Our Take On Things

Many clients tell me they know I’m a rule follower.   Surprisingly, this often is followed up with an example of a previous lawyer they used who didn’t follow the rules.  My standard response is,  “well, those lawyers maybe have something to fall...

Needed changes to the Ontario Business Registry took effect October 19, 2021 Finally, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services made changes to the Ontario Business Registry allowing for extensive online searching and filing of documents.  This is exciting...

We issue Garnishments often.  It is the most popular way of enforcing a judgment.  Some Garnishees, however, have no idea what they are obligated to do. A “Garnishee” is a third party who is ordered by the Court, by way of a Notice of Garnishment to pay a...

Today is a big day for all Ontario incorporated not-for-profit organizations! Why you ask? A much-awaited piece of legislation finally came into force today - and by much awaited, we mean over 10 years in the making! Okay listen, we aren’t as nerdy as you think, this...

A large part of our firm’s litigation work is collecting debts owed to our clients.  For over 28 years our goal has been to obtain a judgment for those clients as quickly as possible, to prevent assets from being dissipated by debtors, and to do so in a cost-effective...

My last blog talked about changes and asking if you were ready.  We have undergone an election and there was no change there, so there is that.  We are now required to show proof of vaccination to enter certain places like restaurants, movie theaters,...

“Can I force my employees to get vaccinated?” This is a popular question these days from employers. While the answer is a technical “yes” (though they may quit rather than comply) we think the more appropriate question employers should be asking is “should you?” The...

On September 13th we celebrated my 10th year anniversary of being with Andriessen & Associates.  I thought I would use this blog to reflect on my time with the Firm. First off, my co-workers have had the pleasure of working with me for a decade, and I say,...

Yesterday we celebrated the 10 year workiversary of Murray Brown, our Licensed Paralegal.   This follows the 20 year workiversary of Christine Allan, our Law Clerk, we celebrated last month. So, why are we so fortunate to have people work with us for a long...

September for many people is a like finally getting a breath of fresh air and is re-start.  Kids are back to school, post-secondary kids have left the nest and are off to college or university, and it’s the end of summer.  Big changes are coming in as much...

Did the word “cookie” catch your eye? Are you now thinking of chocolate chips, oatmeal raisin, white macadamia nut, or peanut butter? Good, we have your attention. Unfortunately, these are not the type of “cookies” we are talking about today. The types of cookies that...

We issued a claim against an individual for damages owed due to a breach of contract.  In our client, we plead the doctrine of unjust enrichment. Unjust enrichment is a claim which the Plaintiff alleges that the Defendant was enriched at the Plaintiff’s expense...

Time to dive into a timely legal issue.   We’ve received many inquiries from clients lately on the topic of vaccines and most are about employee vaccinations status.  At the time of writing this Blog, there is no Canadian Federal nor Ontario Provincial...

Let’s talk about Retainer Agreements, and the requirements of a law firm to know their client.  Many people may not know but when you hire a lawyer, it’s not just a matter of saying “Yes,  you be my lawyer” and then pay them when they invoice you. ...

Last summer a former manager of Starbucks brought a class action lawsuit against Starbucks Coffee Canada Inc. The plaintiff in this action brought the suit on behalf of themself and that of all current and former managers of Starbucks in Ontario, who were employed by...

I was recently involved in a frustrating litigation matter where our client was named as Defendant in an action and judgment was obtained against them.  They were never served with the Plaintiff’s Claim (we have all heard that before, right?) but no, really, this...

I am literally back from two weeks in the Wilderness.  No electricity, lots of bears, skitters and peace and quiet.   It was very needed after the past year, and I am 100% recharged and ready to tackle work again with enthusiasm and a clear mind. I have...

Intellectual Property aka IP refers to creations of the mind and the ownership of an idea or design by the person who came up with it.  While my mind is creating and imagining a world when we don’t need to worry about quarantine and wearing a mask, other peoples...

While the celebration of Canada Day may have been a controversial issue this year, that did not change the fact that it remains a statutory holiday. Statutory holidays, which are public holidays recognized by the federal and provincial governments, are (depending on...

As a matter progresses through the stages of litigation, the opinions of a paralegal or lawyer may change. Sometimes to your benefit, other times, not so much. A client’s expectations should adapt to those changes. Newly introduced evidence or caselaw for example...

A couple of weeks ago the news cycle led with the headline that the Ontario government has closed the time gap between the first dose of Astra Zeneca to the second dose of a vaccine from 12 to 8 weeks.   The headline didn’t include the detail, that this was...