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1 Jun

Another negligence claim against lawyer dismissed for being a collateral attack

Thursday, June 1, 2023Stephen A. Thiele, Gavin J. Tighe, Kevin MooibroekLitigationCivil Procedure, Dismissal of Action, Collateral Attack

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Unless a decision is overturned on an appeal, the issues decided therein have been finally determined. In general, a party impacted by a final decision... 

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31 May

What is an Enforceability Opinion and do I need one?

Wednesday, May 31, 2023Zev ZlotnickCorporate Law, Business LawReal Estate

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An enforceability opinion is an opinion that the transaction documents constituting legal, valid, and binding obligations of the underlying entities, enforceable against them in...

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30 May

Lawyers face court sanction for relying on “bogus” cases produced by ChatGPT

Tuesday, May 30, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationEthics, Legal Research , Chatbot Research

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Artificial intelligence has been defined as “the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and act like humans.” In the practice of law,...

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26 May

Negligence claim statute-barred by ultimate 15-year limitation period

Friday, May 26, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationReal Estate, Limitations Act

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Civil claims in Ontario are generally subject to a two-year limitation period, meaning that a plaintiff must start a court action within two years of...

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25 May

Real Estate Agent’s Defamation Claim Survives Anti-SLAPP Motion

Thursday, May 25, 2023James R.G. CookLitigation, Real EstateDefamation, Online Reviews, Anti-SLAPP Legislation, Anti-SLAPP Legislation

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In Niu v. Cao, 2020 ONSC 5407 (CanLII), an Ontario real estate agent was permitted to proceed with a defamation claim stemming from online postings maligning...

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24 May

Condominium breached duty to disclose imminent special assessment in status certificate

Wednesday, May 24, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationReal Estate, Status Certificate

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Prospective buyers of a condominium unit in Ontario have the right to obtain a status certificate that is supposed to provide them with essential information about the physical and financial situation of the condominium, including any ...

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4 Apr

Ontario expands non-essential business closures

Tuesday, April 4, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationCOVID-19, Infectious Diseases, Infectious Diseases Emergencies, Healthcare

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On April 3, 2020, the Ontario government expanded the list of non-essential businesses that will be required to close while the province courageously battles to control the spread of COVID-19. Under Regulation 82/20, the Ontario government had previously provided a list of businesses that it had deemed essential and that could remain open during the current health emergency.

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23 Mar

Developer required to answer discovery questions about misleading other buyers

Thursday, March 23, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationAgreement of Purchase and Sale, Real Estate

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During the course of litigation, plaintiffs may seek evidence that a defendant has engaged in a similar pattern of impugned conduct with other people who...

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27 Feb

Real estate agent sued for misrepresenting identity of buyer

Monday, February 27, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationRules of Civil Procedure, Real Estate

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In Ker v. Deol, 2023 ONSC 1167 (CanLII), a motion judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice considered whether the buyer’s real estate agent could be added as a defendant in a lawsuit brought...

 

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27 Feb

Ontario Lacrosse Association Defeats Competitor’s Motion for Injunction

Monday, February 27, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationMembership, Injunction, Sports Law, Organizations

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Competition amongst sporting organizations vying for eligible, talented athletes is commonplace. Accordingly, organizations take steps to...

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24 Feb

Court of Appeal affirms that entire agreement clause is not bullet-proof

Friday, February 24, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationReal Estate, Contracts, Commercial Tenancies, Entire Agreement Clauses

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Drafting clear, concise and bullet-proof provisions in a contract is an art. It takes time and a complete understanding of a client’s agreement with...

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17 Feb

Plaintiff fails to prove notary public's error was the cause of losses from real estate transaction

Friday, February 17, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationBritish Columbia, Real Estate, Negligence, Professional Negligence

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In a professional negligence claim, a plaintiff must establish not only that a defendant breached the applicable standard of care but that the breach was the factual cause of the losses being claimed. Depending on the...

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17 Feb

Plaintiffs unable to establish terms of contract and entitlement to funds paid to trucking company

Friday, February 17, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationContracts

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Business relationships between different parties are generally governed by contracts. To be enforceable, a contract must have certainty of terms that are agreed to by the...

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13 Feb

Defence of qualified privilege available to Township for posting letters from public

Monday, February 13, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationMunicipal Act, Courts of Justice Act, Planning Act

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Municipal site plan applications have a public component that may expose an applicant to complaints from people who are opposed to their plans. As part of the...

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13 Feb

Former Chamber of Commerce employee's defamation action allowed to continue

Monday, February 13, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationTorts, Anti-SLAPP, Defamation, Motion Dismissed

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Although section 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act (the “CJA”), the “anti-SLAPP provision”, has become a powerful tool to dismiss defamation actions at an early stage, there is certainly no guarantee that its use will always be...

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10 Feb

Owner of corporation faces personal liability for stripping assets following lease default

Friday, February 10, 2023James R.G. CookLitigation

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Corporations are separate legal persons with their own property rights and obligations. Individual shareholders are not generally liable for any acts or...

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10 Feb

"Sugar Daddy's" $226 million action against "Sugar Baby" dismissed

Friday, February 10, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationSummary Judgment, Civil Procedure, Limitation Periods

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Technology has expanded the ability of people to meet others who they otherwise may have never met in a purely paper-based world. Indeed, entrepreneurs have...

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3 Feb

Seller ordered to obtain severance of residential properties to complete transaction

Friday, February 3, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationReal Estate, Ontario Planning Act

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In a real estate transaction, the seller must be in a position to ensure that good title is conveyed to a buyer at closing. In the time leading up to...

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31 Jan

Does a bank have a duty to warn a customer before carrying out a suspicious transaction?

Tuesday, January 31, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationBritish Columbia, Fraud, Exclusion Clauses, Application for Remittance

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If a customer walks into a bank and asks a teller to carry out a certain transaction, does the bank owe the customer a duty to...

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27 Jan

Complaint about changes to Greenbelt Plan against Premier Ford not worthy of inquiry

Friday, January 27, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationPolitical Law, Integrity Commissioner Complaint, Dismissal

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Premier Doug Ford continues to be the target of Integrity Commissioner complaints by opposing members of Ontario’s legislators. Although there is...

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27 Jan

Seller allowed to re-schedule Tarion closing date following

Friday, January 27, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationOntario, Agreement of Purchase and Sale, Real Estate

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New homes in Ontario may include a warranty from the builder for certain construction deficiencies and other...

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16 Jan

Freedom of expression prevails in responses to COVID-19 protest organizers’ defamation action

Monday, January 16, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationTorts, Anti-SLAPP, Defamation

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March 2020 will live in our memories forever. It is the month that, among other things, the world panicked, that governments issued emergency orders to shutdown...

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6 Jan

Court orders removal of Facebook posts under cyber-bullying law

Friday, January 6, 2023Stephen A. ThieleLitigationRemedies, Cyber-bullying, Removal of online posts

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The use of social media to threaten, intimidate or harass someone is an obvious cause of concern in our society. Young people are particularly vulnerable to social media harassment or what has...

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6 Jan

Claim against Google for hosting defamatory reviews allowed to proceed

Friday, January 6, 2023James R.G. CookLitigationDefamation, Removal of online posts, Google, Online Reviews

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Online search engines such as Google allow businesses to market their services to a wide customer base. Businesses may also be subject to online reviews which are...

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19 Dec

Lender can't evict bona fide tenants from property notwithstanding mortgagor's fraud

Monday, December 19, 2022James R.G. CookLitigationResidential Tenancies, Mortgage Fraud, Real Estate, Ontario Mortgages Act, Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Mortgage

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Courts must occasionally balance property interests between innocent parties who have been victimized by the dishonest or fraudulent conduct of another person. This may involve a conflict between...

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12 Dec

Insurer De-Listing: The Hidden Penalty of a Health Professions' Discipline Committee Finding

Monday, December 12, 2022Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawDisciplinary Hearing

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As a lawyer who regularly assists regulated health professionals (RHPs) in matters before their respective Discipline Committees, I wanted to alert RHPs about...

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9 Dec

Interlocutory injunction denied for failure to provide undertaking in damages

Friday, December 9, 2022Stephen A. Thiele, Alexander Melfi, Rob WintersteinLitigationRules of Civil Procedure

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An interlocutory injunction is a powerful and drastic remedy which Courts have said should only be granted sparingly. In that regard,...

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9 Dec

Letters Rogatory for disclosure in California divorce proceeding enforced in Ontario

Friday, December 9, 2022James R.G. CookLitigationCanada Evidence Act, Ontario Evidence Act

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As a matter of international comity, Ontario courts will take steps to recognize and enforce requests for assistance issued by foreign courts provided that certain...

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8 Dec

Responding to Complaints Before the College of Chiropractors of Ontario: A Defence Lawyer's Perspective

Thursday, December 8, 2022Lad KucisLitigation, Health LawComplaints, College of Chiropractors of Ontario

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As legal counsel for chiropractors, we are regularly asked questions about the complaints process before the College of...

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2 Dec

Court orders production of subsequent lawyer's file

Friday, December 2, 2022Stephen A. ThieleLitigation

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Although solicitor-client privilege is a fundamental civil and legal right belonging to a client, the right is not absolute and...

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