We are excited to share that two Lerners partners, Mark McAuley and Mitch Brown, have been invited back to teach their new course at Western University’s Faculty of Law. The course, titled “The Private Practice of Law,” aims to bridge the gap between theo

Lerners is pleased to announce that we have donated $50,000 to establish the Lerners LLP Women in Law lecture series at Western Law.Running for five years, the series will showcase successful female legal professionals, helping pave the way for a better f

In a recent article in LawTimes, our Family Lawyer, Ryan McNeil, shares his thoughts on how pandemic-related societal trends have had implications on the realities of litigation in Family Law matters. Read it here.

On November 14, 2023, Ontario introduced the Working for Workers Four Act, 2023, (“Bill 149”), which proposes providing expanded employee protections.Are there any positives in the Bill that will benefit job seekers and those already employed?One such pro

In a recent article with Everything Zoomer magazine, our Family Lawyer, Joanne Stewart shares why advocating for private and confidential resolutions is important when it comes to navigating high net-worth divorces and separations. Read it here.

Navigating "grey divorces" comes with unique challenges, especially for retired or near-retirement couples. In a recent article published by Wealth Professional Magazine, family lawyers Joanne Stewart and Sarah Conlin describe the impact divorces have on

At a recent Wealth Professional roundtable, Sarah Conlin and Ryan McNeil spoke about the unique treatment of the matrimonial home under Ontario's family legislation, and Kimberly Cura shared how changes in the Succession Law Reform Act affect wills after

In a recent article published by Law 360 Canada, Jacob Damstra writes about the ongoing debate on the usefulness of replies in appellate advocacy and whether to seek permission to file a written reply on appeals. Read the full article here*. *This article

Our very own Kirk Boggs was quoted in a Law360 Canada article about the Court of Appeal decision in Avedian v. Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. where he acted as counsel for the successful respondents.

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been recognized in the Globe and Mail's Report on Business as a leading law firm in Canada, for the second year in a row! Recognized in the areas of Dispute Resolution, Health Care & Life Sciences, and Insurance,

Lerners' very own Pino Cianfarani was featured in this article from Canadian Lawyer Magazine where he comments on how the decision clarified the policy-decision immunity defence. Pino will be speaking at Canadian Lawyer Magazine's Liability and Risk Manag

We’re pleased to announce that as a result of a recent survey conducted by the Globe and Mail, our dispute resolution expertise has once again been recognized by peers and clients, this time with a spot on the inaugural list of Canada’s Best Law Firms.

LONDON, Ont. – Local law firm and longtime supporter of London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), Lerners LLP, has donated $20,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund in support of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). While we have currently flattened the curv

The Supreme Court of Canada has found that the Law Society Appeal Tribunal erred when it found lawyer Joseph Groia committed professional misconduct during a case that ended more than a decade ago, and it has dismissed the complaints against him. "It’s a

A lawyer who aggressively defended a client embroiled in a billion-dollar mining scandal did not violate the rules of courtroom civility when he accused the prosecutor in the case of misconduct, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday.The split decision in favo

The full extent or scope of any duty of care that is owed by a defendant must be carefully scrutinized when deciding what types of damages may apply to this duty, the Ontario Court of Appeal has stressed in a class action case related to the 2008 listerio

The Divisional Court has granted what lawyers say is the first appeal in Ontario that did not provide notice to a defendant.In 2092280 Ontario Inc. v. Voralto Group Inc., plaintiffs sought a Mareva injunction on an ex parte basis to stop an alleged frauds

The Ontario Bar Association is set to give its 2018 award for excellence in insurance law to Kirk Boggs of Lerners LLP.Called to the bar in 1984, Boggs is a certified specialist in civil litigation and a partner at Lerners, where he has practised since 19

A chance for more Ontario families to get their legal fees covered at coroner’s inquests has been quashed by Ontario’s highest court after the province fought the idea.The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned a lower court decision that would have levelled

Following the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in R. v. Jordan, litigants are increasingly turning to arbitration as an alternative to the courts — but in-house counsel have an important role to play in ensuring that arbitration functions in an optimal

Brokers should not assume that a client who has bought a cyber or crime policy is covered for the risk of innocent employees who are duped into making fraudulent money transfers. In August 2010, two Brick employees were contacted by people claiming to be

Frustrated and financially burdened students affected by the Ontario colleges strike are turning to the courts to try to get some cash back.A class action was commenced on Tuesday that seeks to recover tuition money on behalf of the thousands of students

The judicial system, through no fault of its own, is having a difficult time responding to the volume of cases that are before it. So why aren’t more in-house departments considering arbitration as a means to resolution?In this article written for Canadia

An Ontario judge has dismissed a $5.4-million negligence claim brought by a lawyer against the Brantford Police Services Board. In Painter v. Richardson, Ernest Painter claimed an investigation conducted by officer Ronald Richardson into fraud allegations

2017 has seen something of a wave of decisions addressing coverage for social engineering frauds under crime policies. In July, a court in Alberta issued Canada’s first such decision in which the court – like most of its U.S. counterparts to opine on the

Anyone who is suing on behalf of someone who is under 18, I think, has to read this case,” said Stuart Zacharias, a partner at Lerners LLP and counsel for the appellant. “The law used to be, before the current Limitations Act, that until you became, the w

You may have noticed a surge of messages in your inbox from companies seeking permission to continue sending you marketing emails – again.That’s because another provision of Canada’s anti-spam law is scheduled to come into effect on July 1, and could end

Stuart Zacharias, a partner at Lerners LLP, who has acted as a defence lawyer for the police, says giving weight to the determinations in the previous criminal proceedings helps to promote consistency between the criminal and civil.“The court's really rem

The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled a trial judge should have considered expert evidence in determining standard of care in a negligence claim against the police.The court overturned a $1.6-million judgment against the Thunder Bay Police Services Board

Law firm partner and chair of the Handbags for Hospice committee Yola Ventresca, says (Lerners) is pleased to be the sponsor for the second straight year and “are honoured to be a part of such an amazing event.”Read full article in London Free Press

As a teenager, Lidiya Yermakova faced a life-defining choice: leverage years of intensive training as a tennis player and take a crack at going pro, or leave it all behind and go to university in the hopes of getting into law school.

International arbitrators must boost their conflict searches after a French court ruled a conflict unknown to a Canadian arbitrator proved enough to render his award unenforceable, according to experts.

The Ontario Court of Appeal has ordered a Corruna, Ont., lawyer to pay $200,000 in damages after finding he was negligent and breached his fiduciary duty when he represented both parties in a sale of shares transaction. The lawyer had mistakenly perceived

Groups representing the province's trial lawyers and crash victims called Monday for a public inquiry into medical evidence used in insurance claims.

In reinstating an arbitrator's original award and overturning a Superior Court of Justice order for a 50-50 fault-split, the Court of Appeal of Ontario has reaffirmed the Fault Determination Rules chart used in insurance matters should override any applic

A call for input by the Law Society of Upper Canada on legal advertising has raised some interesting issues and concerns that the legal regulator needs to sink its teeth into before it can wrap its collective head around potential solutions.

The detailed attention and careful ruling given early in December by Justice Robert Stack of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador to the admissibility of an expert's report highlights a year in which issues surrounding expert evidence took centr

There's little chance an escalating dispute between Ottawa and the federal courts of this country — about IT procurement, of all things — will ever find its way into a courtroom, despite the Supreme Court of Canada's threat to directly challenge the const

Litigator Joe Groia was back in court this past week to challenge the Law Society of Upper Canada's findings of misconduct for incivility against him following the Bre-X scandal some 15 years ago.

The Ontario Court of Appeal recently cited an analysis of the 2014 Supreme Court of Canada ruling in Sattva Capital Corp. v. Creston Moly Corp., by Toronto lawyer and arbitrator Earl Cherniak, in a decision that considered the appropriate standard of revi

Holidays can be an acrimonious time for families of divorced couples trying to divide up the time with their children. As family lawyer Joanne Stewart tells us...even Halloween can be a battleground.WhatSheSaid Canada Talks YouTube video

Joe Groia of Groia and Co., the Toronto lawyer found guilty of “incivility” charges by the Law Society of Upper Canada, will seek to have his one-month suspension overturned at a three-day hearing commencing Dec. 14 in the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Lerners family law lawyer, Joanne Stewart, discusses what to do when a relationship breaks down on What She Said Canada Talks.WhatSheSaid Talk video

Canada is a nation with many laws and regulations that affect the marketing and selling professions.

Instead of the uphill grind of lobbying the current government on legal reforms throughout its tenure, some lawyers believe a change of government offers the best opportunity for the overthrow of unpopular legislation or at least a more receptive ear to t

While contingency fees — which allow a lawyer or firm to contract for a retainer that will pay it a percentage of a recovery — were only recently permitted by legislation in Ontario, in personal injury cases, these types of fees go back many decades, Toro

Family law lawyer Joanne Stewart talks about the rules that govern child support on What She Said Canada Talks.WhatSheSaid Talks video

Disgraced former broadcaster Jian Ghomeshi pleaded not guilty Thursday to five charges, including four counts of sexual assault and one count of overcoming resistance by choking.

As of 2014, Lerners LLP is one of the first major firms in Canada to reach a 50/50 split. “It happened organically,” says Lisa Munro, executive committee member and partner. “I attribute that to the leadership in our firm in the 1990s — it really set the

To anyone who may have had doubts, a Superior Court judge has issued a clear statement on the difference between pro bono and contingency-fee arrangements in a case that underlines the need for written retainer agreements. In a decision earlier this month

"If the model that we have seen in the U.K. and Australia progresses, it will absolutely mean fewer choices for the consumer," said Maia Bent, president of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and a partner with Lerners Personal Injury Group in London, O

Family law lawyer, Joanne Stewart discusses what you need to know about the use of electronic information when it comes to the law on WhatSheSaid Canada Talks.

Darcy Merkur has had enough. Whether it's misleading information about the amount of experience a law firm has on display with apparent pride on the side of a bus or phallic innuendo suggestive of big settlements strategically placed above men's urinals a

Family law lawyer, Joanne Stewart, discusses why marriage rates are waning, just as common law relationships are booming on WhatSheSaid Canada Talks.

The Law Society of Upper Canada today conferred a degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa (LLD), upon prominent London lawyer Janet E. Stewart, QC, OOnt., at its Call to the Bar ceremony.

Toronto lawyer Caitlin Maxwell, founder of the feminist/social justice law practice Equity Legal, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Elizabeth Grace Emerging Leaders Award.

While many may not have much sympathy for lawyers who haven't had the foresight to plan for retirement, it's pretty clear they have become somewhat of a high-risk group. With law firm profitability on the decline over the past six to eight years, some par

With attendant-care benefits limited since Feb. 1, 2014, to the amount of a family member's actual economic loss, families have been struggling to care for their relatives under the new regime as their advocates look for ways to help them find any tool av

McMaster Children's Hospital is going to court Friday as the province seeks clarification of a ruling that gave an aboriginal mother the right to refuse chemotherapy and treat her daughter's acute lymphoblastic leukemia with indigenous medicine.

The deadline to appeal a controversial court ruling allowing aboriginal parents to choose traditional healing over chemotherapy for their children has been extended again.

The Ontario government seems eager to avoid appealing a controversial court ruling on the treatment of a young aboriginal girl with cancer, working instead toward an out-of-court resolution of the case, the lawyer for the patient's family said Thursday.

Toronto lawyer and arbitrator Earl Cherniak praised the support he has received from his colleagues and family over the years as he accepted the Toronto Lawyers Association's 2015 Award of Distinction at a recent reception, reports Precedent.

When Janet Stewart became the first female lawyer at Lerners LLP in 1969, the men there barely give her the time of day.“I suspect they actually thought I wouldn't last,” she says nearly 46 years later.Today, 55% of Lerners' lawyers are women. Forty-five

The mother of an Afghanistan veteran who took his own life seven years ago says the military's refusal to disclose its response to an inquiry into her son's death deprives her of what she wants most of all – an acknowledgment that things went wrong and wi

Prominent London lawyer Faisal Joseph has received the Law Society of Upper Canada's highest honour.

Toronto lawyer Joe Groia's decision to run for bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) will not have an effect on his ongoing court proceedings involving the regulator, Toronto lawyer and arbitrator Earl Cherniak tells Law Times.

During the 1950s and 1960s, known as the “golden age of marriage,” a wedding was the necessary gateway to buying a home, advancing a career, having kids and playing the proper grownup.

Access to justice is one of the most significant challenges facing the legal profession in a generation. A new ‘Access to Justice' course at Western Law exposes students first-hand to this pressing issue through a series of community placements and lectur

Toronto lawyer Joseph Groia, the first lawyer convicted for incivility on the basis of submissions made in court on behalf of a client, is taking his long-standing legal battle to Ontario's top court.

Some lawyers are expressing relief following the repeal of rules that automatically dismissed actions for delay after two years if they hadn't made their way onto a trial list.

Read the full article

The Ontario Court of Appeal has stepped in to stop the creation of subcategories of drivers in considering the duty of care owed by municipalities on their roads.

Class action lawyers are hoping the Divisional Court ruling will bring some much-needed clarity to carriage motions after it agreed to a hearing on the tightly contested battle to lead the multibillion-dollar claim against Barrick Gold Corp.

A recent decision by the Court of Appeal for Ontario is being viewed as a welcome gift to municipalities who have felt “under siege” by road claims.Kirk Boggs, an insurance lawyer with Lerners LLP says the Fordham v. Dutton-Dunwich (Municipality) decision

The province of Ontario is trying once again to introduce legislation to stop litigation brought to stifle opposition to issues of public interest.

Bob Verdun was convicted of contempt of court for a second time this week, and Justice Robert Goldstein was blunt in his judgment. He found the former shareholder activist "wilfully and intentionally" failed to comply with a court order and "cavalierly" d

Lori Douglas is the victim of a sexual crime; her public re-victimization is just plain wrong.

Toronto lawyer and arbitrator Earl Cherniak was recently named the 2015 recipient of the Toronto Lawyers Association (TLA) Award of Distinction in recognition of his contributions to the city's legal community and the profession as a whole.

A Superior Court judge has thrown out a Weston, Ont., lawyer's claim against several other lawyers and a Law Society of Upper Canada bencher on the basis that it is “utterly unmeritorious.”

Lerners LLP's Toronto office co-managing partner Lisa Munro has won Profiles in Diversity Journal's Women Worth Watching award, the law firm announced.

For many students, working a Supreme Court case is the ultimate experience. Lidiya Yermakova was an articling student at Lerners LLP in Toronto this past spring when she was asked to work on R. v.

Toronto lawyer Elizabeth Grace has been named one of Canadian Lawyer's Top 25 Most Influential individuals in the justice system and legal profession for her personal injury work, which focuses on claims arising out of sexual and physical abuse and the tr

Toronto lawyer Elizabeth Grace will be awarded the Women's Law Association of Ontario 2014 President's Award in recognition of her outstanding service within the profession and her leadership role in advancing the position of women in Ontario.

Securities class action lawyers on both sides of the border are anxiously awaiting the United States Supreme Court's ruling in a case called Erica P. John Fund Inc. v.

After working for 40 years at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver lawyer John Michael (Mitch) McCormick refused to retire quietly when he hit 65, alleging that his firm's mandatory retirement policy for partners was age discrimination.

A Supreme Court of Canada decision on Thursday reinforces the right of big law firms and other partnerships to force out senior partners at age 65, a practice many Canadian businesses rely on to make room for new blood at the top.

Last week, the law society filed a cross-appeal at the Divisional Court seeking to reinstate the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) hearing panel's earlier decisions that imposed a two-month suspension and a $250,000 costs order on Groia. It was in respon

A prominent securities lawyer and the society that regulates the legal profession in Ontario are bound for court in the latest round of an epic battle started in the aftermath of the billion-dollar Bre-X mining fiasco in the late 1990s.

The Supreme Court of Canada today effectively put an end to the Conservative government's goal of reforming the Senate, pouring cold water over any idea that Ottawa can unilaterally impose term limits or consultative elections on members of the Upper Hous

The council probing a complaint against a senior Manitoba judge photographed in the nude has drawn scathing criticism, particularly in light of its recently failed attempt to place itself beyond judicial scrutiny.

More than half of lawyers believe the profession has a duty to provide pro bonoservices, according to a survey of readers across the country conducted by Canadian Lawyer.

A man whose one-punch assault left his victim permanently brain damaged must pay a $1-million civil damages award despite declaring bankruptcy after the Court of Appeal overturned a lower court judgment that released him from the debt.

The allegations in her claim have not been proven in court and no statement of defence has yet been filed. A spokesman for the Toronto Police board would not comment about an ongoing matter. Lawyer Elizabeth Grace said she has been unable to find and serv

The Ontario Court of Appeal clarified the issue of limitation periods in two recent rulings affecting both class action and family law matters.

In their book Breaking Through: Tales from the Top Canadian Women General Counsel, Kirby Chown and Carrie Mandel interviewed 32 women general counsel, but one interview really illustrated the view of the current generation of female lawyers. One young wom

Canada's highest court will allow a class-action lawsuit involving two of Canada's largest financial companies to go ahead.

The Supreme Court of Canada says investors can bring a class action lawsuit against two mutual funds who participated in the market timing scandal almost 10 years ago.

The future of a class-action lawsuit targeting mutual fund managers for a “market timing” scheme that allegedly cost ordinary investors hundreds of millions of dollars will be decided by the Supreme Court of Canada on Thursday.

In our view, the hearing panel erred in law in reaching this conclusion,” Rothstein said, adding the jurisprudence “does not suggest that a non-party participant in a prior judicial decision is a party as a matter of substance to that decision. Groia's co

A two-month suspension faced by lawyer Joe Groia, a client of prominent Toronto lawyer and arbitrator Earl Cherniak, has been cut in half by a Law Society of Upper Canada appeal panel, the Globe and Mail reports.

A recent Superior Court decision in a dispute over a partnership agreement is a reminder for law firms to fully iron out the details with their new partners and leave nothing to chance, experts say.