Our Take On Things
So You Want to Be Our Client
Maybe you’ve read our Blogs casually and unexpectedly find that you need a lawyer, so you reach out to our firm excitedly expecting to work with one of the regular contributors to these Blogs. Maybe you’ve Googled “Lawyers Etobicoke” and our name popped up as the...
Termination Clauses – The Prenup of Business Deals
Let’s talk about termination clauses—the legal equivalent of a well-marked exit sign. If you’re in business and your contracts don’t have a clear way out, you might find yourself trapped in a deal that refuses to die (like that app membership you keep forgetting to...
HR Advice to Navigate The Trade War with your Team
2025 has had an interesting start for Canadians. We’re on the brink of a trade war with the United States, and our economic future is uncertain. As the tariffs are implemented, many sectors and all Canadians will feel the impact. This economic hardship will force many...
Take Off the Rose-Coloured Glasses: Why You Need A Shareholders’ Agreement
Starting a business with multiple shareholders is an exhilarating adventure. We see it all the time—clients walk through our doors, brimming with excitement about a new business opportunity. Their enthusiasm is contagious, fueled by idealism and the promise of...
This Blog Should Have Been A Meeting
We’ve all been there—the long, drawn-out meeting that takes far too much time, gets little done, and should’ve been an email. Sadly, I can’t help you get out of that meeting, but I do have a few tips to make it more seamless and productive. Here are a couple of...
The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
I recently attended some excellent CPDs on AI in litigation. These focused on introducing AI-generated evidence at trial, as well as cross-examination and advocacy techniques surrounding AI-generated evidence. While case law will be developing, as it always does, the...
Were You Just Sued? Act Fast!
If you’ve been served with a legal claim in Ontario, it’s crucial to act quickly. Under the Rules of Civil Procedure, defendants have 20 days to respond to a statement of claim, starting from the day you are served. If you were served outside Ontario, you have 40 days...
Ways We Work for our Clients
We often hear, “You’re not the normal law firm,” and we take that as a compliment. Part of that is we speak plainly, we respond promptly, and we understand you’re running a business that needs us to help, not get in the way. Other ways we do that are more specific and...
Don’t Ignore Court Orders!
In litigation, there are times when a party may disregard a court order, whether it pertains to payments, attendance, or other matters relevant to the ongoing enforcement process. Ignoring a court order can result in the party being held in contempt of court. The...
Where to Start Your Law Suit
If you are an Ontario business and you want to sue a party not located in Ontario, you have a decision to make: Sue where the party is located; or, Sue in Ontario, then try to enforce the Judgment where the party is located. This applies to parties in other provinces...
Canada Is Dissolving Corporations – Don’t Be One Of Them
Dissolving a Corporation is a standard part of doing business - what isn’t a standard part of a doing business? Being dissolved involuntarily. A Corporation may be dissolved for failure to comply with filing requirements, is in default with certain statutes (like...
Ending the Social Media “How To” for Residential Tenants
Most residential tenants are great. They pay their rent and are happy to make their rental unit a home. A few tenants are “tenants from hell”. These tenants stop paying rent, refuse to leave and even after they are ordered to leave, do not, until the Sheriff is at...
The Problem with Boilerplate Pleadings
I recently received a Defence from opposing counsel who reached out to have “settlement discussions” prior to the Settlement Conference. Upon reviewing the Defence, I had a lot of questions. Allegations were made which included (but not limited to) our client failed...
Trademark Scams: Something Smells “Phishy”
Trademark holders, beware! Scammers are out there fishing for your details—posing as “intellectual property attorneys” with fake warnings that your trademark is “under threat.” These crafty messages create a sense of urgency, hoping you’ll fall hook, line, and sinker...
Asking Questions at Trial
Having had multiple Trials scheduled within a short period of time recently, one issue persisted: the opposing representative’s line of questioning during the Examination in Chief. Examination in Chief, or Direct Examination, is where the representative asks their...
Update with the Ontario Business Registry (OBR)
The Ontario Business Registry announced on December 17, 2024 that effective February 1, 2025, a company key will be required in order to conduct transactions for corporations. While this new to Ontario, filing with a company key for Federal Corporations have been...
Think You Can Withhold Rent Due to Maintenance Issues? Think Again
On April 10, 2024 I attended an L1 Application at the Landlord and Tenant Board (the “LTB”) on behalf of our client to obtain an Order for Eviction of a tenant who owed over $45,000.00 in rent. The Tenant previously alleged maintenance issues with the Unit, which...
The First Court Decision of the Year (Sort Of)
As a litigator, I review (and occasionally participate in) a substantial number of past court decisions from the Ontario Superior Court on a daily basis. These decisions are assigned numbers based on when they are issued, such as ONSC 1, ONSC 2, and so on throughout...
How to Help Your Lawyers Enforce Judgments for You
Our firm prides itself on not just getting a paper Judgment, which is pretty but meaningless; you want money, not paper. In order to enforce Judgments, we need information on where the debtor banks, what they own, and who owes them money. Sure, we can run credit...
Do you have a Disconnecting from Work Policy?
It has now been almost 2 years since Employers were required to have a written policy regarding the “disconnecting from work” when they have 25 or more Employees. What is the definition of “disconnecting from work”? This term is defined in the Employment Standards...
Enforcing Interest Rates in Contracts
When you put an interest rate in your contract, you want it enforced in Court should you have to sue on it. There are a few ways to ensure that won’t happen and those include not expressing the interest rate as an annual amount and exceeding the criminal rate of...