Canada

Tech startups shine in competition at Canadian Bar Association annual meeting

During last weekend’s annual meeting of the Canadian Bar Association, the organization held its own version of TV’s Shark Tank. Called “The Pitch” (presumably to avoid copyright infringement, as well as the unfortunate implications of linking sharks and lawyers), the CBA invited five legal startups to pitch themselves to a…

Aug 17, 2016 12:25 PM CDT

New suits filed over sperm donor who claimed to be a neuroscientist, but wasn’t

At least two new lawsuits have filed against a Georgia-based sperm bank by families who thought they were using a sperm donor who was a neuroscientist and later found out he was a convicted felon with mental health issues. Two suits are being pursued in British Columbia against Xytex Corp.…

Jun 15, 2016 3:20 PM CDT

British Columbia law society appeals decision forcing it to admit students from Trinity Western

Trinity Western University’s ongoing battle with the Law Society of British Columbia has headed to the British Columbia Court of Appeals. On Friday, the Langley Times reported that the society has filed an appeal with the British Columbia Court of Appeals challenging a lower court’s decision allowing TWU graduates to…

Jun 3, 2016 4:50 PM CDT

8 years after landmark international manhunt, ex-teacher gets time for Cambodia child-sex crimes

More than eight years after an international manhunt for a “swirl face” pedophile made headlines due to innovative use of technology and the internet, the criminal justice system is still addressing crimes committed by Christopher Paul Neil. Eventually identified, despite the digital swirling of his own face on child sex-abuse…

Jun 2, 2016 10:40 AM CDT

McCarthy Tétrault chooses nonlawyer to redesign firm

McCarthy Tétrault was looking for a leader, someone who could help the large Canadian law firm navigate the muddy waters of a quickly changing profession. So the firm decided to hire Tracie Crook—a longtime business executive who has never worked for a law firm.

Jun 1, 2016 1:40 AM CDT

In Canada, Axess offers legal services in Wal-Marts

Is a law firm coming to a Wal-Mart near you? What may seem like a far-fetched idea is a reality up north. Axess Law is operating in 10 Wal-Mart stores in Toronto. And the firm is growing.

May 1, 2016 1:10 AM CDT

Judge OKs first ‘assisted death,’ with help of physician, in Canada

For the first time in Canadian history, a judge has OK’d a plan for physicians to provide an “assisted death” to a patient, in this case a retired psychologist suffering from ALS. The unidentified woman made her case last week in a private, in camera hearing before an Alberta Court…

Mar 1, 2016 4:05 PM CST

As Canada’s Gowlings completes 1,400-attorney merger with UK firm, more growth is already planned

With Monday’s announcement of the completed merger of equivalent Canadian and United Kingdom law firms, the nearly 1,400-attorney combination is already looking for more merger prospects. “It’s an exciting time for us at Gowling WLG, and this is only just the beginning,” said Peter Lukasiewicz, who serves as chief executive…

Feb 22, 2016 10:10 AM CST

‘One man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric,’ says judge acquitting man in Twitter case

Apparently recalling a famous U.S. Supreme Court free-speech case, a Canadian judge on Friday found a man not guilty of criminal harassment charges concerning his Twitter posts. “One man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric,” said Judge Brent Knazan as he announced the acquittal of Gregory Alan Elliott, reports the National…

Jan 22, 2016 2:55 PM CST

Verdict looms in first Canadian criminal case involving claimed Twitter harassment

Was it criminal harassment, or merely, as the defendant’s lawyer contends, “an ugly political debate”? That is the question a Canadian court must answer, as a verdict looms in what is believed to be the country’s first criminal case over posts made on Twitter. Gregory Alan Elliott of Toronto is…

Jan 21, 2016 5:00 PM CST

Widow says Apple wanted death certificate, will and court order to reveal spouse’s password

When David Bush died last year, he provided for his wife, Peggy, in his will. But it didn’t occur to the Victoria, British Columbia, couple that they needed an estate plan concerning access to his electronic devices. Although Peggy Bush had the password to her husband’s iPad, she didn’t know…

Jan 20, 2016 11:35 AM CST

Axiom expands into Canada by acquiring part of Cognition

Axiom has made a big move into Canada by purchasing the general counsel business of Cognition, one of the largest legal services providers in the Great White North. Cognition, an alternative legal services provider and law firm, represents corporate clients with law departments and small businesses that don’t have internal…

Jan 14, 2016 3:15 PM CST

Ogletree Deakins opens first office in Canada

An international labor and employment boutique has opened its first office in Canada with a group of lawyers from Gowling Lafleur Henderson. A news release by Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart announcing its new Toronto office says only that it is “led by a group of prominent lawyers from…

Jan 13, 2016 4:30 PM CST

Fake letter on his law firm letterhead seeks to scam local businesses, attorney warns

A fake letter on his law firm letterhead is being used to scam local businesses, a Canadian attorney says. In addition to alerting police in St. John’s, attorney Bob Buckingham has gone public, asking anyone who is presented with such a letter to report it to authorities and even take…

Dec 18, 2015 3:45 PM CST

Did juror’s crush on prosecutor affect verdict? Defense lawyer mulls appeal options

No one else knew that Juror No. 6 had an unrequited crush on the prosecutor, it seems, before a guilty verdict was rendered earlier this year in a Toronto-area drug case. But afterward she made her feelings known in a series of notes to Robert Johnston, who is married, and…

Dec 14, 2015 10:25 AM CST