In-House Counsel
-
July 08, 2025
Insolvencies still markedly higher than pre-pandemic levels, latest stats indicate
Business insolvencies dropped to 391 filings in May of this year, a 16.5 per cent decline from April but significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, figures from the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy (OSB) show.
-
July 08, 2025
Court of Appeal clarifies corporate defamation damages
The Court of Appeal for Ontario recently provided important guidance on the proper measure of damages for defamation of a corporate plaintiff in James Bay Resources Ltd. v. Mak Mera Nigeria Ltd., 2025 ONCA 448.
-
July 07, 2025
Alberta Court of Appeal rules chambers judge misinterpreted condo boundaries in noise dispute
The Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled that a chambers judge incorrectly interpreted a condo plan in a noise dispute involving an Edmonton condo owner and the condominium corporation.
-
July 07, 2025
‘Smart gun’ technology: Class action against Smith & Wesson gets certified
Gun violence is a serious social and safety issue, particularly in Canada’s major cities. According to information published by the Government of Canada, Canada has seen an 81 per cent increase in violent offences involving guns since 2009, and one in three homicides in Canada are firearm-related.
-
July 07, 2025
A common mistake in statutory interpretation
In the training that I deliver on statutory interpretation, I caution against relying on prior interpretations of a statutory provision or a related provision without first doing your own interpretive analysis of the provision. In Pepa v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2025 SCC 21, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned a tribunal decision that made this mistake.
-
July 04, 2025
Federal Court upholds dismissal of UBC trademark challenge
The Federal Court has upheld the dismissal of the University of British Columbia’s opposition to a trademark registration by a food services company, finding that UBC failed to prove that the mark was not distinctive or confusing in relation to its own restaurant and catering mark.
-
July 04, 2025
What can happen when one party fails to pay costs during litigation
During the course of litigation, a court may require a party to pay costs following motions or other interim steps. One of the more frustrating situations for a litigant is to be required to continue on with the proceeding while the other party has failed to pay costs.
-
July 03, 2025
CSA brings guidance on regulatory concerns regarding certain asset or business acquisitions
The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) has published guidance on regulatory concerns with certain asset or business acquisitions. It refers to those primarily taking place in venture markets and relates to concerns regarding misleading disclosure that may constitute market manipulation.
-
July 03, 2025
Alberta Court of Appeal overturns $210M damages award against CPKC in land dispute, orders new trial
The Alberta Court of Appeal has overturned a damages award of more than $210 million against Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (CPKC) in a dispute over a failed downtown Calgary land sale, and ordered a new trial.
-
July 03, 2025
Court: B.C.’s new arbitration ban doesn’t apply in Rogers customer dispute over $1M hacking loss
In one of the first tests of British Columbia's amended consumer protection law, the B.C. Supreme Court has allowed a bid by telecom giant Rogers to block court action in favor of arbitration in a case where a customer’s phone was hacked, allegedly resulting in her losing an estimated $1 million in Bitcoin. The court found that the amended legislation, which prohibits mandatory arbitration clauses and class action waivers in consumer contracts, did not apply retroactively despite a transitional provision.