In-House Counsel

  • June 19, 2026

    Ontario retains jurisdiction over claims against offshore trustee: court

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has upheld a finding that Ontario courts have jurisdiction over claims against a Liechtenstein trustee whose offshore trust was allegedly funded with money siphoned from Bridging Finance, rejecting arguments that the trustee was too remote from the alleged misconduct.

  • June 19, 2026

    OPC’s Grok deepfake investigation points to the need for privacy and online harms reform

    In an investigation report released on June 11, the federal Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) found that the AI chatbot Grok, a feature offered to users of X, the social media platform (formerly Twitter), breached the current privacy law, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), by creating sexualized artificial images of real people, in particular women and children, without their consent.

  • June 18, 2026

    E-scooter an ‘automobile’ under Insurance Act: Alberta Court

    The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has ruled that an electric scooter qualifies as an “automobile” under the province’s Insurance Act, excluding a rider injured in a collision with a minivan from accident benefits under the vehicle’s insurance policy.

  • June 18, 2026

    Ontario Court of Appeal overturns Handley Estate rule: Disclosure of partial settlements

    In multi-party civil litigation, it is common for one or more parties to resolve their disputes by way of agreement, while the proceeding continues against those parties who have not settled. These “partial settlement agreements” are a routine feature of complex litigation.

  • June 18, 2026

    New International Chamber of Commerce arbitration rules

    The International Chamber of Commerce’s (ICC) 2026 Arbitration Rules, which came into effect on June 1, 2026, mark a decisive shift in how ICC cases will be managed and resolved in the future.

  • June 18, 2026

    Emerging judicial divide in Canadian employment law: Employee protection vs. contractual certainty

    Canadian employment law has long attempted to balance two competing objectives. On one hand lies the protection of employees, who are generally regarded as the more vulnerable party in the employment relationship. On the other lies the principle of contractual certainty, which permits employers and employees to define their rights and obligations through freely negotiated agreements.

  • June 17, 2026

    Unjust enrichment claim not a life preserver for a poorly drafted contract

    The Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Wallbridge, Wallbridge v. Poupore, 2026 ONCA 417 is a useful reminder that courts do not rescue parties from incomplete compensation arrangements simply because the result may seem unfair.

  • June 17, 2026

    Active listening: A tool for lawyers

    Used by hostage negotiators, journalists, mediators and others, active listening provides a shortcut to developing trust and understanding between people. For lawyers, its application is professionally significant: those who listen actively stand to develop stronger client relationships, gain clearer insight into client needs and are better positioned to provide effective representation.

  • June 16, 2026

    Competition Bureau launches study of Canada’s food supply chain

    On June 16, the Competition Bureau launched an examination of Canada’s food supply chain, which will “identify how greater competition can help improve outcomes for Canadians at the grocery store.”

  • June 16, 2026

    New private-sector privacy regulator to wield broad investigative & order powers, big penalties

    Ottawa has proposed a new legislative regime for private-sector privacy regulation that imposes a raft of obligations on how businesses and other non-governmental organizations handle Canadians’ personal data, with oversight from a robust dual privacy and digital harms regulator armed with audit and binding order-making powers, backed by hefty administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) and fines for the most serious new offences.