Global Firm Perkins Coie Launches Shenzhen Office
Perkins Coie, a U.S. law firm, has opened a representative office in Shenzhen, China, to strengthen its support for Asia‑based technology companies. The office, headed by Bing Ai and litigation partner Wei Yuan, will act as a liaison between local clients and the firm’s global platform. The move follows the firm’s 2024 London launch and the closure of its Shanghai office, and comes after its merger with Ashurst to form Ashurst Perkins Coie. The expansion underscores the firm’s commitment to providing U.S. legal guidance on cross‑border transactions amid growing regulatory complexity.
When Radiologists Get It Wrong: Turning Images Into Evidence
Mahsa Dabirian of Bogoroch & Associates explains that radiology malpractice hinges on more than missed findings—it involves misinterpretation, poor communication, and overstated certainty. Plaintiff counsel must secure a radiology expert early and mandate a blind review of images to avoid...
Alberta Court of Appeal Denies Permission to Appeal Refusal to Hear Family Matter Urgently
The Alberta Court of Appeal rejected a father’s request to appeal a desk‑duty justice’s refusal to place his contempt and parenting dispute on the urgent applications list. The appeal court found no exceptional circumstance, no likelihood of success, and deemed...
London International Disputes Week 2026 Announces Keynote Speakers for International Arbitration Day
London International Disputes Week announced David Neuberger, Toby Landau and Karyl Nairn as keynote speakers for International Arbitration Day on June 1, 2026. The trio will discuss AI’s impact, geopolitical shifts in investment treaty arbitration, cross‑border enforcement, sector‑specific expertise and...
Last Chance to Nominate Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in 2026
Canadian Lawyer is accepting nominations for its 2026 Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers, with a deadline of Friday, April 17. Candidates can be submitted across six categories, including Human Rights, Business, In‑house, and Changemakers, highlighting leadership, innovation, and impact over the past...
Lack of Universal ‘Digital Nomad’ Definition Hampers Regulatory Approaches
The International Bar Association’s Global Employment Institute released its first Digital Nomad Report, highlighting the absence of a universal definition for digital nomads. This gap complicates immigration, employment‑law, tax and social‑security compliance for multinational firms, especially in short‑term cross‑border remote...
McCarthy Tétrault Adds Partner April Kosten to Labour and Employment Group
McCarthy Tétrault announced that April Kosten has joined its national labour and employment practice as a Calgary‑based partner. Kosten, admitted to the Alberta bar in 2009, brings extensive experience advising employers on human‑rights, privacy, workplace investigations and especially compliant alcohol and...
BC Court of Appeal Denies Appeal of Motorcyclist Injured in Vehicular Collision
The British Columbia Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of a motorcyclist who claimed a pick‑up truck’s negligence caused his injuries. The appellate court affirmed the trial judge’s finding that the truck’s drift was neither the factual nor legal cause...
Cottage Season and Occupiers’ Liability: Familiar Principles in a Riskier Setting
As spring ushers in cottage season across Ontario, the Occupiers’ Liability Act continues to govern premises liability for seasonal homes just as it does for urban properties. Lawyers warn that increased foot traffic, alcohol consumption, and recreational activities raise the...
Saskatchewan Court of Appeal Affirms Rejection of Insurer Subrogation Argument in Condo Dispute
The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal affirmed the lower court’s decision that a condominium unit owner must pay solicitor‑client costs despite claiming coverage under the condo corporation’s liability insurance. The appellate court found the owner was not an insured under the...
Paul Saunders Urges a Training Overhaul to Protect Junior Lawyers From the Effects of AI
Stewart McKelvey’s chief strategy officer Paul Saunders warns that AI‑driven automation is eroding the traditional on‑the‑job learning that junior lawyers rely on to build foundational legal skills. He argues that without hands‑on tasks such as lease review or case research, newcomers...
Singapore, Indonesia Supreme Courts Ink Memorandum to Boost Cross-Border Collaboration
Singapore and Indonesia’s Supreme Courts signed a Memorandum of Understanding on March 30 to improve communication and cooperation in cross‑border insolvency cases. The MOU establishes designated liaison points and formal communication protocols, building on the ASEAN Model Framework adopted in 2023...
New Brunswick Introduces Legislation to Expand Small Estate Threshold
New Brunswick's government introduced legislation to raise the small‑estate threshold from $3,000 CAD (about $2,200 USD) to $25,000 CAD (roughly $18,000 USD). The change lets the public trustee administer more estates without court orders and permits direct asset release to verified executors without probate....
New Brunswick Launches Virtual Bail Hearings in Fredericton and Woodstock Courts
New Brunswick will launch centralized virtual bail hearings in Fredericton and Woodstock starting April 9, expanding later to Moncton. The program moves all bail participants online via Microsoft Teams, freeing a courtroom that currently hosts bail hearings two days a week....
Ontario Superior Court Orders Capacity Assessment Before Medical Negligence Case Proceeds
Ontario Superior Court of Justice ordered a self‑represented plaintiff in a medical negligence lawsuit to undergo a capacity assessment. The court found sufficient evidence that the plaintiff’s physical and mental ability to manage the case was in question, satisfying the...
Register Now to Celebrate the Best of the Legal Industry at the May 5th Canadian Law Awards Gala
The 2026 Canadian Law Awards gala will take place on May 5 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, hosted by award‑winning journalist Farah Nasser. Lexpert and Canadian Lawyer will honor the year’s most outstanding deals, individuals, teams, and initiatives across Canada’s...
SCC to Hear Appeals on Official Languages Act, Quebec’s Bill 59, Sexual Assault in Spring Session
The Supreme Court of Canada’s spring session will hear 14 appeals, including ten criminal matters, before moving temporarily to a new address for a decade‑long courthouse renovation. Highlights include a language‑rights challenge against St. John’s International Airport Authority under the Official...
Litigation Management Tech Company Legal Ready Grabs UK Case Preparation Software Company HyperLaw
Legal Ready, a global litigation‑management software provider, has acquired UK‑based case‑preparation specialist HyperLaw. The deal brings HyperLaw’s advanced bundling technology into Legal Ready’s AI‑driven Litigation Ready platform, creating a unified solution for UK barristers, law firms, and government legal departments....
AI Law in Canada Is Evolving Through Familiar Principles
A new two‑part “AI on Trail” report by Canadian Lawyer catalogues 388 AI‑related court decisions across 77 Canadian courts from 2021‑2025. The analysis shows that judges are applying established doctrines—consent, reasonableness and procedural fairness—to technologies such as facial recognition and...
NB Court of Appeal Refuses to Identify Worker Compensation Appellant only by Initials
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal rejected a worker’s‑compensation appellant’s motion to be identified only by initials in all public documents. The appellant argued that detailed medical disclosures in the record would cause stigma and professional harm if linked to...
Federal Court of Appeal Upholds Striking of Claim of Residential School Survivors’ Injured Son
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the lower court’s decision to strike a proposed class action brought by a second‑generation residential‑school survivor. The court ruled the claim was barred by the 2006 Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) release and...
FCA Rejects Competition Commissioner’s Data Request Amid Alleged Amazon ‘Fake Reviews’ Investigation
The Federal Court of Appeal upheld a lower‑court ruling rejecting the Competition Bureau’s request for Amazon.ca transaction data in its fake‑review investigation. The commissioner sought broad data across health, home, tools and electronics categories, but Amazon argued the request was...
New Private Rights of Action and Increased Penalties Under Competition Act Increase Business Risk
Canada’s Competition Act has been overhauled to give private parties a clearer path to the Competition Tribunal and to lower the evidentiary hurdles for the Commissioner, especially in abuse‑of‑dominance cases. The amendments also introduce tougher penalties, allowing fines of up...
Scammers Impersonate Judges in India Scheme
Scammers in India are staging elaborate virtual hearings, posing as judges and police to extort victims after fake digital arrests. Between 2021 and 2025 the scheme has netted roughly $6 billion, with individual losses such as a retired pediatrician’s $1.6 million. The...
UK’s Domestic Abuse (Pets) Bill Gets Second Reading
The UK Parliament is set to give a second reading to the Domestic Abuse (Pets) Bill, a private members’ proposal that expands the Family Law Act 1996 to protect pets in domestic‑abuse cases. Drafted by barrister Christina Warner, the bill...
Canadian Bar Association Pushes Back Against Pitched Modification of Judicial Appointment Process
The Canadian Bar Association (CBA) has publicly opposed recent proposals that would allow provincial governments to veto federal judicial appointments, warning that such changes would politicize a system that has remained largely apolitical for more than 150 years. The current...
Using AI-Powered Recruitment Platforms Can Compound Your Liability for Discrimination
AI‑driven recruitment platforms are increasingly screening out disabled applicants, as illustrated by a software engineer with multiple sclerosis who was automatically rejected after requesting accommodation. Ontario’s new law, effective Jan. 1 2026, forces employers with 25+ staff to disclose AI use but...
Relying on AI-Generated Non-Existent Cases Can Lead to Serious Penalties: Alberta Court of Appeal
The Alberta Court of Appeal in Iyer v. Nazir warned that the plaintiffs relied on AI‑generated, non‑existent case citations, underscoring the need for diligent verification. Although the court imposed no additional cost penalties, it rejected the plaintiffs' appeal for a...
IBA Hosts Ukraine-Focused Event at United Nations Human Rights Council Session
The International Bar Association convened a side event at the 61st United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva to address accountability for crimes arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Legal experts, diplomats and policymakers focused on establishing a Special...
UK Crown Court Backlog Passes 80,000 Cases in New High
The UK Crown Court backlog surged to a record 80,203 cases by December 2025, prompting courts minister Sarah Sackman to warn the system is "on the brink of collapse." The government is using the crisis to justify cutting jury trials...
Association of Justice Counsel Challenges Memo Increasing LPs’ In-Office Presence Requirement
The Association of Justice Counsel (AJC) has lodged a policy grievance against a federal employer’s memo that requires lawyers and prosecutors (LPs) to be on‑site four days a week starting July 6. AJC argues the employer violated the LP Collective Agreement...
Employment Insurance Board of Appeal to Begin Operating on Apr. 1
Canada’s Employment Insurance Board of Appeal (EI BOA) will begin accepting first‑level EI appeals on April 1, 2026, replacing the Social Security Tribunal’s General Division for regular, sickness, maternity, parental, caregiving, fishing and self‑employed benefits. The new body reinstates a tripartite panel of...
Alberta Court of Appeal Refuses to Stay Next Steps of Psychiatrist’s Disciplinary Case
The Alberta Court of Appeal rejected a psychiatrist’s request to stay the next steps of a disciplinary proceeding initiated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. The appeal reiterated that the applicant’s arguments mirrored earlier, already‑rejected claims about...
Ontario’s Civil Procedure Reset
Ontario is poised to overhaul its civil justice rules by introducing a three‑track framework that categorises applications, summary matters and trials. The reforms tighten timelines, enforce proportionality, and revamp discovery, jury trials, limitation periods and affidavit evidence. Counsel will need...
International Chamber of Commerce Executive Board Approves Amended Arbitration Rules
The International Chamber of Commerce’s executive board has approved a comprehensive amendment to its Rules of Arbitration, effective for any request filed on or after June 1, 2026. The new framework adds streamlined procedures, clearer timelines, and expanded options for parties to...
Ethan Sinclair Trades Norton Rose Fulbright for Dentons
Former Norton Rose Fulbright partner Ethan Sinclair has joined Dentons in Ottawa as a partner in its infrastructure and public‑private partnerships group. Sinclair brings more than 15 years of corporate commercial law experience, primarily in large‑scale infrastructure, energy and property...
The Search Is On: Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers 2026
Canadian Lawyer has opened nominations for its 17th annual Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers 2026, recognizing leaders across five distinct categories: Human Rights, Business, In‑house, Changemakers, and Government. Nominations are accepted until Friday, April 17, after which qualifying candidates move to a...
Canada’s Firms Lead in Adopting Emerging Technology Such as Legal-Specific AI: LEAP Research
LEAP Legal Software’s 2026 Global Report shows Canadian law firms are leading the legal sector in adopting emerging technologies, especially AI. 75 percent of surveyed professionals say AI saves moderate to significant time, with 23 percent reporting a significant reduction—the highest worldwide....
BC Supreme Court Refuses to Consolidate Family Law and Injury Actions Arising From Family Violence
The British Columbia Supreme Court upheld an associate judge’s refusal to merge a family‑law case and a personal‑injury lawsuit stemming from a knife attack between spouses. The court found the judge correctly applied the consolidation test, giving weight to the...
Articling in Canada: How to Land Your First Placement
Articling is the mandatory licensing stage for Canadian law graduates, giving them hands‑on client work and serving as a de‑facto audition for future associate roles. In Ontario, the Law Society requires an eight‑to‑ten‑month placement, a $2,800 CAD fee (about $2,070 USD), and...
Expedited Arbitration Sees Significant Growth for Commercial Disputes: Laura Cundari
Expedited arbitration is experiencing rapid adoption for mid‑value commercial disputes, driven by pressure on courts and a business appetite for faster, cheaper resolution. Institutions such as the ICC and VanIAC now offer streamlined rules that typically deliver a final award...
‘Why Don’t You Just Say It Out Loud?’: SCC Justices Grill Bill 21 Challengers in Historic Hearing
The Supreme Court of Canada began a four‑day hearing on Quebec's use of the notwithstanding clause to protect its secularism law, Bill 21, from Charter challenges. Justices questioned whether the province was employing the clause as a political tool rather than...
Work Allocation in Practice: Where Law Firms Should Begin
Law firms are urged to replace ad‑hoc staffing with structured work‑allocation systems, beginning with a small pilot led by a respected partner. The article recommends focusing on junior associates, using low‑tech tools such as spreadsheets or capacity reports, and assigning...
SCC Rules RCMP Authorized to Approach Car in Driveway, but Breached Charter when They Opened Door
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that RCMP officers breached the Charter’s Section 8 right when they opened a truck door in a driveway, but the evidence obtained remains admissible. The majority held that the implied‑licence doctrine permits officers to approach...
SCC’s 2025 Year in Review Shows Slightly More Self-Represented Litigant Filings than in 2024
The Supreme Court of Canada released its 2025 Year in Review to mark its 150th anniversary, highlighting key decisions and statistical trends. Self‑represented litigant filings rose to 37 percent of leave applications, up from 31 percent in 2024. The Court received 517...
Nova Scotia Barristers’ Body Elects Rob Kennedy as Second Vice-President for 2026-2027
The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society has appointed senior Crown counsel Rob Kennedy as its second vice‑president for the 2026‑2027 term, effective June when he will serve as acting president. Kennedy, a Dalhousie Law graduate and King’s Counsel, also teaches criminal...
Alberta Court of Appeal Lets Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Intervene in Appeal on Planned Coal Mine
The Alberta Court of Appeal granted Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation permission to intervene in the appeal concerning Summit Coal’s Mine 14 project. The intervention focuses on whether the Alberta Energy Regulator’s CEO lawfully cancelled a public hearing under section 42 of the...
NB to Broaden Role of Midwives, Enable Midwifery Student Training
The New Brunswick government introduced Bill No. 25 to amend the 2008 Midwifery Act, broadening midwives’ scope to cover the full child‑bearing continuum and permitting student midwives to gain supervised clinical experience. The legislation also restructures the Midwifery Council by adding...
Courts of King's Bench in Alberta, Manitoba Welcome Johal, Neville, Woolley to the Bench
Canada’s Courts of King’s Bench announced three new judicial appointments in March 2026. In Alberta, Crown prosecutor Parminder K. Johal was appointed to the Edmonton bench, while Manitoba named former executive legal officer Elissa A.B. Neville and seasoned litigation partner...
Alberta Court of Appeal Bars Questioning of Non-Party to Family Law Action
The Alberta Court of Appeal in Bilous v. Bilous ruled that the trial judge erred in allowing the ex‑wife to question a non‑party under Rule 5.18 of the Alberta Rules of Court. The court held that Rule 5.18 only permits questioning of...
