Our Take On Things

Many of our clients are entering "Deal Mode" these days which often leads to questions about the value and enforceability of documents prepared in anticipation of doing a deal. These questions are often about the binding nature of a letter of intent or, in more...

So you’ve gone to all the time and expense of developing a brand, establishing goodwill in the marketplace and even registering your trademark – now what? Here are a few key things to think about so you don't lose the right to your Registered TM: 1. A mark only has...

Last week I attended a fantastic International Women's Day (IWD) dinner in Halton, Ontario. There were over 900 attendees, most were women, but some men attended the event as well. I was at a table of all women. Four of us, including myself, own law firms. Four were...

In Ontario, if you lose in a civil lawsuit, you generally have to pay the legal fees of the winner. The rationale behind this is, in part, it prevents lawsuits that are not likely to succeed from being brought. From a business perspective, focusing on Wrongful...

The news recently has been blanketed with accounts of the Immigration and CRA frauds making the rounds in the GTA. In these frauds, people phone individuals and advise that they will deported or they are going to jail in the hour because they have not paid taxes. Many...

Many of our clients retain our lawyers to draft contracts that they use on a daily basis in their business. We draft contracts for many industries ranging from commercial landlords to leasing companies to software developers and many others. One of the key pieces of...

This post is directed to lawyers (though non-lawyers are welcome to read as well) in particular, newly Called lawyers. Please. Litigators. Read the Rules of Civil Procedure before moving forward on a matter. Recently our firm has encountered two instances where...

On July 1, 2016, change to the Repair & Storage Liens Act (RSLA) come into effect in Ontario. The industries that will be most heavily effected are Auto Repair & Storage facilities, well at least, that is the industry the government is targeting with this legislation....

Our firm is made up of fantastic people who regularly "give back" both in the legal community and beyond it. Our Law Clerk, Christine, is a Beaver Leader and I am on the Board of Directors of the Halton County Law Association and Chair of OJEN-Halton, to name a couple...

Lately I've noticed our firm is being "thanked" a lot by clients and people making inquiries about our firm, for "getting back to us so promptly." Our turnaround is at the very latest, five hours for a reply, even if that reply is only to say "we're in Court, we'll...

Maybe it's just me, but 2015 had some themes running through it, in terms of the legal industry. I'm hoping that some new ideas will spring up in 2016, because by December, this really felt like beating the same drum over and over and over again. Here are my "top...

Many readers of our Blog have met our amazing Paralegal, Murray Brown. This past year, Murray has once again delivered numerous victories to our clients and this last week of 2015 is a good time to look back on them. As we're a law firm, we are bound by lawyer/client...

As we're approaching the end of 2015, it's a great time to reflect back on your business last year and resolve to make changes in 2016. The following "resolutions" are items that will help strengthen your business in 2014 and beyond, take a look through and see how...

As the year starts speeding to a close, this week's Blog takes a look at some of the important Business Law issues of 2015. The most recent change is the November 20, 2015, changes to the Ontario Employment Standards Act that came into effect and could significantly...

It's December, the "most wonderful time of the year" and also one of the most dangerous times of the year for employers. The holiday season can be a minefield of potential liability for businesses, so here are a few tips to make it a Happy New Year: 1. Alcohol...

The Ontario Small Claims Court is the Court for claims that are $ 25,000.00 or less. Businesses may represent themselves in Small Claims Court and many often think this is a cost effective way to handle collection and other legal issues on their own: they are wrong....

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day in Canada. A time to remember those who sacrificed their lives to give us the freedom we enjoy today. We just completed a Federal Election. There was a change in government. There was no military coup. We all had an opportunity to vote....

The Ministry of Labour in Ontario is stepping up its inspection and enforcement of a couple of relatively new requirements of the Employment Standards Act and Occupational Health and Safety Act. The requirements are commonly referred to as "the poster" requirements....