Core Area: Litigation

“Umbrella Damages” Forecast for Canada: Cross Border Sellers Beware

WeirFoulds partner Nikiforos Iatrou and associate Kayla Theeuwen contributed to the Aug/Sept issue of Today’s General Counsel with their article, “‘Umbrella Damages’ Forecast for Canada: Cross-border sellers beware “. The article examines divergent views on the issue of whether umbrella purchasers have a cause of action at Canadian law, and, as a result, identifies that a storm of umbrella damage claims may be in the forecast.

With or Without Prejudice?

A recent court decision in Ontario reminds us of the significant implications when communications are characterized as having been made “without prejudice”. Such communications are generally precluded from being disclosed or referred to in any subsequent court proceedings. In contrast, no disclosure restrictions are imposed on communications falling outside the without prejudice classification. It is important for parties and their legal advisors to keep the distinction in mind at the time a communication is made.

21st Century Estate Practice: Shrunken heads and sperm

Hollywood’s vision of an estate solicitor sitting at their desk mulling fine points of tax law while sipping tea and drafting a will is so far from modern practice as to be laughable. One troubling issue for estate practitioners in the 21st century is the plethora of unique assets that have to be planned for, administered, and/or disposed of in a safe and permissible manner. An unscientific survey of our colleagues’ experiences yields some useful tips for dealing with unusual assets.

Keeping it in the Family: A Recipe for Trouble for Corporations, a Recipe for Disaster for Expert Witnesses

Closely held corporations do not operate pursuant to a different statute than widely held corporations. Generally speaking, all corporations created pursuant to the same business corporation statute whether controlled by a sole director, officer and shareholder, a 20-member board of directors or 100 shareholders pursuant to a Unanimous Shareholders’ Agreement have the same governance obligations and responsibilities. 

Voulez-vous… Legal Services in French?

WeirFoulds litigation partner Marie-Andrée Vermette is a contributor to the July 2017 edition of Advocacy Matters, one of the newsletters produced by The Advocates’ Society.

A Warning to Contractors and a Lesson for Regulators: Enforcement and Penalties Under the Consumer Protection Act

Virtually every regulator engages in some form of consumer protection. Concerns relating to false billing, misleading advertising, and the failure to deliver products and services can be found in nearly every regulatory statute. The vigour with which regulators seek the most serious remedies relating to these consumer protection issues is, however, quite variable. In some cases, the media has criticized regulators for not revoking a registrant’s registration when they have been found guilty of professional misconduct for false or misleading billings.

Benchmark Canada Recognizes Seven WeirFoulds Lawyers

WeirFoulds is pleased to announce that seven partners have been listed in the 5th edition of Benchmark Canada, the Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys. Benchmark Canada identifies the […]