In-House Counsel
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January 29, 2026
Ontario Court of Appeal reasserts evidentiary discipline in anti-SLAPP motions
The Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Yates v. Iron Horse Corporation, 2026 ONCA 38, released Jan. 23, is a clear course correction in the application of Ontario’s anti-SLAPP regime. The court reaffirmed that the public-interest “weighing” exercise under s. 137.1(4)(b) of the Courts of Justice Act is not a discretionary or case-management inquiry, but a tightly constrained statutory test anchored in evidence of harm and causation.
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January 29, 2026
Dating rules as learned in criminal law practice
Dating advice is as old as ancient Rome itself. Ovid, the first-century poet, devoted an entire manual — The Art of Love — to the subject. His guidance was straightforward: wear a clean toga, mind your hygiene and present yourself well. Other advice, however, such as persistent pursuit or ignoring rejection, would today be more likely to attract police attention than romantic success.
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January 28, 2026
Cineplex loses appeal of $38.9M penalty over unattainable online ticket prices
The Federal Court of Appeal has upheld a $38.9-million penalty imposed on Cineplex for charging a mandatory $1.50 online booking fee in addition to the advertised ticket price, rendering that price unattainable.
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January 28, 2026
Balancing transparency and privacy in municipal governance: Analysis of the Planning Act and MFIPPA
Transparency and privacy are two core principles of municipal governance. In Ontario, laws regulating municipal activities, such as the Municipal Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 25, s. 224(d.1) and the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.13, require administrators to ensure openness and transparency to foster public participation in governance and municipal activities. The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56 (MFIPPA) imposes obligations to protect personal information. These requirements often create the perception of legal conflict.
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January 28, 2026
Top 10 business decisions of 2025, part one
Here is my annual list of the top 10 business decisions in Canada for the year just ended. This two-part series begins with the cases ranked sixth through tenth, in ascending order. Part two will cover the top five cases.
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January 28, 2026
Reasons to decriminalize sex work
It is not a secret that I live in Toronto. I did not move to Toronto for leisure or lifestyle reasons. I moved because remaining where I was had become unsafe.
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January 27, 2026
Canadian private equity deals move forward despite risk, regulation: expert
Private equity dealmaking in Canada is expected to continue in 2026 despite uncertainty around tariffs, geopolitics and regulatory scrutiny, as buyers and sellers focus more closely on managing deal-specific risks, industry observers say.
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January 27, 2026
Aird & Berlis adds 9 new partners
Nine people have become partners at Aird & Berlis. According to a statement from the firm, they are:
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January 27, 2026
Misconduct, not retaliation: Court upholds OLRB decision on employee’s social media posts
Terminations following employee complaints often attract close scrutiny from courts and labour tribunals. Important questions arise: was the employer action against the complainant justified or was it a reprisal for the decision to file the complaint? And is the employee using the complaint process to gain an advantage in litigation?
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January 27, 2026
Are women safe in Ontario’s courthouses?
On Jan. 26, the Toronto Star reported on very serious allegations that criminal defence lawyer Sudine Riley has made against police serving as security in the Oshawa, Ont., courthouse. She says she was seriously assaulted by them while just doing her work in the ordinary course.