Civil Litigation
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January 21, 2026
Feds announce $1.5M in renewed funding for B.C. workplace harassment program
The federal government has announced $1.5 million in renewed funding for a program that provides free legal advice and education to victims of workplace sexual harassment in B.C., according to a release.
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January 21, 2026
FCA rejects Ottawa’s ‘expansive’ view of cabinet authority to wield ‘draconian’ emergency powers
In a case that might land on the steps the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal has ruled unanimously that the federal cabinet wrongly invoked the Emergencies Act to declare a national “public order” emergency in 2022.
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January 21, 2026
Family agreements, part one: Governance of multigenerational family businesses
The lifecycle of an owner-managed business can vary significantly. In some instances, the owner-manager may choose to sell the business or wind it up when they retire. Conversely, the owner-manager may instead choose to transition the business to the next generation, maintaining it as a family enterprise. Where the business is to be transitioned to the next generation, effective succession planning is essential. As part of such succession planning, a family shareholders’ agreement (a “family agreement”) often serves as the “family rule book.”
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January 21, 2026
Manitoba launches new francophone family law service hub
In its latest bid to increase access to justice for French-speaking residents, Manitoba’s government has launched a francophone service hub for those seeking help with family law matters in that language.
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January 21, 2026
B.C. court bars franchisor from blocking sale over related company’s debt
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ordered a franchisor to release part of franchise sale proceeds held in trust, finding it had no legal basis to withhold consent to a sale until the resolution of a dispute concerning an alleged debt owed by a separate, related corporation.
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January 21, 2026
More on civil conduct during mediation, arbitration
Alternate dispute resolution continues to grow in popularity in family law matters. The reasons are well known: avoiding delay, choosing your “judge,” and the avoidance of multiple expensive procedures within the court system that may not lead to resolution. However, with this trend comes a number of real concerns.
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January 21, 2026
Billable hours, client trauma and vicarious stress in legal practice
Lawyers who live in a billable-hour world know that time is money, but for those working with traumatic subject matter, time equals exposure. The more hours spent inside a client’s worst days, the more likely it is that the work follows you home at night.
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January 20, 2026
B.C. court finds retroactive share repurchase at low valuation unfair to former employees
The B.C. Supreme Court has held that the retroactive amendment and application of shareholder agreements to compel the repurchase of shares held by former employees under a stock option plan was unfairly prejudicial, and ordered the company to pay more than US$100,000 in compensation.
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January 20, 2026
Establishing gifts and excluded assets in family law: The Court of Appeal weighs in
The Ontario Court of Appeal recently released its reasons for decision in the matter of Lau v. Tao, 2025 ONCA 819, an appeal addressing a series of property-related disputes arising from the breakdown of the parties’ marriage. The decision addresses intergenerational gifts and trusts in the context of equalization under Ontario’s Family Law Act.
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January 20, 2026
Devry Smith Frank adds associate David Cooper
Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) has welcomed David Cooper as an associate in its collections and mortgage recovery and commercial litigation groups.