In today’s fluid environment, it is important for corporate/commercial practitioners in Ontario and across Canada to keep apprised of changes. This business law update is critical to staying on top of current trends and changes and will include a review of developments in securities, intellectual property, pension, insolvency and leasing law.

This program will focus on two important developments affecting non-profits and charities. First, on the federal level and in Ontario there has been dramatic changes to corporate non-profit law with the introduction of two new corporate acts. This will affect all non-profits and charities incorporated federally and in Ontario. Secondly, legal issues involving charity tax shelters have resulted in three class action lawsuits against law firms, approximately 160,000 Canadians have been audited and many charities have been revoked. Legal advisors interested in charities or advising clients on planned giving should understand major Canadian Revenue Agency compliance issues, such as what is a “gift” and appropriate receipting practices. Lawyers and those responsible for risk management in law firms should also understand the scope, impact and potential liability of providing legal opinions about tax shelter investments involving charities.

As businesses globalize, immigration issues become increasingly relevant to employment law. International transfers (into or out of Canada) are conditional on immigration compliance and the security and protection of the domestic labour market. Immigration legislation punishes employers for violating immigration laws and additional punitive measures are being introduced by the government. The burden of proving compliance and administration is being shifted from the government to companies. Enforcement is growing and extending to site inspections, preventing the entry of employees at border crossings, tightening work permit requirements and the advent of employer monitoring programs. This program is essential and not to be missed!

What has been the effect of the significant amendments to the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure which were implemented January 1, 2010? Learn about the impact of these rule changes in practice. Consider new strategies and tactics which can assist you to present your client in their best light. Attend this program and receive tips, strategies and precedents to help you serve your clients and expand your own practice.

This half-day program is designed for lawyers who represent construction industry clients at any stage of a project or in litigation. Five leading practitioners and a Toronto Master will guide you through current events that will impact your practice. Topics will include: litigating the lien and trust remedies; how to avoid common mistakes in the practice of construction law and what to do when the unfortunate occurs; lessons for a Post-Tercon world; proposed legislative amendments to the Construction Lien Act and the legal challenges presented by the technological innovation of Building Information Modelling (“BIM”).

Don’t miss this chance to stay current so that you can represent your construction industry clients effectively.

This program will help corporate counsel effectively manage the employment law issues they face daily as well as help employment lawyers better understand their clients’ challenges. Learn how counsel can avoid common employment law pitfalls, better manage disputes and litigation, and address workplace safety concerns in the context of recent and substantial changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Employment law practitioners will hear directly from in-house counsel on how to become indispensable to their clients, in turn, in-house counsel will learn how to maximize value and minimize costs when retaining external employment law counsel.

Police powers and the role of the State in obtaining evidence may well have undergone a sea change in the last 18 months with the release of several significant Supreme Court of Canada decisions .How does the landscape look on the powers of arrest, the scope of searches and the methods of questioning an accused? What are the best ways to attack or defend a search warrant? What really constitutes “arbitrary arrest and detention”? How far can the police go in questioning an accused? What evidentiary record should be created in a section 7/8/9 Charter motion? Have the decisions in Suberu, Grant, Harrison and Singh actually changed anything? And if so, how? Join us and an array of experienced judges and lawyers in a practical program comprised of a mixture of panels, demonstrations and written materials.

Entertainment and media law practices shift with new tensions and capabilities in traditional and interactive markets, and evolving views on intellectual property rights, freedom of expression and user behaviour.

This half-day program will provide you with substantive updates on recent case law as well as practical guidance on professionalism and risk management issues. This program will be of interest to private practioners, in-house counsel and business affairs professionals in the industry, as well as practitioners from other areas who wish to stay current on entertainment and media law issues.

In the past 18 months, Canadian regulators have unveiled more environmental regulation than in the previous 18 years. Ontario is facing a plethora of new federal, provincial and municipal environmental law initiatives, including those addressing greenhouse gases, toxic substances, air emissions, renewable energy, contaminated land, species at risk, and approvals and enforcement reform. This half-day program will alert you to the most significant recent changes in environmental law. Our speakers will share their practical insights regarding these changes. This program is essential for public and private sector lawyers including those that practice environmental law occasionally or full-time.

The 2011 annual institute in family law will focus on strengthening our collective muscles, pumping up our biceps, stretching our hamstrings and delving deeply into current family law issues. In the morning, we will have the infamous “Year in Review” followed by Dr. Garber a well known psychologist from New Hampshire who has spoken at a number of international conferences including the Canadian National Justice Institute and who has published extensively on children’s issues in family law. Dr. Garber will set the stage for the panel discussion on "The Voice of the Child”. This is an issue that is changing rapidly in many jurisdictions due to new social science literature and judicial attitudes. "

The afternoon program will focus on select issues in the property, spousal support and child support, and followed by the “Top Ten Mistakes” being made in family law and conclude with a panel on dealing with challenging counsel and judges.

Every company relies on technology. From time to time, every commercial lawyer will be called upon by their clients or employers to review and negotiate contracts for hardware, software and technology services and to respond to general questions about the impact of the Internet and e-commerce on their business. Often, counsel are provided standard-form agreements from vendors and are not sure where to begin spotting issues and making changes. This half-day program will provide an overview for generalist and in-house lawyers with the resources and basic knowledge to review, negotiate and draft technology-related contracts.

Property claims are complex when retained on a first party claim or when launching subrogated action. This half-day program will provide practical guidance to both counsel and decision-makers on how to meet the challenges of responding to first party claims as well as key considerations when commencing a subrogated action. Receive expert advice on the key issues surrounding first party claims as well as key concerns in the area of subrogation such as limitation periods; responding to environmental losses; preservation of evidence; and how to advance an insurer’s case. Our panel will discuss issues in adjusting large claims; retaining and delivering expert evidence and using expert testimony in a property damage trial.

Whether you act as counsel for landowners, developers or municipalities, you must keep up to date in the ever evolving area of municipal and planning law. This program will not only examine the current state of the law in these areas but will also discuss new regulatory challenges your clients will face down the road.

The morning session (9:00 am to 12:00 pm) will focus on municipal law issues, while the afternoon session (1:00 pm to 4:00 pm) focuses on planning law issues. Participants can choose to attend in both sessions or just the morning or afternoon portions.

The past year has seen the approval of four major pieces of pension reform legislation. This has significantly impacted not only the practice of pension law, but labour and employment, insolvency, and family law. This half-day program will provide practical guidance also on how to navigate through the reforms and direct your clients through the implications. This program includes an exploration of competing interests within the context of the key challenges posed by pension plans on insolvency and restructuring, and a discussion of hot topics in benefits.

Managing privacy presents administrative and legal challenges which may have a significant impact on day-to-day operations. This session will provide practical advice for practitioners about how to achieve business objectives while fostering a culture of privacy in multi-stakeholder environments.

More and more governmental organizations and associated agencies are looking to the private sector to support and finance infrastructure, transportation, technology, and growth initiatives. Undoubtedly, this leads to complexities in structuring the legal and business framework. This course, available in two parts, is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction – attendees will gain critical insights into the decision-making process; what to expect in structuring the deal and associated financings; unravelling the complexities involved; and the multi-disciplinary approach to a successful P3.

It is imperative for counsel representing purchasers, sellers, and financial institutions in real estate transactions to be updated each year of recent developments in this field of practice, and keep abreast of new trends and best practices. This year’s Real Property ‘s Institute program will focus on the intricacies of negotiating on the offer from a review of key provisions in a number of standard agreements to claims that can arise from defective agreements of purchase and sale and what you can do to avoid them.

There are many changes facing today’s trusts and estates lawyers. From new legislation and case law affecting estate planning, to social media and new marketing opportunities and challenges, to new approaches to damages and costs in estate litigation, to new ways of solving disputes, our practice is changing. This program provides a wide range of topics for the modern estate practitioner to stay current in the face of changes to estates and trusts practice in the 21st Century.

We are all aware that the amount of time and effort required to manage and maintain an efficient and professional office and create a respectful workplace environment is continually on the rise. Please join the Sole, Small Firm and General Practice Section for a breakfast presentation to discuss some practical considerations involved in running your office. Our speakers will offer suggestions about best practices for hiring and training employees, guarding against and reacting to allegations of sexual harassment or discrimination, and the importance of employment agreements for staff and associates alike.