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Published on: 7 Jan 2019 By

Uber Decision Calls into Question Arbitration Clauses in Commercial Agreements

The news media has widely reported the Ontario Court of Appeal’s January 3, 2019 decision allowing a class-action by Uber drivers to proceed. The decision does not answer the question of whether Uber (and UberEATS) drivers should be considered employees or independent contractors (a conclusi…

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Published on: 2 Jan 2019 By

Ontario’s Environment Plan and Reduction of Sulphur Dioxide Emissions Regulation

On November 28th, 2018 the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) posted its climate change plan as part of its environmental plan. Preserving and Protecting our Environment for Future Generations: A Made in Ontario Environment Plan (“Environment Plan”) appears to commit Onta…

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Published on: 1 Jan 2019 By

If it looks like a franchise, it’s a franchise

By Peter Dillon for AdvocateDaily.com In another decision in the line of “accidental franchisor” cases, Justice Mary E. Vallee, of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, granted summary judgment on the basis of non-disclosure to plaintiffs who purchased the rights to operate an alcohol deliv…

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Published on: 20 Dec 2018 By

“Protective” and “Preventative” Purpose of Ontario’s Environmental Protection Act Justifies Warrantless Inspection Powers

In a decision released December 14, 2018, the Ontario Court of Appeal clarified the legal test that authorizes a warrantless inspection under s. 156(1) of the Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. E.19 (“EPA”). Facts of the Case In the case, Ontario (Environment and Climate Change) v…

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Published on: 20 Dec 2018 By

ONCA holds that umbrella purchasers have a cause of action in a price-fixing class action

Shah v LG Chem Ltd., 2018 ONCA 819 Background: In this class action, the plaintiffs allege that the defendants conspired to fix the prices of lithium-ion batteries (“LIBs”) in North America and elsewhere between January 2000 and December 2011. As a result, the plaintiffs paid higher prices f…

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Published on: 19 Dec 2018 By

Enforceability of Termination Clauses in Employment Contracts – Trending towards Clarity, or More Uncertainty?

It is a basic principle of employment law in Ontario that employees terminated without cause are presumed to be entitled to common law reasonable notice of termination unless the parties clearly agreed to a different notice period, typically through a termination clause in an employment agre…

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Published on: 19 Dec 2018 By

What is “shared custody” and how is it calculated?

In family law, the term “custody” usually means decision-making. Having “custody”  means having the ultimate decision-making power over important decisions regarding the child, such as what child the school will attend, what religion the child will be raised in, what major recreational activ…

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Published on: 18 Dec 2018 By

Ontario Court of Appeal Holds that Deterrence Justifies Minimum Fine in Environmental Prosecution

The Environmental Protection Act and the Ontario Water Resource Act are unique among Ontario’s environmental legislation for containing mandatory minimum fines.[1] A new decision from the Ontario Court of Appeal makes it clear that where minimum fines exist, a trial justice has very narrow d…

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