Civil Litigation

  • June 17, 2026

    Court awards US$128K in dry cleaning trademark dispute

    The Federal Court has awarded damages of US$128,500 and granted a permanent injunction in a trademark dispute relating to dry cleaning services.

  • June 17, 2026

    Stephen Birman set to lead Thomson Rogers as managing partner

    Thomson Rogers LLP has named Stephen Birman as managing partner-designate. He is expected to assume the role in 2027, succeeding Stephen D’Agostino, the firm says.

  • June 17, 2026

    Unjust enrichment claim not a life preserver for a poorly drafted contract

    The Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision in Wallbridge, Wallbridge v. Poupore, 2026 ONCA 417 is a useful reminder that courts do not rescue parties from incomplete compensation arrangements simply because the result may seem unfair.

  • June 17, 2026

    Ontario appeal on Indigenous child class action dismissal allows 4 interveners

    Four mainly First Nations organizations were granted leave to intervene in a proposed class proceeding in September by Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Lise Favreau in a ruling released on June 12. In B.M. v. Ontario, 2026 ONCA 422, Justice Favreau said the Anishinabek Nation, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), the Chiefs of Ontario and the Nishnawbe Aski Nation will be able to participate as friends of the court in an appeal of a motion judge’s decision to dismiss a claim as a class proceeding.

  • June 17, 2026

    Lawyer not entitled to contingency fees on files resolved after departure: court

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has ruled that a lawyer who was paid on a contingency basis is not entitled to commissions for work on files completed after his departure, finding that his employment agreement provided for compensation only for claims successfully resolved while he remained at the firm.

  • June 17, 2026

    Active listening: A tool for lawyers

    Used by hostage negotiators, journalists, mediators and others, active listening provides a shortcut to developing trust and understanding between people. For lawyers, its application is professionally significant: those who listen actively stand to develop stronger client relationships, gain clearer insight into client needs and are better positioned to provide effective representation.

  • June 16, 2026

    B.C. court dismisses application to quash multiple Fisheries Act charges

    The British Columbia Supreme Court has dismissed an application arguing that multiple charges stemming from a tailings storage facility failure were duplicative. It found that five affected bodies of water were legally distinct.

  • June 16, 2026

    Ottawa introduces First Nations clean water bill with $4.6B funding commitment

    The federal government has introduced legislation that would establish enforceable drinking water and wastewater standards on First Nation lands and announced a $4.6-billion funding commitment for water and wastewater infrastructure in First Nation communities.

  • June 16, 2026

    Charter does not impose positive right to reimbursement for out-of-province health care: B.C. court

    B.C.’s top court has turned back an argument by a man who went to the United States to receive medical treatment that the province’s failure to reimburse his costs violated his constitutional rights.

  • June 16, 2026

    New private-sector privacy regulator to wield broad investigative & order powers, big penalties

    Ottawa has proposed a new legislative regime for private-sector privacy regulation that imposes a raft of obligations on how businesses and other non-governmental organizations handle Canadians’ personal data, with oversight from a robust dual privacy and digital harms regulator armed with audit and binding order-making powers, backed by hefty administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) and fines for the most serious new offences.