Business
-
April 24, 2025
Only the holdback: When lien rights stop short at the owner’s door
The recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Hannan Custom Building Ltd. v. Irwin, 2024 ONSC 7230 highlights the need for owners, contractors and subcontractors alike to establish clear contractual relationships to prevent costly lien disputes.
-
April 24, 2025
British Columbia Supreme Court case exposes new civil liability risks for regulators
Unfair regulatory investigations and decisions now present more than just judicial review risks — the regulator may be exposing themselves, their staff and even legal counsel to civil liability. In Thmbran v. British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives, [2024] B.C.J. No. 479, the British Columbia Supreme Court permitted tort claims against both the College of Nurses and Midwives and individual staff members to proceed, establishing that statutory immunity offers limited protection where there is bad-faith handling of regulatory complaints.
-
April 24, 2025
On or off the record: An arbitration dilemma
How do you get off the record when there is no record? With court proceedings, when the solicitor-client relationship breaks down or conflict arises, a motion is brought to the court with a request to get off the record. There is much case law that addresses when counsel can and cannot get off the record.
-
April 23, 2025
Conservative and Liberal election platforms feature ‘tough’ approaches to crime but clash on the Charter
Ahead of the April 28 federal election, the Liberal contender for prime minister is promising to “stand up for the Charter,” for example by expanding the federal Court Challenges Program, while his Conservative rival for the post aspires to become the first prime minister to invoke the Charter’s “notwithstanding” clause, in order to shield his promised “life without parole” sentencing reforms for multiple murders from being struck down as a violation of the Charter’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
-
April 23, 2025
Securities regulators pause work on new mandatory climate and diversity disclosures
Canadian securities regulators have paused work on the development of a new mandatory climate-related disclosure rule and amendments to the existing diversity-related disclosure requirements in the face of rising economic uncertainty, according to a release by the Canadian Securities Administrators.
-
April 23, 2025
Ontario Court of Appeal upholds dismissal of proposed class action against crypto giant Coinbase
In a case that points to potential jurisdictional legal challenges for virtual currency investors, the Ontario Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal related to a proposed class action against Delaware-based crypto trading giant Coinbase Global Inc. and some of its affiliates.
-
April 23, 2025
Lenczner Slaght welcomes Jessica Caplan Ross
Lenczner Slaght has announced the appointment of Jessica Caplan Ross as its new director of legal operations and client solutions.
-
April 23, 2025
Alberta court rules gross overriding royalty in farmout agreement is interest in land
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has held that a gross overriding royalty (GORR) granted in an oil and gas farmout agreement constituted an interest in land, emphasizing that the economic structure of the transaction demonstrated the parties’ intent for the royalty to run with the lease.
-
April 23, 2025
Call rights in shareholders’ agreements: Navigating the anti-deprivation rule
The shareholders’ agreement governs the relationship among a corporation’s shareholders. It often establishes the rules governing the exit of a shareholder — for instance, by way of call right provisions upon the occurrence of certain triggering events.
-
April 23, 2025
Navigating AI in the workplace: Legal frameworks and considerations for employers
The integration of artificial intelligence into the workplace has the potential to significantly impact both individual roles and organizational dynamics. Early this year, the Quebec privacy regulator submitted a brief regarding the use of AI in the workplace to the Québec Ministère du Travail.