December2017

The OBA congratulates member Paul Jonathan Saguil on winning the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association (CCCA) Community Builder Award, which recognizes strong commitment to community engagements.

The Law Society Human Rights Award, established in 2013, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of human rights and/or the promotion of the rule of law provincially, nationally or internationally. The award is granted every two years to an individual who has demonstrated devotion to the advancement of human rights and the rule of law over a long term or a single outstanding act of service.

The Ministry of the Attorney General has launched a new pilot program that gives survivors of sexual assault access to free legal advice any time after the incident , regardless of how much time has passed. The pilot will be available to survivors living in the City of Toronto, the City of Ottawa , and the District of Thunder Bay later this spring.

Past OBA President Orlando Da Silva, LSM will receive a Law Society Medal for his work to bring mental health issues to the forefront of the legal profession.

The OBA congratulates this year’s Law Society Awards recipients, including Past OBA President Orlando Da Silva and OBA members Jennifer Babe, Ronda Bessner, Ronald Caza, David Estrin, Errol Mendes and Lisa Borsook.

Ontario has established a new Business Law Advisory Council that will make recommendations to reform laws that are responsive to changing business priorities and supportive of a prosperous economy. Appointed to the Council are OBA members Carol Hansell (Chair), E. Patrick Shea (Vice-Chair), Jennifer Babe, Andy Chan, Doug Downey, John Ground QC, Sheila Murray, Arlene O’Neill, Rob Scavone and Peter Viitre.

At the Ontario Bar Association’s Institute 2016 Sean Zeitz, litigator for Lipman, Zener Waxman LLP discussed the financial obligations for married spouses under bankruptcy law.

An individual’s right of refusal of a capacity assessment was the subject of a robust discussion led by Lonny Rosen of Rosen Sunshine LLP.

New developments in pension plan governance was the focus of a panel session led by OBA members Mitch Frazer, Torys LLP and Tejash Modi, Morneau Shepell at Ontario Bar Association’s Institute 2016.

Panel members Terry Moore, senior counsel at CIBC; Arthur Fish, Borden Ladner Gervais and Sarah Shody, senior counsel and vice-president of Wealth Management Litigation at BMO Financial Group highlighted the challenges for estate planners with an ageing population.