Our Take On Things

In case you missed it, Inga Andriessen and Robin Mann recently hosted a webinar on how to prepare your business for sale. One point that stood out was how buyers assess a business early on. Planning ahead matters, even if you are not ready to sell yet. Preparing in...

Pre-Covid, our firm regularly held in person lunch and learns for our clients.  They were well attended and we enjoyed sharing insights over a meal with them. We’re now bringing the meetings back, though this time they are virtual & we’re kicking it off this week...

I’ve previously written about the importance of having a Will which allows you to maintain control over the distribution of your assets after your death. However, having a Will and not knowing is location poses other issues during an already difficult time. Recently,...

Yes, you can incorporate a business yourself. You can also cut your own hair. The question is whether you should. Incorporating a business online looks simple enough. Pick a name, answer a few questions, pay the filing fee and congratulations—you now own a...

There have been a few changes here at Andriessen & Associates, and they have been both exciting and necessary. When I say a few changes, I mean a few offices have been switched, new furniture has been ordered, and the Firm Operations Manager now has her own...

When businesses choose a lawyer, they often focus on factors like experience, reputation, or cost. While these factors all certainly matter, a recent decision from the Federal Court highlights the importance of precision in legal drafting, where small decisions can...

I’ve previously written about the importance of having a Will, which allows you to maintain control over the distribution of your assets after your death. However, having a Will and not knowing its location poses other issues during an already difficult time....

If you’re not a lawyer in Ontario, and realistically, even if you are a lawyer in Ontario but don’t practice in the Ontario Courts of Justice (“OCJ”) you likely are not aware of the difference between the OCJ and the Superior Courts of Justice (“SCJ”). OCJ has two...

Over the past several months, I’ve had several Trials vacated after Defendants made last-minute settlement offers that our clients accepted.  I realized it has been several years since I’ve blogged about settlements, so I thought there was no better time to blog about...

With Canada Day behind us and summer in full swing, many of us are spending weekends at the cottage, out on the water or, for some, up in the air. While you're enjoying these prized possessions, it's worth asking one practical question: who will inherit them one day?...

Given the rise in identity theft and fraudulent transactions, it is understandable that the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has strict client onboarding requirements.  For that reason, our firm has a policy that we follow to ensure onboarding is completed thoroughly and...

One of the quickest ways to get your business into a hole you cannot dig out of is to treat your Commercial Tenancy like a Residential Tenancy. Some Commercial Tenants who have legitimate issues with things their Landlord is supposed to take care of but isn’t decide...

Progress is great, until it’s not.   I absolutely love the ability to do many things online that we used to have to stand in line for in person: it’s a time-saver.   However, many online legal services lead business owners to believe they can save money by clicking a...

I stumbled upon Leaf v. Wang, 2026 ONSC 1503, a recent Divisional Court decision that clarifies whether the Landlord and Tenant Board (the “LTB”) or Small Claims Court has jurisdiction over damages resulting from the termination of a residential lease agreement before...

Next month will mark my 10th year as a lawyer. What better time to reflect on the last decade? Like many new lawyers, I did not have everything mapped out when I was called to the bar. I began my career in family law and quickly learned two things: first, that family...

I have previously written about the importance of having strong onboarding policies and procedures in place. Here, I want to focus on how to apply those policies and procedures in practice. As everyone knows, you can only plan so much—there will almost always be...

In my last blog, I wrote about how parties can become legally bound by an oral settlement agreement, even before an agreement is signed. Since then, I came across an Ontario Court of Appeal decision confirming that oral agreements can also be enforceable in real...

Office workplace ergonomics is a topic that can be frequently overlooked by employees and employers alike, while it may seem like a buzzword topic for office workers due to the stationary manner of our work, we also carry a significant risk of incurring a repetitive...

While it’s not an epidemic at our firm, it’s becoming more common for clients to email advising that a “colleague” has suggested a specific course of action on a legal matter.   Spoiler alert: We know your colleague is an AI. The colleague is usually incorrect on what...

There is no better time to write a blog about evidence when I’m currently going into a second day of a Trial where the Plaintiff has pled a plethora of allegations that they have not substantiated by evidence! Obviously, the key to success at trial is having the right...

All good things come to an end. This rings particularly true as I currently wrap up my four-month work placement at A&A. It feels like only yesterday, I was walking into the office for the first time, eager to learn and embrace new challenges. To truly convey my...