Why Canada's Most Critical Legal Infrastructure Has Been Overlooked — Until Now
Registry searches are the backbone of Canadian M&A, lending and other high‑value transactions, yet the data is scattered across dozens of jurisdictional portals. The article highlights how Regy, a purpose‑built platform, aggregates up to 20 public‑registry sources into a single, AI‑enhanced report, cutting search time from hours to ten minutes. By automatically normalizing disparate formats into due‑diligence documents, Regy eliminates manual copy‑paste work and reduces error risk. Law firms and lenders now rely on Regy for billions of dollars of deals, signaling a shift toward specialized legal‑tech infrastructure.
Making Pro Bono Personal at Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG has woven pro bono work into its core practice, offering a formal policy that fully credits hours and encourages lawyers to align personal passions with client service. Partners like Myron Dzulynsky apply corporate governance expertise to Ukrainian scouting...
Judgment Is the Currency of a Good Lawyer. The Work Now Is to Define It
The article argues that AI is rapidly automating the visible tasks of commercial lawyers—research, drafting, and redlining—while exposing the invisible, judgment‑driven work that actually closes deals. It distinguishes crystallized intelligence (knowledge) from fluid intelligence (real‑time decision‑making), noting that AI cheapens...
Ontario Superior Court Summarily Denies Claim that Will Created Testamentary Trust Between Brothers
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed the plaintiff’s claim that his mother’s holographic will created a testamentary trust for him and that he qualified as a dependent under the Succession Law Reform Act. The court held the will’s language...
Federal Court of Appeal Affirms Tax Court’s Enhanced Cost Award to Ferry Service Company
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the Tax Court’s decision to grant Marine Atlantic, a ferry operator, enhanced costs equal to 60% of its legal fees. The award stemmed from the Crown’s failure to honor a 2013 agreement and its...
Body of Court Rulings on AI-Hallucinated Materials Offer Few New Insights to Lawyers Using AI Tools
Canadian courts have issued over 150 rulings since the 2024 *Zhang v. Chen* decision, highlighting lawyers’ submission of AI‑hallucinated citations and arguments. The judgments reiterate existing professional duties, emphasizing that the human lawyer remains accountable for any AI‑generated errors. While...
Matthew Peters on the AI Tools McCarthy Tétrault's Lawyers Are Actually Using Right Now
Matthew Peters, partner and national leader of transformation at McCarthy Tétrault, detailed the firm’s current AI toolkit in a Canadian Lawyer interview. The firm now operates multiple AI platforms, including its proprietary MT❯Forge, to streamline document drafting, research, and contract analysis. Peters...
Legal Aid Alberta’s 2026–29 Strategic Plan Continues Prioritizing Quality, Access, Accountability
Legal Aid Alberta unveiled its 2026‑29 strategic plan, built around three pillars—quality, access and accountability—to meet rising demand for legal services. The plan responds to population growth, socioeconomic pressures and increasingly complex client needs, emphasizing higher standards of representation, technology‑enabled...
Alberta CA Confirms Bitcoin Mining Operation Breached Hydrocarbon Surface Rights Lease
The Alberta Court of Appeal upheld a lower‑court ruling that a surface‑rights lease from 1999 does not permit a bitcoin‑mining operation. The lease, intended for hydrocarbon exploration and production, was found to be breached when the lessee used natural‑gas generators...
BC Court of Appeal Raises Damages Award to $1.13M From $378K for Minor Motor Vehicle Accident
The British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned a trial judge’s 75 percent negative contingency deduction, applying a 25 percent rate instead. This adjustment raised the plaintiff’s total award to roughly $0.84 million USD (up from $0.28 million USD). The court also barred the deduction...
SCC Orders New Trial for Alberta Man Accused of Murder, Says Trial Court Relied on Hearsay Evidence
The Supreme Court of Canada unanimously (8‑1) ordered a new trial for Dylon Saddleback after finding the Alberta trial judge relied on inadmissible hearsay – a phone call between the victim and his girlfriend – without a proper voir dire....
Ecojustice Says New Public Funding for Fossil Fuel Projects May Lead to Lawsuits
Ecojustice’s three lawyers sent a formal letter to Canada’s prime minister, cabinet officials and Crown corporations warning that new or expanded public financing for large fossil‑fuel projects such as Ksi Lisims LNG and LNG Canada phase 2 could be challenged under the Canadian...
Federal Appeal Court Upholds Quashed Appeal of Reassessment Despite CRA’s Wrong Advice to Taxpayer
The Federal Court of Appeal affirmed the Tax Court’s decision to quash a taxpayer’s appeal of a 2023 reassessment for his 2016 tax year. The court held that, despite the CRA providing incorrect advice about the right to object, no...
Help Name Canada’s Leading Litigation Boutiques
Canadian Lawyer has launched its eighth Top Litigation Law Boutiques survey, inviting legal professionals to vote for the firms that most influence Canada’s litigation landscape. The voting window runs from May 20 until June 12, after which the 2026‑27 rankings—backed by financial‑services...
BC Supreme Court Sets Aside Its Prior Production and Preservation Orders Against Binance
The British Columbia Supreme Court dismissed a petition against Binance Holdings Ltd., setting aside earlier production and preservation orders after determining it lacked in‑personam jurisdiction. The court found the petitioner had failed to disclose material facts about Binance’s 2023 withdrawal...
Canadian Legal Summit Returns with the Profession's Hardest Conversations
The Canadian Legal Summit returns to Toronto on Oct. 14, gathering roughly 500 lawyers, in‑house counsel, and legal innovators for candid discussions. This year’s agenda spotlights AI’s existential impact on the billable hour, rising burnout as a business risk, and...
BC Supreme Court Rolls Out Videoconference Attendance Option for Civil, Family Law Proceedings
British Columbia’s Supreme Court has introduced videoconferencing as the default method for case planning and judicial management conferences in civil and family law proceedings. Parties will receive a Microsoft Teams link ahead of scheduled hearings, though they may still request...
Delegation Is Not an Effective Cybersecurity Strategy for Law Firm Leaders
Law firms are increasingly vulnerable because many lawyers cannot pinpoint where client data resides or who can access it. The prevailing approach treats cybersecurity as a purely technical issue, delegating responsibility to IT while senior lawyers lack the oversight needed...
Ontario to Let Pharmacists Administer More Vaccines, Prescribe for More Ailments
Ontario announced a July 2026 expansion of pharmacists' scope, allowing them to administer six publicly funded vaccines—including tetanus, RSV and shingles—and to assess and prescribe for nine common minor ailments such as dandruff and mild headache. Pharmacy technicians will also...
BC Court of Appeal Fixes Estate’s Requested Security for Trial and Appeal Costs at $321,700
The British Columbia Court of Appeal ordered the appellants to post security of $321,700 (≈$238,000 USD) for trial and appeal costs, while granting them extra time to file appeal materials. The dispute arose after Chinese businessman Zhang Jr. funded real‑estate...
New Vancouver Law Firm Jiwaji Law ‘Focused on Excellence in Women’ Expands with Latest Hire
Vancouver‑based Jiwaji Law, a women‑owned boutique founded last year, announced the addition of Ariyana Dhawan as counsel, bringing its headcount to four lawyers. The firm specializes in corporate advisory, commercial litigation, intellectual‑property and tax disputes, and positions itself as a...
Property Development Lawyers on the Complexities of Building More Homes
Canadian property development lawyers warn that despite new federal and provincial funding and tax incentives, municipal fees and approval processes keep housing costs high. They note that about one‑third of a home’s cost comes from taxes and fees, with development...
Principle, Not Profit: Inside Marcelo V. Personal
Bogoroch & Associates LLP successfully appealed a six‑year battle to reclassify a client’s intracranial brain contusion from the Minor Injury Guideline (MIG) to a catastrophic injury under Ontario’s Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS). The Ontario Divisional Court held that the...
Michael Ewenson Joins Alberta Court of Justice as Justice
Michael Ewenson, former interim CEO of the Alberta Police Review Commission and seasoned Crown prosecutor, has been appointed as a justice to the Calgary criminal division of the Alberta Court of Justice, beginning May 11, 2026. The appointment is part of the...
SCC Clarifies Test for Assessing when Cause of Action Estoppel Stops Party From Relitigating Matter
The Supreme Court of Canada issued a split decision that formally outlines a four‑prong test for applying cause of action estoppel, a branch of res judicata that bars parties from relitigating a claim already decided. The court clarified the previously...
Ken Mandzuik Elected as 106th President of Law Society of Manitoba
The Law Society of Manitoba’s benchers have elected Ken Mandzuik as the 106th president and Sharyne Hamm as vice president, with both assuming duties at the upcoming bencher meeting. Out of 2,445 eligible voters, 1,075 ballots were cast, reflecting a 44% turnout....
AI-Powered Conveyancing Speeds up Real Estate Closings
Conveyancing in Ontario has evolved from routine paperwork to a high‑risk, time‑sensitive process as client expectations rise. Legacy systems that rely on manual data entry cause errors and slow closings. Quintalink’s AI‑powered platform provides secure, firm‑specific servers, automated status‑certificate review,...
Canada’s Best Personal Injury Law Firms | Boutique Personal Injury
Canada’s 2026 Top Personal Injury Law Firms ranking, compiled from 1,753 votes, peer input and regional diversity, spotlights firms that build cases early and stay trial‑ready. Only about 7.5‑10.2% of claims reach trial, so firms focus on front‑loading evidence and aggressive litigation...
Alberta Plans to Build First Provincial Forensic DNA Lab in Western Canada
Alberta has allocated roughly $6.5 million USD in its 2026 budget to build Western Canada’s first provincial forensic DNA laboratory, to be housed in the ALERT facility in Sherwood Park. The lab, staffed by more than 40 full‑time analysts, is projected to...
Ontario Court Lets Trial Proceed in Claim that Insurer Breached Long-Term Disability Benefit Policy
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice rejected Sun Life Assurance’s motion for summary judgment, allowing the plaintiff’s disability claim to go to trial. The case stems from a former hospital employee who says Sun Life limited her to either resigning...
BC Legal Bodies Appeal Dismissal of Legal Professions Act Challenge
The British Columbia Trial Lawyers Association and the Law Society of British Columbia have filed appeals against a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the 2024 Legal Professions Act, which replaces the LSBC with a new government‑appointed regulator. The court previously...
Olthuis Kleer Townshend Adds Indigenous Rights Lawyer Leah Mack as Partner
Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP announced that Indigenous‑rights lawyer Leah Mack has joined the firm as a partner, effective May 1. Mack, founder of Mack Law Corporation, will continue operating from her Saanichton office on Tsartlip First Nation land, extending OKT’s footprint...
Ontario Court of Appeal Quashes Appeal in Negligence Case Arising From Brain Aneurysm
The Ontario Court of Appeal dismissed the new defendants’ appeal of an August 6 2025 order that added them to a medical‑malpractice suit over a 2015 brain aneurysm, ruling the order was interlocutory and therefore only appealable to the Divisional Court with...
Presenting the 2026 Canadian Law Awards Winners
The seventh annual Canadian Law Awards, hosted by Canadian Lawyer and Lexpert at Toronto’s Metro Convention Centre, honored top law firms, in‑house teams, and individual lawyers across Canada. Highlights included McInnes Cooper as Atlantic Canada Regional Law Firm of the...
Matt Riskin Commences at McLennan Ross as Partner
Matt Riskin, a former Bennett Jones partner, began as a partner at McLennan Ross in Edmonton on May 4, 2026. He will work within the firm’s health law, commercial litigation, and labour and employment groups, leveraging more than a decade of experience...
How Associates Really Succeed: A Candid Conversation with Paul Karvanis
In a recent Canadian Lawyer podcast, former Stikeman Elliott lawyer Paul Karvanis outlines a three‑tier hierarchy for associate success, emphasizing consistent quality work, soft‑skill development, and strategic ownership of files. He explains the “expectation effect,” where early performance shapes an...
Ontario Superior Court Stays Ex-Client’s Legal Fee Assessment Request in Favour of Arbitration
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice stayed a former client’s request for a legal‑fee assessment and ordered the dispute with a family law firm to proceed through arbitration, honoring the arbitration clause in the retainer agreement. The court applied the...
NWT Court of Appeal Stays $30M Derivative Action Accusing KPMG of Knowingly Assisting in Breaches
The Northwest Territories Court of Appeal has stayed a $30 million derivative action against KPMG LLP pending appeal of a lower‑court order that set aside an arbitration agreement. The underlying oppression case targets a former CEO of three First Nation‑linked companies,...
Giuseppina D’Agostino Joins Federal Court as a Judge
Justice Minister Sean Fraser announced Giuseppina D’Agostino as a new Federal Court judge, filling the vacancy left by Mary Elizabeth Heneghan. D’Agostino comes from a distinguished academic career, most recently a full professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and holder...
Understanding Civil Sexual Assault Damages
Ontario courts have seen a sharp rise in civil sexual assault lawsuits over the past decade, especially involving historical claims against trusted figures such as teachers and clergy. Canada’s lack of a statute of limitations lets victims file civil actions...
The Human Edge in AI‑Driven M&A: Why Judgment Still Wins Deals
AI is rapidly automating routine M&A tasks such as document review and draft generation, but lawyers remain essential for strategic guidance, negotiation tactics, and translating complex data into client‑focused outcomes. The conversation with corporate finance lawyer Mujir Muneeruddin highlights that...
Virtual Medicine's Rise — and Its Malpractice Risks
Virtual care has become a permanent pillar in Canada, jumping from 10‑20% pre‑COVID to 40% in 2021. Regulators such as the CPSO and CNO maintain that the standard of care remains unchanged but require additional technology‑savvy skills. The main malpractice...
Prohibiting Judges From Considering Immigration Consequences at Sentencing Ignores Reality
Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner introduced a private‑member’s bill that would prevent Canadian judges from factoring immigration consequences into criminal sentences. The article argues the proposal misrepresents the law, noting the Supreme Court’s 2013 R v Pham decision explicitly allows such considerations...
SCC Upholds Limits on Parliamentary Privilege, Gives Reasons for Allowing Quebec Electoral Map Changes
The Supreme Court of Canada issued two split rulings on Friday, upholding limits on parliamentary privilege and allowing Quebec’s Bill 59 to suspend electoral‑map changes until after the next election. In Alford v. Canada, a 7‑1 decision affirmed Parliament’s authority under...
Asper Centre Names Justin Safayeni as 2026 Constitutional Litigator in Residence
The David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights announced that partner Justin Safayeni of Stockwoods LLP will serve as its 2026 constitutional litigator in residence. Safayeni will co‑teach the Henry N.R. Jackman Faculty of Law’s constitutional litigation clinic in the fall,...
The Top Business Succession Questions Trusts and Estates Lawyers Wish You Asked Your Clients
Canada’s aging business owners are asset‑rich but cash‑poor, creating urgent succession challenges. Trusts and estates lawyers warn that without early questions about ownership, control, trusts and AI‑generated documents, families often face costly litigation. The article outlines four practical questions non‑specialist...
Philip Louis Is Lavery’s Senior Director of Innovation and Digital Transformation
Philip Louis, former advisor on predictive technologies and AI for the Barreau du Québec, has joined Lavery as senior director of innovation and digital transformation. He will design the firm’s AI strategy, governance and compliance processes while bridging legal, tech...
Tech Companies Demanding Redundant Court Orders From Estate Reps Should Pay the Cost: Judge
The Alberta Court of King’s Bench ruled that a grant of administration is sufficient authority for estate administrators to access a deceased person’s Apple account, rejecting Apple’s demand for a separate, specific court order. The decision arose from the Wada...
BC Court of Appeal Grants Appeal of Claimant of Interest in Land Based on Purchaser’s Lien
The British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned a lower‑court order, allowing a buyer in a failed $11 million (≈ $8.1 million USD) land deal to retain a purchaser’s lien claim and keep a certificate of pending litigation (CPL) on ten lots. The court relied...
BC Supreme Court Refuses to Exclude Disbursements in Motor Vehicle Accident Case
The British Columbia Supreme Court rejected the plaintiff’s request to exclude the costs of four expert witnesses and to call additional experts in the Herzig v. Golowko motor‑vehicle accident case. The court found the plaintiff, a relatively high‑wage earner with...