Ontario’s Court of Appeal court recently released two decisions regarding an employee’s entitlement to bonuses upon termination. These decisions illuminate factors courts consider in deciding whether or not bonus payments are due during the reasonable notice period. Mikelsteins v Morrison Hershfield Limited, 2019 ONCA 515 Facts The respondent, Mikelsteins, was…
Congratulations to Samantha Iturregui on her swearing in as a Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court. As a Deputy Judge, Samantha will preside over Small Claims proceedings in Ottawa a few days per month. A fluently bilingual lawyer, Samantha has been a member of the Kelly Santini litigation group since…
In a Superior Court ruling, Mitchell Kitagawa successfully argued that the insured, Dufresne Piling Company, should be awarded all reasonable defence costs. Ashcroft Homes Inc. made the claim against Dufresne when a monastery owned by the plaintiff sustained damage during the excavation for a property development located next to the…
We are very pleased to welcome our three articling students for 2019-2020. Sarah Reich, Will Roantree and Sarah Mack joined us this week after completing their law degrees at the University of Ottawa. Prior to law school, Sarah Reich studied global development at Queen’s University. Will completed a business degree…
To combat activities such as money laundering and tax evasion, the Federal Government has made changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act (CBCA) which came into effect on June 13, 2019. In addition to the shareholders’ and directors’ registers they already maintain, federally incorporated companies are now required to maintain…
Most people in the construction industry are familiar with WSIB’s return to work obligations for injured workers and the special provisions for construction workers. This article is about the obligations you may not have appreciated that exist beyond those requirements. The Ontario Human Rights Act (OHRA) prohibits differential treatment of…
If you have applied for a mortgage or line of credit in the past two years, you may have noticed that it has become much harder to qualify. The much-publicized “stress test” is making it increasingly difficult for some individuals buying or refinancing property. With the heightened requirements, we are…
With the Spring market well underway, it appears clear that we are firmly cemented in a “seller’s market” here in Ottawa. Research suggests listings are down across the region by about 30-35% year over year. This means it is a great time to sell. But it also means buyers and…
