The Complete Brief
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February 09, 2026
The Friendly Bar Series, No. 15: What happens when a snowplow and a retainer walk into a bar? It depends
So, there comes a moment in practice when a lawyer realizes that most client anxiety does not arise from the law itself. It comes from not knowing what is about to happen, how bad it will be and whether anyone is pretending otherwise.
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February 09, 2026
Recent developments in Canadian class action law: Q4 2025, part one
The final quarter of 2025 marked notable developments in Canadian class action law, with courts continuing to refine the boundaries of certification and leave across securities, consumer protection and privacy class actions. Recent decisions underscore a balanced judicial approach: courts continue to advance class proceedings grounded in coherent legal theories and supported by admissible evidence, while firmly limiting speculative claims, procedural re-litigation and disproportionate results.
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February 09, 2026
Parole hearing spotlights need to recognize reality of con code and rethink incarceration
Lawyers and professionals who work with inmates in penitentiaries have long been aware of an unwritten set of rules that, if broken, carries the death penalty. That set of rules is quickly learned by new arrivals at jails across Canada and is referred to as the “inmate code” or, more frequently, the “con code.” A news report published in the Toronto Star on Feb. 6, 2026, reminds the public that serving a prison sentence is far harsher than being locked away from society.
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February 09, 2026
Drip pricing and misleading representations: Lessons from Cineplex v. Commissioner of Competition
Generally, advertising law in Canada is governed by the federal Competition Act. The purpose of the Act is to maintain and encourage competition in Canada to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy. The provisions of the Act directed at misleading representations aim to improve the quality and accuracy of marketplace information and discourage deceptive marketing practices.
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February 09, 2026
Why I help pro athletes find their post-retirement careers, part two
This is the second part of a two-part series: Part one: Why I help pro athletes find their post-retirement careers.
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February 09, 2026
CIVIL PROCEDURE - Service - Judgments and orders - Default judgments - Setting aside
Appeal by appellant from an order setting aside a default judgment and subsequent damages assessment. The appellant obtained default judgment for damages to be assessed and an order assessing damages at $150,000 after the respondent failed to file a response to a civil claim. The respondent later applied to set aside both orders, and the application was heard in the appellant’s absence.
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February 06, 2026
Lawyers charged with crimes may claim ‘innocence at stake’ to pierce solicitor-client privilege: SCC
The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld 7-2 the acquittal of a Saskatchewan criminal defence counsel charged with attempting to obstruct justice, ruling for the first time that lawyers charged with a crime may invoke the “innocence at stake” exception to solicitor‑client privilege to seek access to their client’s privileged communications for use in their own defence.
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February 06, 2026
10 new partners appointed for 2026 at Dentons Canada
As of Feb. 1, 10 lawyers will be added to the partnership at Dentons Canada, says a release on the firm’s website.
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February 06, 2026
Federal investment assists Ontario SMEs in navigating CUSMA compliance
The Government of Canada is helping businesses by investing $500,000 in the Toronto Region Board of Trade and its World Trade Centre Toronto to “deliver the CUSMA (Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement) Compliance Series, a targeted program supporting Ontario small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).”
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February 06, 2026
Fasken welcomes lawyer to its Canada, U.K. offices
This week, Fasken announced that Timothy St. John Ellam, K.C., has joined the firm as senior counsel in the litigation and dispute resolution group.