Our Take On Things

Last week I enjoyed the privilege of Judging a High School Mock Trial tournament. I have been doing this for many years and it is a lot of fun. I don't get paid for it (hence the volunteering part of this Blog post) and as a result I don't get to bill for the time I'm...

Ah, Independent Legal Advice ("ILA") . That throw away line in many agreements where people sign saying they have had an opportunity to have it, but have chosen not to. We recently had a great example of the right way to use ILA when we were retained to give ILA to a...

As the person at the firm responsible for hiring at the firm, I see the cycles of hiring in the legal industry up close. Right now, it's a tough time to be looking for a job as a newly Called lawyer: there are a lot of other newly Called lawyers looking for a job as...

There is a sign in front of a cemetery I frequently pass by that says "Free Legal Will Kit - you don't need a lawyer" outside the gates. I wonder about that cemetery. I wonder if they provide your loved ones with shovels when you pass away and say "have at it". Then...

You might think this Blog is about the Raptors (I'm still expecting them to pull off a series win and move on) but you would be wrong. This Blog is about the amazing group of people who work at our firm and in particular the Admin Professionals who we celebrate this...

I'm not a criminal lawyer. Our firm does not practice criminal law. However, I recall in Law School we learned about the presumption of innocence in first year Criminal Law. Our Criminal Justice System holds this as a fundamental tenet. This principle matters: if you...

A few weeks back I had the privilege of speaker to a class of law school students about to market yourself as a lawyer. Since the class, I’ve had a few follow up calls with some of the students to discuss more deeply what we do at our firm to meet new clients. Really,...

Failing to follow through on things you promised to do is an easy way to get sued. This happens in business more than it should and that leads to lawyers being busier than they should be with preventable issues. For example, if you enter into an agreement of purchase...

When the Women's March on Washington took place earlier this year, the best placard I saw was one that said "I can't believe I still have to protest for these rights." I feel similarly about the Ontario Civil Justice System. I've been a lawyer for 24 years in this...

Recently we have had some questions from clients about the value and enforceability of documents prepared in anticipation of doing a deal. In one case, the binding nature of a letter of intent was in question, and in another, some clients wanted to know what effect a...

It's March Break week in Ontario - the highways are quieter and it's tougher to get work done because so many people are away. The Courts are full of people with non-school aged kids, litigating disputes blissfully unaware that many people have overpaid to travel at...

Sometimes the stress of cash flow, business planning and the general day to day grind of people's jobs can lead to some really bad decisions. Generally the really bad decisions are ones that are made quickly or out of an emotional response, rather than a business...

In Ontario, in most cases, the loser in a step in a civil law suit pays the legal fees of the winner. It is for this reason, we always advise our clients of this and warn that no outcome before a Judge can be guaranteed. There is good reason for awarding costs against...

Yesterday in Ontario we celebrated Family Day. Family is such an interesting thing to celebrate as there are those who feel they do not have much to celebrate in that department. Some of those who have that sentiment have no doubt experienced being dragged into...

Roses are red, Violets are blue, If you're in a law suit, Don't represent you. Ah, Valentine's Day. A day to celebrate love and the emotion that comes with it. While being in touch with your emotions is good for your personal relationships, being emotional is not a...

Starting a new business is an exciting time for a business owner. Many times the idea to start a business comes up quickly and spontaneously. While the desire to move quickly is understandable, moving without a plan in place is likely to see that business fail just as...

We've just celebrated the Lunar New Year, which maybe means it's a good time to reflect on an old curse: "may you live in interesting times." Oh boy. We're certainly doing that right now, aren't we? The political upheaval in the USA that has been felt world wide. What...

I recently reviewed a Statement of Claim that was served on one of our clients. The document had many typos and included this gem: "no fair hearing prior to overkill termination undeserved." That was a stand alone sentence, in case you thought that I only used part of...

One of the best reasons to incorporate is so that your business becomes an asset that you can transfer to the next generation.  A well-organized corporation can be the primary source of wealth for families.  Yet many small business owners don’t take the necessary step...

Many people think they know a lot about employment law. Many people do. Many people know a little about employment law and get confused about its' application to certain issues. One of the most common issues that arises in is the "probationary period". Part of the...

Remember a few years ago there was a lot of noise in the media about the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation, a.k.a. CASL. If you're a small to medium business owner, you may be thinking, well that was a lot of noise about nothing. You would be wrong and you may be about...