As Torkin Manes LLP, a full-service law firm based in downtown Toronto, marks a significant milestone, Jeffrey Cohen, managing partner, reflects on the journey that has shaped them into the firm they are today.

Underscoring lawyer commitment to keeping it civil, OBA members share the instances of kindness, courtesy and respect they have experienced in this profession that particularly impressed, inspired or stuck with them.

As it celebrates its first Centennial, the Brampton firm’s continued success and longevity is rooted in its commitment to legal excellence and to client and community service and the enduring relationships its members have with each other, with the firm’s clients and with the broader community.

Central to accomplishing anything of consequence for the profession and the public we serve – is civility. Civility is paramount to productive discourse and progress. While lawyers have led the way, civility may be something we have to work more intentionally and thoughtfully to preserve in an increasingly polarized world.

Sahil Shoor, winner of the OBA’s 2024 Heather McArthur Memorial Award, has established himself as a rising star and recognized expert in construction and infrastructure law with a considered, consistent and courageous approach to cultivating relationships, knowledge and reputation. His advice to young lawyers? Never shy away from a challenge!

Lawyers are obligated to inform clients of their language rights, including the right to bilingual proceedings and the right to a trial in French. Here, the authors detail the procedures, rules and resources that will help you support clients in exercising those rights, navigating those processes, and enjoying full access to justice in French.

In a stirring acceptance speech, Michael Eizenga, 2024 recipient of the OBA Award of Excellence in Civil Litigation, asks: “In our increasingly fraught and tribal world, do the skills of the litigator apply outside the respectful context of the courtroom?”

When it comes to suspected fraudulent conveyances, lawyers are often forced to become detectives, digging deep into where assets and funds may have been transferred and demonstrating a pattern of a payor spouse moving funds or selling assets, without a reasonable explanation, right around the time monies are coming due to the other spouse. Katherine Shadbolt shares the investigation techniques that should help you make your case.

From deftly setting the stage to cohesively crafting the narrative, star litigators and leading judges demonstrate how to combine the art and science of skillful advocacy into a compelling courtroom story and winning trial strategy.

Lawyers across practice areas can suffer from a particularly insidious form of burnout, often without even realizing it. In his 30 years of advocating for injury victims, Frank Van Dyke has learned how to identify the slow creep of specialty burnout and to deploy the strategies that will prevent it from taking hold.