Canada

‘Law student’ attacks classmate snacks; email probe and rally for ‘pineapple justice’ result

At a top Canadian law school, an anonymous email attack on students’ in-class snacks on Wednesday has created an uproar. By lunchtime Thursday, a “Pineapple Appreciation Day” event was apparently underway, the National Post reported. Organizers say on their Facebook page that the eat-in at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law…

Sep 19, 2013 7:30 PM CDT

Lawyer who abandoned $200,000 Ferrari to get to court on time gets new Ferrari

A Toronto lawyer who famously abandoned his $200,000 Ferrari in rising flood waters to get to a court hearing on time has been richly rewarded for his efforts. Employment lawyer Howard Levitt has gotten a “very generous” deal on a new Ferrari, courtesy of the Italian sports car company, the…

Sep 10, 2013 4:39 PM CDT

Even an AK-47 wouldn’t have helped him during polar bear attack, says recovering lawyer

A Maine lawyer who was attacked by a polar bear in a Canadian national park while camping with a Sierra Club group last month continues to recover from what a physician on the trip initially expected to be fatal injuries. However, in response to those who wondered whether it wouldn’t…

Aug 13, 2013 4:10 PM CDT

Critically injured by polar bear, lawyer will survive to tell vacation stories, his wife predicts

A Maine lawyer on vacation in a remote area of Canada was attacked and mauled by a polar bear while camping with others last week in a national park. Now in intensive care after being airlifted to a hospital in Montreal, Matthew Dyer is in critical but stable condition. His…

Jul 29, 2013 5:25 PM CDT

Man swims from Canada to Detroit, is found in water on way home and cited for public intoxication

Fueled by eight beers, a Canadian man admits, he didn’t use the best judgment when he swam from Windsor to Detroit on Monday night. But, since John Morillo has to face the music anyway, he wants it on the record that he did make it all the way to the…

Jul 24, 2013 9:45 PM CDT

ABA, IABA pledge cooperation on issues involving human trafficking, rule of law

The American Bar Association and the Inter-American Bar Association have agreed to work together on issues involving human trafficking, the globalization of the legal profession and funding for judicial systems in the Americas. Leaders of the two organizations signed a memo of understanding (PDF) to that effect Friday in Paraguay.…

Jun 21, 2013 8:49 PM CDT

Blogger reads between lines of NSA lawyer’s ‘false myths’ speech, knowing what we know now

Forbes blogger Kashmir Hill remembers a speech that National Security Agency general counsel Rajesh De made at Georgetown in February. “In light of recent reports that the NSA has been routinely sweeping up metadata from phone companies about all calls made in the United States, it’s worth revisiting the remarks…

Jun 7, 2013 1:30 PM CDT

Law clerk of 28 years diverted $3M from real estate lawyer, authorities say

After 28 years, real estate attorney James Naumovich had implicit trust in his law clerk, Gina Kioussis, and considered her a friend and family member. But she allegedly diverted $3 million in client funds for her own use, when it came down to a choice between what she was supposed…

May 14, 2013 4:00 PM CDT

Guilty plea ends record $38M fraud case that doubled assessments for British Columbia lawyers

After nearly five years of legal battle, a former real estate developer pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud in a Vancouver, B.C., court Friday, putting an end to a record $38.4 million Canadian lawyer-fraud case that doubled the client-compensation assessment payments for attorneys in the Law Society of British…

May 6, 2013 6:35 PM CDT

Students protest would-be law school’s relationship policy

A Canadian university’s plan to establish a law school has drawn fire from students at other institutions. They contend that the covenant at Trinity Western University, which requires students at the private Christian school to abstain from “sexual intimacy that violates the sacredness of marriage between a man and a…

Mar 21, 2013 6:48 PM CDT

Defendants shot deputy at courthouse, escaped in sheriff’s prison transport van, authorities say

An apparent altercation Tuesday among prisoners being held just outside a courtroom in a small town in Alberta, Canada, led to a sheriff’s deputy being shot in the hand and a subsequent escape by two defendants in the sheriff’s prison transport van. The two were soon captured, and no one,…

Feb 28, 2013 4:35 PM CST

Ex-clients pursue class action against PI lawyer who allegedly charged excessive fees

Three former clients are pursuing a class action against a personal injury lawyer, contending that he charged them excessive legal fees. Spearheading the case was Cassie Hodge, who contends that she got only $8,000 of a $150,000 accident settlement after paying Gary Neinstein and Neinstein & Associates of Toronto their…

Jan 22, 2013 5:21 PM CST

Longtime Canada-based legal shops are top-listed for M&A work, survey says

International mergers among law firms are a hot trend right now. But, at least among Canada-based legal shops, when it comes to bringing in the most global M&A business, the traditional top-drawer firms that have grown more conservatively and are perhaps still best known for their work in Canada are…

Jan 16, 2013 10:33 PM CST

Hacker Steals ‘Large 6-Figure’ Sum from Law Firm Trust Account Using Trojan Banker Virus

An unidentified Canadian law firm reportedly lost “a large six-figure” sum over the holidays last month when its bookkeeper was tricked into providing an online password to its trust account to Internet fraudsters. LawPRO, an entity associated with an insurance company that provides malpractice coverage to attorneys, says the hackers…

Jan 7, 2013 4:50 PM CST

3 Arrested re ‘Maple Syrup Gang’ Accused of Stealing 6M Gallons From OPEC-Like Canadian Cartel

In an $18 million international theft case that a representative of the victims compares to stealing oil reserves from OPEC, authorities say they have brought at least some members of the “maple syrup gang” to justice. Three men were arrested Tuesday and five others are being sought in what is…

Dec 20, 2012 11:12 PM CST