Canada

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

41 Law Firms Vie for Top Honors in Annual Contest to Give the Most to Local Food Bank

A battle between Toronto law firms to come out on top in an annual competition to see who can donate the most to a local food bank is expected to raise nearly $250,000 in cash and food donations this year. A winner among the 41 competing law firms will be…

Dec 12, 2012 5:09 PM CST

United Sues Over Customer Complaint Website Design; Operator Calls Blog an Obvious Parody

A major airline has sued a Canadian engineering professor in his home country, contending that the 15-year-old website on which he compiles customer and employee complaints violates its intellectual property rights and worker privacy. United Continental Holdings only sued after owner Jeremy Cooperstock reworked his untied.com blog in April to…

Nov 29, 2012 5:20 PM CST

Partners OK Latest Mega-Merger; Dentons Will Have Nearly 2,500 Attorneys, Be Set Up as Swiss Verein

A three-way merger of major law firms was approved Wednesday by the partners involved, setting the stage for SNR Denton, Salans and Fraser Milner Casgrain to combine early next year. The new megafirm, which will be known as Dentons, will have more than 2,500 attorneys and professionals, making it the…

Nov 28, 2012 8:25 PM CST

Appeals Court Calls Opinions Copied From Lawyers’ Briefs Mystery Rulings, Tells Judge to Try Again

Saying that a Canadian judge’s wholesale copying from lawyers’ briefs made it impossible to determine the jurist’s rulings and reasoning process, an appellate court has told him to try again. Although Justice Donald Lee of Court of Queen’s Bench called the retyped paragraphs his Reasons for Judgment in the two…

Nov 19, 2012 8:59 PM CST

Some Staff Protest Bay Street Firm’s New Finger Scan ID Plan, Ask Why It Doesn’t Apply to Lawyers

As part of a new security campaign, a Canadian insurance law firm on Toronto’s prime Bay Street is installing a fingerprint-identification program that is expected to be up and running this month. But scanning workers’ prints also admittedly will help McCague Borlack keep track of its employees’ whereabouts. And that…

Nov 1, 2012 7:04 PM CDT

Woman Sues Apple Over Smart Devices, Says She Never Agreed to Have Location Data Tracked and Stored

In a legal case that could become a class action, a Canadian woman has sued Apple Inc., contending that she and her son did not consent, when they purchased or were given an iPhone and iPod, to have their location data tracked and stored. Anyone with “moderate computer knowledge” could…

Oct 31, 2012 7:11 PM CDT

New Fireworks in Ethics Trial of Prominent Canadian Judge, as Quasi-Prosecutor Steps Down

After previously questioning the impartiality of a panel overseeing a controversial legal ethics case against a Canadian judge, a lawyer serving in something of a prosecutorial role has stepped down in the middle of the trial. Guy Pratte’s resignation followed his recent filing of a Federal Court motion contending that…

Aug 27, 2012 10:38 PM CDT

Legal Ethics Trial of Canadian Judge Could Be Doomed By ‘Incontestable’ Bias of Tribunal Counsel

A controversial legal ethics trial concerning a prominent Manitoba judge has taken an unusual turn. A call Thursday by the judge’s lawyer for the inquiry to be terminated, due to claimed bias on the part of an attorney who is supposed to serve as an impartial advisor to the Canadian…

Jul 26, 2012 9:55 PM CDT

Canadian Appeals Court Dismisses Law Partner’s Age Discrimination Case, Says He’s Not an Employee

Calling a lower court’s decision that a longtime partner of a prominent law firm was its employee, for the purpose of applying age-discrimination rules, “legally insupportable,” a Canadian appeals court has dismissed John Michael McCormick’s case against Fasken Martineau DuMoulin for lack of jurisdiction. “There can be no doubt that…

Jul 19, 2012 9:06 PM CDT

Mistrial Declared in First-Degree Murder Case Over Juror’s Facebook Comments a Year Ago

Corrected: An unusual mistrial declared in a high-profile murder case this week, over comments made by a juror on a Facebook page roughly a year ago, offer a cautionary example about how far-reaching potential pitfalls concerning social media use can be. The comments were found on Tuesday by family members…

Jul 19, 2012 7:44 PM CDT