Our Take On Things
Seasons Greetings & Warnings
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...
If you use a Temp Agency for Staffing, you need to read this Blog
Effective November 20, 2015, changes to the Ontario Employment Standards Act came into effect that could significantly impact companies using Temporary Help Agencies to staff positions. If the Temp Agency you use does not pay the employees their regular wages,...
So you think you want to handle your own Business Small Claims Matter?
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....
It's better to plan than to respond
I recently had a meeting with a client who retained us to draft a Shareholder's Agreement for her and the co-owner of her business. This type of an agreement lets the shareholder of a company control what happens in the event of certain things such as change in...
Lest we Forget: Freedom is not Free
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....
Policies and Posters in Ontario Businesses
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....
You might not need an "original" copy of that document
Maybe it was all the hype about "Back to the Future" last week, but lately, a lot of people have been asking us for "originals" of documents, when they are given PDF or Fax Copies. News Flash: it is 2015, not 1985 and for most documents, a PDF or Fax version is as...
Where to start a business lawsuit
Recently we've had numerous inquiries from businesses outside of Ontario asking where they should start their litigation. Some of these businesses are considering suing where they are located and then enforcing their Judgment in Ontario using our Reciprocal...
In Celebration of Small Businesses
October is Small Business Month in Canada: this is a great time to celebrate the backbone of the Canadian Economy (or a group of tax cheats, depending on how you look at it ... I'm just not ready to see Small Businesses that way). Just because a business is "small"...
About that contract you just signed ……
I enjoyed my drive into the office today because the news included a story about the snow removal contractor, who failed to clear the highway I use daily from snow and ice last winter, being fined $ 900,000.00 for not doing their job. To be clear: for me this was not...
So you want to enforce a Judgment in Ontario
I was recently interviewed by a prominent legal community newspaper, The Law Times, with respect to my thoughts on a July 2015 Court Decision that permitted Judgment Creditors to use a Court Supervised Sale of property to enforce a Judgment, rather than having to go...
But they promised !
Remember when you were a kid and your parent, likely half listening to you, agreed to give you a chocolate bar you really shouldn't have been getting that close to dinner? When your parent then actually listened to your request and changed their mind, the first thing...
Mentoring Matters: are you up for the challenge?
I have the privilege of being involved as a Mentor to two different levels of students. I am a Mentor in the Ryerson Law Practice Program to four students who have law degrees and are now in the program that is an alternative to Articling. It is great to work with...
So you think you don't need to incorporate ?
This Blog is directed to individuals carrying on business as sole proprietorships, though I won't tell if you're reading this and you don't fall into that category. I have heard many explanations over the years for not incorporating: 1. I am not sure the business will...
Plain English makes for better Legal Documents
This might sound like the start of a joke, but, how can you tell someone is a very newly Called Lawyer? They use hereinafter, hereto for and "the said item", in their legal documents. Using old English and large words when a small one will do is not a sign of legal...
I was in danger of becoming a tech dinosaur!
When I was a much younger lawyer (been doing this 23 years now) I happily embraced technology. I had a computer monitor with multi-colour, not just one colour display. I used a laser printer, instead of dot matrix and I hopped on the CompuServe bandwagon faster than...
Finally, let summer begin (a.k.a. goodbye HoV Lanes)
Ah, finally, today my commute was the reasonable amount of time it always takes in summer. I was able to see my family for breakfast & expect I can see them for dinner as well. This week, if my leg was not injured, I would finally be able to join my Stand Up...
Preparing for the future in your Business
It's still summer, we've almost got one quarter left in this calendar year - are you prepared? When thinking about preparation within the context of a business, it's not just about legal obligations, however, may tasks include legal obligations. If you're going to...
For those about to start the Law Practice Program or Articling
This Blog is solely my opinion, something I'm always happy to share. While I am proud to be a Subject Matter Expert and Mentor Lawyer for the Ryerson Law Practice Program (LPP) these thoughts are my own and may not be shared by others in the LPP. Wow. That was a very...
Pan Am Down, Para Pan to go
Those of you who follow this Blog or our firm's twitter feed will know I'm no fan of the Games that are destroying my summer and business in the GTA. You can imagine how happy I am that Kanye et al have snuffed out the PanAm flame and I'm counting down the days until...
Recession? What is it good for?
Those of you who are children of the 80s may recognize the Frankie Goes to Hollywood "reference" in the title of this Blog. Yes, I've stolen it from "War". But the "absolutely nothing say it again" answer given in the song is not the same answer to the title of this...