The Ontario Construction Act (the “Ontario Act”) introduced construction adjudications in late 2019. Since then, there has been an increasing uptake of adjudications in Ottawa, and across Ontario.  Between 2022 and 2023, the number of construction adjudications commenced in Ontario more than doubled, with 269 adjudications being commenced in 2023,…

Kelly Santini is pleased to welcome the commercial and construction litigation team of John Melia and Kara Takagi to the firm. A leading commercial and construction lawyer, John Melia brings over 20 years of experience representing Canadian and international clients in the construction industry. His practice also includes advising on…

Kelly Santini is honoured to be presenting this year’s Ottawa Arts Council Emerging Artist Award. The award recognizes and encourages the achievements of Ottawa artists who are in the early stages of their career in the arts and are working towards becoming recognized professional artists, while engaging with the community….

The COVID-19 Pandemic becomes a catalyst to the modernization of litigation in Ontario beginning with changes to the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure effective January 1, 2021 With the temporary closures of in-person courts and the sudden influx of individuals working from home, the Ontario Courts were forced to adopt…

As of March 17th, 2020, the operations of the Ontario Superior Court have been suspended indefinitely.  However, the court expects that procedural timelines will still be met and that documents will continue to be produced and that cases will proceed through virtual means to complete examinations for discovery, mediations, pre-trials,…

The legal consequences of COVID-19 related shutdowns and interruptions are only beginning to be felt throughout the world. Parties involved in any form of contract are now examining their obligations and options, including invoking force majeure clauses or frustration.  Below, we answer common questions about force majeure or frustration and…

Ingarra v 301099 Ontario Limited o/a Previn Homes, 2020 ONCA 103 In its most recent decision on new build delayed closing dates, the Ontario Court of Appeal provides us with a cautionary tale: read your agreement and understand your options in case of delayed closing.  Mr. Ingarra bought a new…

Kelly Santini’s construction group will be taking an active roll at the Ottawa Construction Association Sympoisum on Feb 26th & 27th.   On February 26th, Shawn O’Connor will be on the panel for a presenation on the ‘Construction Act – Update on Prompt Payment and Dispute Resolution‘. Later that day, we…