Articles 2021

I would like to congratulate our very own Roger Horst and Rafal Szymanski on successfully representing the respondent in Correct Building Corporation v. Lehman. The Court dismissed the appeal against our client and granted our client’s cross-appeal, resulting in a dismissal of all claims against our client by way of summary judgment.

Following are summaries of this week’s civil decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, including Ontario Inc. v. Maple Leafs Foods Inc., in which the Court decided Maple Leafs Foods did not have a duty not to harm the reputation or profits of Mr. Sub franchisees who sold Maple Leaf meats; and, on the Criminal Law front, the Court's decision in R. v. Forcillo, in which the appeal from the conviction of the constable for attempted murder was dismissed.

Topics covered this week included two procedural fairness decisions (one relating to interpreting a contract in a way neither party argued, the other relating to the effect of a lengthy adjournment mid-trial), repair and storage liens in the automobile insurance context, the tort of conversion, as well as several short procedural decisions.

In Wallbridge v. Brunning, the Court of Appeal held that whether a law firm can be vicariously liable for defamatory statements made by a lawyer who practices “in association” with it, is an issue of general importance that should be determined at a trial and not on a motion for summary judgment. Other topics covered this week included several wills and estates matters, wrongful dismissal, family law (custody and abduction), limitation periods and some procedural matters.

Topics covered this week included franchise law and rescission, liability for wrongful patent enforcement, the duty to defend in the MVA context, family law (custody and access and breach of court orders), securities class actions, and mortgage enforcement. John Polyzogopoulos

“Like a forest fire in this era of climate change, costs in class proceedings have gotten out of control.” These were the opening words of Justice Perell in his recent costs decision following a successful defence motion to stay the class proceedings in Heller v Uber Technologies Inc, 2018 ONSC 1690.

The civil decisions released by the Court of Appeal this week dealt with issues such as enforcement of terms of settlement, discoverability, the authority of a lawyer to act on behalf of an incapacitated client and others.

This article discusses the recent decision of DBDC Spadina Ltd. v. Walton, 2018 ONCA 60, and the implications of complex corporate structures and "shell games" for victims of fraud.

Topics covered this week include a claim of solicitor negligence; a claim that a judgment was for misappropriation while acting in a fiduciary capacity, and therefore survived bankruptcy; a relief from forfeiture case; a priority dispute between insurers in the MVA context; an administrative law decision in the union grievance context; and several decisions of a more procedural nature.

Below are this week’s Court of Appeal summaries. Topics covered this week included family law, slip and falls, commercial tenancies, civil procedure in the bankruptcy context and breach of contract. John Polyzogopoulos jpolyzogopoulos@blaney.com