Law Times

Page 16 OctOber 20, 2014 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com JEFFREY LEON WINS LITIGATION AWARD Bennett Jones LLP litigator Jeffrey Leon has received the Ontario Bar Association's civil litigation award. The award goes to a litigator who has made exceptional contributions through outstanding advocacy skills, professionalism, integrity and civility, and teaching. Throughout his 25-year career, Leon has "generously given back to his profession and the community it serves," according to the OBA, which recognized Leon's efforts as chairman of Pro Bono Law Ontario, a mentor, and a contributor to law school courses. "Jeff Leon personifies everything this award is meant to recog- nize. His outstanding advocacy skills are matched only by his in- tegrity and civility," said Chris Jaglowitz, a partner at Gardiner Miller Arnold LLP in Toronto and chairman of the nomination and selection committee. Mervyn Abramowitz, a partner at Kronis Rotsztain Mar- gles Cappel LLP and chairman of the OBA civil litigation section, praised Leon's work as well. "Jeff Leon is the consummate professional. He has given back to the profession through his involvement in the OBA and countless other en- deavours, including chairing the board of Pro Bono Law Ontario. He is a tribute to civil litigation and to our organization," said Abramowitz. Leon received the award on Oct. 16. MAN CHARGED AFTER FIGHT OVER RECLINING PLANE SEAT BOSTON — We all hate the tight space on air- planes, but is it worth going to court? It appears it may be for some people given yet another case of air rage over a reclined seat. A Haitian man who authorities say got into a heated dispute on a f light bound from Miami to Paris over a reclining seat has been charged with assaulting a f light attendant, U.S. prosecutors in Boston said. Edmond Alexandre, 60, was charged in federal court with interfering with f light crew members after becoming enraged when a wom- an passenger sitting in the seat in front of him reclined the seat, encroaching on his space. Officials said he argued with the other pas- senger, grabbed a f light attendant by the arm, and then was restrained and arrested by federal air marshals aboard the plane. The incident caused the American Airlines f light to be di- verted to Boston. Alexandre, who lives in Paris, could be sentenced to as much as 20 years in prison if convicted of one count of interference and at- tempted interference with a f light crew, though prosecutors noted it's rare for such a severe sen- tence to be imposed. According to Reuters, it was at least the third such seat squabble to lead to a f light diversion in recent months. Last month, a Delta Air Lines fight headed to Florida was diverted after a dis- pute between passengers over a reclining seat. Days before that incident, a United Airlines f light to Denver from Newark, N.J., was divert- ed over an argument between passengers over the same issue. COPS OFFERED CASH TO REFUSE BRIBES BANGKOK — Is it a bribe to give police officers money to refuse bribes from someone else? The Thai government doesn't think so as it looks to offer police money in return for refusing bribes as part of the ruling junta's ef- forts to combat what it has called an ingrained culture of corruption within the force. The army seized power in May after months of protests aimed at ousting Yingluck Shinawatra, Thailand's first female prime minister, saying it needed to restore order af- ter nearly 30 people were killed in sporadic political violence. Since then, the military government has launched campaigns aimed at cleaning up Thai- land's image as a haven for vice. According to Reuters, the ruling junta has clamped down on taxi gangs at airports, targeted drug users by ordering more police checks, and has even vowed to curb bad behav- iour among Buddhist monks to protect the im- age of the religion in the predominantly Bud- dhist country. "This monetary incentive will encourage officers to look out for traffic violators who try to bribe," said Police Maj. Gen. Adul Narong- sak, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, adding that two police officers were recently awarded 10,000 baht (about $350) for refusing a $3 bribe. The junta has set about restructuring the po- lice force and ridding it of a so-called bribes-for- jobs culture, a main demand of the protesters who helped trigger Yingluck's ouster. It wants to depoliticize a force that has been closely associated with Yingluck's brother, for- mer premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 coup but remains the coun- try's most inf luential politician. For motorists in Bangkok, where traffic jams are among the world's worst, slipping an officer a banknote or two when stopped for a minor traffic offence isn't uncommon. But motorists might soon find their offers being turned down. "We want to change perceptions and prac- tices and to reward those who show that they are clean," said Adul. LT legal expertise? Looking for Find exactly what you need at www.CanadianLawList.com It's fast, It's free, s fa , s f and it's available to you 24 hours a day. ay. s available y availabl y Starting a business, making a will or buying a house? Declaring bankruptcy, dealing with a personal injury, insurance claim or job loss? If you're in the midst of one of life's big events, help is as close as your smartphone, tablet or computer. Simply go to www.CanadianLawList.com to find the right lawyer for your particular legal need. www.CanadianLawList.com is Canada's most comprehensive online directory of lawyers and law firms. And it's easy to use! You can search by city, legal specialty, or name for listings and contact information. Find the legal expertise you need at www.CanadianLawList.com. CLLonline_LT_July7_14.indd 1 14-07-02 8:13 AM u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story LAW UNION URGES MEMBERS TO QUIT CBA The Law Union of Ontario has been asking members to re- sign from the Canadian Bar Association amid the contro- versy arising out of the CBA's now-reversed decision to inter- vene in Chevron Corp. v. Daniel Carlos Lusitande Yaiguaje at the Supreme Court of Canada. Although the CBA was seek- ing to be a neutral intervener in the multinational oil company's legal battle with a group of Ecua- doran indigenous people, some members had told Law Times they were considering giving up their memberships with the or- ganization because of the posi- tion it was taking in the Supreme Court matter. In a letter to the CBA, the law union said: "Your intervention f lies in the face of any concern for the environment; your stated commitment to access to jus- tice; your own members' objec- tions; and our profession's ethic requiring us to act in the public interest, unless acting for a party to litigation." The CBA had said its inter- vention would relate to founda- tional corporate law principles, specifically the corporate veil, and denies its action amounted to backing Chevron. The thrust of the case against Chevron is that the company had caused extensive pollution in the Lago Agrio region of Ec- uador. The villagers had ob- tained judgment for $9.51 billion in a local court against Chevron and they're now seeking to en- force that decision against the company's assets in Ontario. As Law Times reported on page 1 this week, the CBA an- nounced on Thursday its deci- sion not to proceed with its in- tervention in the case. POLL RESULTS The results of the latest Law Times online poll are in. According to the poll, the majority of respondents aren't too eager to sign up for a dot- lawyer domain name for their web sites. Eighty-three per cent of poll respondents said a domain name with the word "lawyer" on the right side of the dot is a cash grab that won't do much for them. The new generic top-level domain names like dot-lawyer and dot-attorney will be avail- able only to those who can prove they're lawyers, according to Internet Corp. for Assigned Names and Numbers. Lawyers can also preregister for domain names like dot-law and dot-legal that will become available later. LT "Yeah, it's great. Ever since we combined tax inversion strategic mergers with time travel, we've paid our taxes with cardboard hats." Jeffrey Leon

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