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 […]
Reflections on M&A, Musical Chairs, and Mental Health
By Murray Gottheil | May 28, 2024 People of my vintage remember playing musical chairs at birthday parties, back before the days when money was so plentiful that it seemed important to impress neighbours by hiring clowns and musicians or renting bouncy castles to entertain five-year-olds. For those of you who did not have the pleasure […]
More work to be done on feds’ plan to encourage domestic pension investments: lawyers
By: Julius Melnitzer | May 23, 2024 The federal government’s promise to encourage Canadian institutional investors to invest more domestically is taking shape with two key initiatives found in the 2024 budget. The first involves the creation of a working group led by Stephen Poloz, former Governor of the Bank of Canada, to explore domestic opportunities for […]
Gratitude and The Appreciation Deficit
Photo by Wewe Yang at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | May 22, 2024 I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy — Will Arnett The other day I received a private message from a lawyer whom I have never met in person. She expressed her appreciation […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Trump judges, citing university’s failure to condemn antisemitic acts, won’t hire Columbia grads | European Human Rights Court opens floodgates for climate change litigation | Kielburgers’ mother can proceed with defamation claim | Federal Court certifies class action for “mental illness stigmatization” by Canadian Armed Forces | Bennett Jones appoints new office managing partners
By Julius Melnitzer | May 21, 2024 TRUMP APPOINTEES BOYCOTT COLUMBIA GRADS NBC reports that 13 federal judges appointed by Donald Trump chose Holocaust Remembrance Day to announce that they would not hire students who graduated from Columbia University, which they called “an incubator of bigotry” in which “professors and administrators are on the front […]
Money, Money, Money
Photo by Karolina Grabowska at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | May 20, 2024 I love money. I love everything about it. I bought some pretty good stuff. Got me a $300 pair of socks. Got a fur sink. An electric dog polisher. A gasoline powered turtleneck sweater. And, of course, I bought some dumb stuff, too. […]
Saskatchewan arbitrator sides with Canadian Blood Services in pension contributions case
By: Julius Melnitzer | May 16, 2024 A Saskatchewan arbitrator has ruled that Canadian Blood Services doesn’t owe an employee eight years of retroactive pension contributions because it took the proper steps to fix its failure to provide her with enrolment forms within the appropriate time limits. “The decision recognizes that mistakes happen in administering pension […]
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: Climate disruption and natural asset management: perfect legal storm? | Neurodivergent lawyers stay under the radar for fear of discrimination
By Julius Melnitzer | May 6, 2024 NATURAL ASSETS INITIATIVES’S LEGAL PRIMER EXPOSES RISKS IN NATURAL ASSETS MANAGEMENT The growing frequency of climate disruption with its associated impacts in costs, combined with the steady growth of climate and nature-related litigation will doubtless increase the legal risk associated with natural asset management, the process of inventorying […]