The Complete Brief
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April 16, 2025
Alberta Court of Appeal rules First Nation's contingency fee agreements with law firm were invalid
The Alberta Court of Appeal has allowed a First Nation’s appeal disputing the execution and timeline of contingency fee agreements it had with a law firm.
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April 16, 2025
Alberta bill raising concerns about political interference in legal system funding
Legal observers in Alberta are raising alarm bells about provincial legislation that they say would lead to political interference in funding decisions for access to justice initiatives, but the province is saying some of the concerns are being “unfairly and inaccurately” mischaracterized.
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April 16, 2025
Manitoba court examines ‘adverse inference’ in medical malpractice case
It is up to trial judges whether to apply “adverse inference” in cases of medical malpractice, says a lawyer, after Manitoba’s top court found that a local doctor, while negligent, did not cause a patient’s death due to his failure to spot a cancerous tumour.
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April 16, 2025
Dickinson Wright welcomes Shona Musimbe to its Toronto office
Dickinson Wright has announced that Shona Musimbe has joined the firm’s Toronto office as an associate.
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April 16, 2025
Leonard Lee joins Wildeboer Dellelce as partner
Wildeboer Dellelce has welcomed new partner Leonard Lee to its real estate practice group.
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April 16, 2025
Client service excellence leads to lasting growth
You may believe you are already offering the very best service. Some of your clients may even have told you so. But in my experience, you can never put too much emphasis on excelling in client service. It is the number one differentiator between you and your competitors.
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April 16, 2025
Municipal Elections Act, 1996: Recent decisions clarify mandatory audit requirements
Municipal lawyers are taking note of two recent decisions from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Thompson v. City of Ottawa Elections Compliance Audit Committee, 2025 ONSC 682 (Thompson, as yet unpublished) and Phillips v. Compliance Audit Committee, 2025 ONSC 1180 (Phillips), that have established a clear and stringent interpretation of the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 (MEA) regarding the mandatory nature of compliance audits.
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April 16, 2025
CONTRACT - Sale by person in possession after a sale - Purchase in good faith and without notice
Appeal by Appellant from an order granting the Respondents the right to exercise an option to purchase a commercial unit under the lease agreement and continue occupying the unit until completion of the purchase.
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April 16, 2025
Case illustrates challenges faced by self-represented litigant in Appeal Court
We have all heard the claim of a disgruntled litigant seeking to reverse an undesired outcome: “I’ll take it to the Supreme Court!” However, it takes a great deal of money to appeal an adverse decision to that level. What if one lacks the funds to hire a lawyer? Should justice be denied if judicial error has been made?
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April 16, 2025
The importance of docketing
Why do lawyers docket? What is its purpose? Has the act of docketing run its course for modern law firms?