The interplay of profit & relevance: post-COVID opportunities for law firms
By Julius Melnitzer | February 23, 2021 The economic and social upheaval wrought by the pandemic has driven home the notion that good corporate citizenship and profitability go hand in hand. “There’s a gathering consensus that the economy should be ‘better’ than before,” says Tony Williams, who leads Jomati Consultants LLP, a U.K.-based international management consultancy […]
Pension regulators step up to the plate amid turmoil
By Julius Melnitzer | February 16, 2021 For almost a year now, federal and provincial pension regulators have been busily trying to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic’s effects. Regulators have never been more proactive than during COVID-19,” says Mitch Frazer, a pensions and employment law partner at Torys LLP. “They deserve full credit for refusing to […]
GameStop: regulators’ dalliances are putting Canadian investors at risk
February 17, 2021 | Julius Melnitzer The GameStop short squeeze highlights just how much the deck is stacked against Canadian retail investors, says Russell Starr, CEO of Vancouver-based Trillium Gold Mines Inc. and co-founder of Echelon Wealth Partners Inc. “With WallStreetBets involved, there’s finally some insight into the extent to which our markets favour hedgers,” […]
Ten key tips: how to pivot your legal career
February 10, 2021 | By Rafeena Bacchus, guest contributor I’ve been a Toronto-based insurance defence and human rights counsel for more than 15 years. I’m now transitioning to a focus on mediation. The first installment of this two-part series will provide a general roadmap to pivoting a legal career; the second will specifically apply the […]
Federal employers shouldn’t change employment entitlements during notice period: court
Julius Melnitzer | February 5, 2021 A recent decision from the Ontario Superior Court suggests that federally-regulated employers will be held to the same strict rules as their provincial counterparts in ensuring that termination provisions comply with minimum employment standards. “The decision in Sager v. TFI International Inc. extends courts’ pro-employee interpretation of termination clauses in the […]
Too many “made for Twitter” decisions from the Supreme Court?
February 2, 2021| By Julius Melnitzer The Supreme Court of Canada’s growing tendency to dismiss appeals from the bench has been a subject of legitimate concern lately. As the Globe and Mail pointed out recently, the trend is accelerating: of late, the court has been releasing fewer in-depth reasons and a growing proportion of decisions […]
Debt & disease: As opportunism overcame COVID-19 concerns, companies raised record debt financings in 2020
January 29, 2021 | By Julius Melnitzer FP Dealmakers: With most of the pre-funding and stockpiling done in 2020, executives see a quieter year ahead Resiliency was the name of the game as opportunism overcame fear in Canada’s corporate debt capital markets in 2020. Even as COVID-19 ravaged the globe, many companies, motivated no doubt […]
After the pandemic, business risk rises: RiskMap 21
January 26, 2021 | By Julius Melnitzer Businesses’ full throttle on financial recovery and growth at pandemic’s end could mask heightened compliance and risk issues, according to a leading forecaster of global business risks. “Legal teams and compliance officers must ensure the critical issues they oversee retain prominence, when so much focus at senior levels […]
Writing & practice tips for paralegals
January 23, 2021 | By Julius Melnitzer Recently, I appeared as a guest presenter on an episode of Justice in Pieces, presented by triOS College’s Paralegal Program, and hosted by its coordinator, award-winning lead legal instructor, John-Paul Rodrigues. The discussion included writing , formatting, marketing, practice and practical tips for paralegals who intend to strike […]
Family-status discrimination is ‘minefield’ for employers
By Julius Melnitzer | January 18, 2021 Confusion as to what constitutes family-status discrimination in Canada continues to vex employers. “The Supreme Court of Canada had an opportunity to create a uniform test across the country in 2019 but chose not to hear the case,” says Gary Clarke, the Calgary and Vancouver-based national co-head of Stikeman Elliott LLP’s […]