Real Estate

  • August 14, 2026

    Court sets aside ruling on timing of ultimate limitation period start for contribution claims

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has set aside a ruling that third-party claims against an architect arising from a restaurant fire were not barred by the 15-year ultimate limitation period, holding that the issue could not be determined without first characterizing the claims for contribution and indemnity.

  • August 14, 2026

    Certificate of pending litigation and its discharge: MCAN Home Mortgage Corporation v. Broad

    A certificate of pending litigation (CPL) is issued under the Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990 c. c.43 (CJA) by the court in which an interest in land is in question (s. 103(1) of the CJA).

  • August 13, 2026

    Court ruled registration of second CPL to thwart cancellation application an abuse of process

    The B.C. Court of Appeal has ruled that the registration of a second certificate of pending litigation (CPL) to thwart a property owner’s pending application to cancel the original CPL for a year of litigation inactivity was an abuse of process, despite the bona fide protective purpose of a potentially duplicative second action.

  • August 12, 2026

    Canadian exporters express ‘extreme concern’ on proposed 50% U.S. tariffs, CFIB reports

    Of Canadian businesses affected by U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed 50 per cent tariffs on certain CUSMA compliant goods, 77 per cent have said they expect their revenues to drop, according to a new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).

  • August 12, 2026

    Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Geneviève Cotnam named new Chief Justice of Quebec

    Quebec Court of Appeal Justice Geneviève Cotnam, who once recalled “my career as a lawyer didn’t always provide a smooth sailing to the bench,” is Quebec's new top judge, succeeding Quebec Court of Appeal Chief Justice Manon Savard who became a part-time (supernumerary) judge on Aug. 10.

  • August 12, 2026

    When wealth collides: Strategic advocacy in commercial and estate litigation

    Estate trustees and beneficiaries can often be faced with estate disputes that include complex commercial issues. A litigation lawyer may be needed to assist clients through these thorny and complex issues. For example, what happens when a prudent estate freeze triggers an intense family fallout, resulting in oppression remedies, wrongful dismissal claims, or derivative actions? How should an executor manage the multifaceted responsibilities of serving as an officer or director of the deceased’s business, especially when facing allegations of mismanagement or delaying a sale, while also drawing compensation?

  • August 11, 2026

    Court orders new trial in case involving alleged fraudulent home sale agreement

    The Ontario Court of Appeal has allowed an appeal and remitted a homeownership dispute back to a different judge in a case where the trial judge made numerous errors relating to an allegedly fraudulent sale agreement.

  • August 07, 2026

    Amelia Briggs-Morris returns to Robins Appleby

    Amelia Briggs-Morris has returned to Robins Appleby, joining its affordable and social housing and commercial real estate and development groups.

  • August 07, 2026

    Ontario climate case continues despite failure of bid to reopen appeal

    A constitutional challenge to Ontario’s greenhouse gas emissions standards will carry on despite a decision by the province’s top court not to reopen the appeal that initially gave the case the go-ahead. The Ontario Court of Appeal’s Aug. 5 ruling in Mathur v. Ontario, 2026 ONCA 561 is the latest step in a long running legal dispute that dates back to 2019, when seven young Ontarians launched a challenge arguing the province’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets, and the plan to reach those targets, violated their rights under sections 7 and 15 of the Charter.

  • August 06, 2026

    Alberta creates advisory panel amid record number of surface rights applications

    The Alberta government has announced a new Surface Rights Advisory Panel to recommend improvements to the province’s system for resolving disputes when private land is used for resource development, following a record number of surface rights applications in 2025-26.