Civil Litigation
-
March 11, 2026
The billable hour is running out of time
Early in my career, I noticed a pattern I could not ignore. I would build rapport with clients, earn their trust and then watch everything fall apart the moment the invoice was sent. They were not upset with me personally, even though sometimes it felt that way. They were blindsided by a system that charged them in a way they found unfair. Even worse, I would get penalized if I found strategies to be fast and efficient to make it more fair.
-
March 11, 2026
CIVIL PROCEDURE - Contempt of court - Injunctions - Enforcement
Appeal by appellant from two judgments, including a finding of contempt and a 90-day custodial sentence. The parties married in 1999, separated in 2009, and divorced in 2018. They had two children. The appellant was the sole income earner and earned millions during the marriage.
-
March 10, 2026
B.C. Court of Appeal reinstates Health Professions Act confidentiality provisions
The B.C. Court of Appeal has overturned a ruling that struck down as unconstitutional provisions of the Health Professions Act (HPA) that bar the use of certain information shared by physicians with their regulator as evidence in civil cases.
-
March 10, 2026
Court grants Norwich order in movie copyright infringement case
The Federal Court has allowed a Norwich order compelling an internet service provider to disclose customer information in the case of alleged copyright infringement for distribution of a movie.
-
March 10, 2026
How a referral source can invalidate a will
In Anroop v. Naqvi, 2026 ONCA 142, the Court of Appeal overturned the Application Judge, Justice Cory Gilmore’s decision Anroop et al. v. Naqvi et al., 2025 ONSC 160, and declared the fourth invalid largely due to the drafting lawyer’s “conflict of interest.”
-
March 09, 2026
RCMP privacy breach class action stayed for pension review
The Federal Court has stayed a proposed class action in which members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) alleged their right to privacy was violated by the RCMP and other agents of Canada during an organized crime investigation.
-
March 09, 2026
Court strikes $10K award for unpleaded honest performance claim
The British Columbia Court of Appeal has set aside part of an $84,420 damages award in a contractual dispute, holding that the trial judge erred in awarding damages for an unpleaded claim of breach of the duty of honest performance.
-
March 09, 2026
Gabrielle Hélène Genest joins Woods
Woods has welcomed Gabrielle Hélène Genest to its team.
-
March 09, 2026
Ontario Appeal Court unpacks conflict of interest in drafting wills
Lawyers drafting wills for others must be diligent in avoiding conflicts of interest, says a lawyer acting in a case in which last wishes were deemed invalid due to evidence of a “suspicious circumstance.”
-
March 06, 2026
Exclusion of refugee claimants from subsidized childcare violates women’s Charter s. 15 rights: SCC
In a Charter s. 15(1) equality rights milestone, the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that Quebec’s exclusion of refugee claimants from eligibility for subsidized childcare in the province unconstitutionally discriminates against women based on their sex.