 2021 IVANHOé CAMBRIDGE IN-HOUSE LAWYERS MOVE TO BLG “In-house” gets new meaning as part of Ivanhoé Cambridge’s (IC) law department moves to Borden Ladner Gervais LLP offices in Montreal and Toronto. All this pursuant to an agreement for BLG to manage legal services for shopping centres owned by IC, […]
Manitoba vs Ottawa: Why the province lost its legal challenge against the federal carbon tax
The ruling leaves provinces with little wiggle room in opposing such measures going forward By Julius Melnitzer | November 3, 2021 A recent Federal Court ruling validating the federal government’s fuel charge backstop on Manitoba because the province’s own carbon pricing regime was not “stringent” enough leaves provinces with little wiggle room in opposing such […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Pandemic spurs unprecedented satisfaction with lawyers | Non-humans can be patent ‘inventors’ | SCC revisits statutory interpretation? | EU declares open season for environmental challenges | Best of: law firm webinars & bulletins
By Julius Melnitzer | October 29, 2021 CLIENT SATISFACTION WITH LAWYERS PEAKS DURING PANDEMIC A UK survey suggests the inability to meet lawyers in person has, at the very least, not diminished clients’ satisfaction with their services. Indeed, according to the Law Society Gazette, satisfaction levels reached an all-time high during the pandemic. The Legal […]
Fossil fuels may be in doldrums but energy lawyers are adapting to the new environment
By Julius Melnitzer | October 25, 2021 Fossil fuels may be in the doldrums with a precipitous future ahead, but energy law and the demand for energy lawyers is alive and well. “Generally speaking, recruitment activity in the overall energy sector has increased,” said Carrie Heller, president of The Heller Group Legal and Executive Search, […]
Why Canadian companies are preparing for a wave of ESG cases coming their way
By Julius Melnitzer | October 25, 2021 By all accounts, environmental, social and governance (ESG) litigation will soon be flooding Canada’s courts. The international trend, after all, is undeniable: according to the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School, more than 1,385 lawsuits seeking relief from climate change, which is but one […]
Solvency reserve accounts missing from Manitoba’s new pension amendments
By Julius Melnitzer | October 20, 2021 Although Manitoba’s Pension Amendments Act takes effect on Oct. 1, pension plan sponsors are disappointed that the provisions allowing them to use reserve accounts to fund solvency deficiencies have been excluded from the proclamation. “The government has not indicated when the reserve account provisions will come into effect […]
Ontario court upholds employees’ right to sue for wrongful dismissal in cases of chronic stress
By Julius Melnitzer | September 17, 2021 Ontario’s Divisional Court has affirmed employees’ right to sue for wrongful and constructive dismissal in the civil courts in cases of chronic mental stress arising from workplace harassment. “That’s important because workplace compensation claims by employees suffering from mental stress as a result of harassment might increase an […]
Violating property maintenance, safety and sanitation laws in Quebec: beware the consequences
September 17, 2021 By Aubie J. Herscovitch and Alexander Rigante, guest contributors This article examines the rules and regulations regarding the maintenance, safety and sanitation of buildings in Quebec, with emphasis on the penalties and powers of which municipal authorities can avail themselves should a property owner fail to maintain these standards. According to the Loi […]
Rising municipality charges stalling efforts to develop green buildings in Canada
The Hastings-Quinte Social Services committee announced Wednesday that five retirement complex buildings in Belleville will have solar panels installed on their rooftops, like here at The Prince William building. PHOTO BY POSTMEDIA FILES By Julius Melnitzer | September 8, 2021 Rising development charges and insufficient incentives are stifling some major municipalities’ efforts to encourage developers […]