In-House Counsel
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November 21, 2025
The legal inevitability of the ostrich cull
However one feels about the recent cull of ostriches on a British Columbia farm, the result of the legal challenge to the cull order was inevitable because the wisdom of government policy may not be challenged on judicial review: Universal Ostrich Farms Inc. v. Canada (Food Inspection Agency), 2025 FCA 147, leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada refused Nov. 6, 2025.
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November 20, 2025
Real estate agreements of purchase and sale: Beware HST provisions
In a real estate transaction, buyers and sellers often haggle over the purchase price of a property. While the buyer will want to pay as little as possible for a property, a seller will want to maximize their return.
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November 19, 2025
Liberal government unveils first budget bill, says criminal justice bill to come before Christmas
The Carney government’s 2025 legislative to-do list got longer with the rollout of its first budget implementation omnibus bill, which proposes dozens of tax and other statutory measures.
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November 19, 2025
Ontario court rules forum clause survives corporate transfer in dismissal dispute
The Ontario Superior Court has upheld a forum selection clause in an employment agreement in a dispute over the dismissal of an employee whose contract was transferred from a federal Crown corporation to its subsidiary operating under private management.
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November 18, 2025
Highly skilled immigrants most likely to leave Canada: report
Highly educated and skilled immigrants are the most likely to leave Canada within five years of landing, according to a new report by the Conference Board of Canada and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) released on Nov. 18.
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November 18, 2025
Additional pre-construction costs depend on agreement of purchase and sale
The purchase of a pre-construction townhouse or other home often involves a written agreement of purchase and sale (APS) that is signed years before the completion of construction and occupancy of the property. Buyers may be surprised if the developer imposes additional charges at the time of closing. Whether such charges are permitted generally depends upon the specific wording in the APS.
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November 18, 2025
Federal Court finds Videotron infringed two Adeia interactive TV patents
The Federal Court has ruled that Videotron infringed two Adeia patents related to interactive television technologies that track viewing progress and restrict fast-forwarding of certain content.
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November 18, 2025
Canadian Intellectual Property Office annual report highlights operational advancements
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)’s 2024-2025 annual report has been tabled, highlighting “significant advancements across all areas of operations, including various system upgrades, a reduction in trademark backlogs and speedier registration timelines.”
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November 18, 2025
Feds remove internal trade, labour mobility barriers across Canada
On Nov. 17, the federal government announced the removal of barriers to internal trade and labour mobility though the “finalized regulations stemming from the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act.”
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November 18, 2025
The broken shield: Who is accountable when a Canadian’s life savings disappear?
Canadian banks say they’re on the front lines of the fraud war. But for Ray Anholt, a now 90-year-old Victoria resident, these defences were paper-thin. His entire life savings, painstakingly acquired and entrusted to RBC and CIBC, vanished in a slick “bank investigator” scam that exposes some interesting holes in Canada’s so-called consumer safety nets.