Law Times

PAGE 16 The Inside Story NEW ROLE AT SHIBLEY RIGHTON Shibley Righton LLP has ap- pointed Jacqueline King as its fi rst chairwoman of business development. King joined the fi rm, which has offi ces in Toronto and Windsor, Ont., last fall from Miller Th omson LLP. "It is unusual for a full-time practice lawyer to have such a role in a law fi rm," said Sandra Dawe, managing partner of Shibley Righton. "But it makes sense. Business development integrates our current practice groups with emerging areas of law. In addition to being a top lawyer, Jacquie brings vibrant energy and keen marketing acumen that will be of great benefi t to us." FIRMS TO BOOST PAY, SURVEY SAYS Law fi rms are planning a pay boost to keep top talent as the economy continues to im- prove, according to a Robert Half Legal survey. Seventy-nine per cent of lawyers polled said their fi rms or corporate legal departments are planning pay raises and bo- nuses for their associates. Fif- teen per cent of respondents don't expect a compensation increase, while seven per cent didn't know or didn't answer. Th e poll took in the views of 150 lawyers at big law fi rms and corporations in Canada. "Although many law fi rms and legal departments were forced to reduce staff and freeze sala- ries in the past few years, reten- tion of top performers defi nite- ly remains a priority, especially as the economy recovers," said Anne Edmonds, Canadian re- gional manager of Robert Half Legal. "Employers in the legal fi eld are increasingly strength- ening their retention pro- grams, including off ering raises and bonuses, before employees consider other opportunities." NEW PARTNER AT CASSELS BROCK Laurie Jessome has been made a partner with Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP's employ- ment group. She provides advice to cli- ents locally, nationally, and globally and helps them solve a variety of employment law issues including wrongful dismissals, human rights claims, negotiation of executive em- ployment agreements, and cor- porate reorganizations. 8 NEW JUSTICES OF THE PEACE Th e province has appointed eight new justices of the peace to the Ontario Court of Justice. Sylvie-Emanuelle Bour- bonnais and Julie Lauzon will both sit in Timmins, Ont. Bour- bonnais has worked as a lawyer at Ottawa's Potvin Law Offi ce and as a senior trademark exam- iner at the Canadian Intellec- tual Property Offi ce. Lauzon, meanwhile, received her law degree from the University of Ottawa four years ago before serving as acting counsel to the Tax Court of Canada, where she provided legal advice on tax law and judicial matters. Carol Anne Chernish will serve in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., after 20 years as a superintendent at the Canada Border Services Agency. She also worked for the Canada Revenue Agency as a taxpayer services agent. Karen Marie Murphy, a former court liaison offi cer with Peel Regional Police, will sit in Brampton, Ont. Linda Elizabeth Christine Pearson and Claire Th érèse Robinson Winchester will both work in Ottawa. Pear- son has worked for the Wa- bano Centre for Aboriginal Health, which provides ho- listic and culturally relevant health services to Inuit, Métis, and First Nations communities in Ottawa. Winchester taught for the Upper Canada Dis- trict School Board before be- coming a vice principal and has also been a board director of the Children's Aid Society of the United Counties of Stor- mont, Dundas & Glengarry. Nancy Elizabeth Rogers- Bain will sit in St. Catharines, Ont., after 26 years with the Bank of Montreal, most re- cently as a branch manager in nearby Th orold. She's also a former deputy mayor of the City of Th orold. Th e appointments also in- cluded Lauren Mary Scully, a former criminal defence lawyer and assistant solicitor for the City of North Bay. For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. "Ever since the CRTC declared George a broadcaster, he's had to promote Canadian culture, and the anti-spam act requires you to sign this opt-in agreement before he can tell you the one about the priest, the rabbi, the imam, and the Ottawa bureaucrat." POLICE SEEKING 'GOLDILOCKS' LONDON, England — Brit- ish police have appealed for help in tracing a suspected burglar they have dubbed "Goldilocks" because he breaks into houses, eats food, and then has a sleep. Essex detectives said they were trying to trace Jesse Dobinson, who is suspected of carrying out two burglar- ies at a house in Wickford, northeast of London, in Feb- ruary and March. "On both occasions, beds in the property were slept in and food eaten before items, includ- ing electrical goods, were sto- len," police said in a statement. Unlike the fairytale charac- ter, Dobinson is also wanted in connection with an assault and a knifepoint robbery. — Reuters JAILED TAXMAN FACES NEW TROUBLES JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian tax offi cial convict- ed of taking bribes from compa- nies looking for lower bills paid $20,000 to buy a fake passport for overseas jaunts while he was meant to be locked up behind bars, a court heard last week. Gayus Tambunan, 32, sup- posedly in detention in Jakarta awaiting sentencing, was cap- tured by photographers sport- ing a wig borrowed from his wife at a tennis match on the June 6, 2011 • Law Times Bizarre Briefs By Viola James resort island of Bali. He also allegedly bribed prison offi cers to let him out for trips to Singapore and Macao with the fake passport. Th e Gayus case illustrates how weak law enforcement is in Southeast Asia's largest economy, ranked among one of the most corrupt in the world but increasingly draw- ing investors for its consumer demand and resources. Gayus was convicted in Jan- uary for bribery and abuse of power, with Jakarta's high court increasing an initial seven-year sentence to 10 years in jail. He is facing another trial, which opened last week, for immigration off ences over the buying of the fake passport, which had a photo of him sporting black-rimmed spec- tacles and a fl oppy black wig covering his ears, according to the Kompas newspaper. Police are investigating him for other cases that could im- plicate prominent companies and offi cials. Th e revelations of his ex- ploits have scandalized the na- tion and highlight the risks for foreign direct investors in deal- ing with state institutions. — Reuters BIG-BREASTED WOMAN SPARKS COURT SPAT CHICAGO — In what might spark some sort of civility issue if the same thing happened in an Ontario courtroom, a Chicago lawyer went after his opponent for having a large-breasted para- legal next to him in court. Th e Associated Press re- ported that lawyer Th omas Gooch claimed the woman's presence was diverting the jury's attention from the court matter at hand, a dispute over a used car. As a result, he asked the judge to order her to sit in the gallery. His opponent is Dmitry N. Feofanov, who sees no le- gal impediment to the wom- an's presence. Gooch, mean- while, told the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin that his objec- tions aren't about the woman's breasts. Instead, he doesn't be- lieve she's a paralegal. "Personally, I like large breasts," he said. "However, I object to somebody I don't think is a qualifi ed paralegal sitting at the counsel table — when there's already two law- yers there — dressed in such a fashion as to call attention to herself." According to documents on the case released by Feo- fanov, the woman, identi- fi ed as Daniella Atencia, has worked as a paralegal under two court orders by Cook County, Ill., judges. Both times, the rate for the parale- gal was $115 an hour. Still, Gooch isn't con- vinced. "Th at's not a qualifi - cation," he said. "Th at means Dmitry handed up a bill to a judge that said paralegal on it. I don't believe it's a legitimate thing. It's a sham." Th e case at hand was sched- uled to resume for trial last week. LT www.lawtimesnews.com

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