Law Times

PAGE 16 WillBuilder Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 doprocess com ntitled-7 1 Confidential The LAWYER DISBARRED FOLLOWING DRUG CONVICTIONS A Toronto lawyer has been dis- barred after he was convicted of a number of drug offences. The Law Society of Upper Canada revoked the licence of Raymond Wai-Ming Li last month following a disciplinary hearing in which the LSUC ren- dered a finding of professional misconduct. In 2004, Li was convicted of trafficking heroin, hash, and marijuana. According to the law society ruling, Li smuggled drugs to an inmate at the Don Jail, an ele- ment the trial judge treated as aggravating. The judge also ruled that Li used his position of trust as a lawyer to facilitate the crime. For his crimes, Li was sen- tenced to four years, 12 months, and six months to be served concurrently. He was released in October 2008 after serving about eight months in prison. Rather than have his licence revoked, Li's counsel submitted the lawyer should be allowed to resign. The panel rejected that argument. FIRMS CAUTIOUS ABOUT HIRING, SURVEY SAYS Amid indicators of economic recovery, law firms remain cau- tious about adding new staff, according to research by Robert Half Legal. When they do make new hires, firms are focusing more on bolstering expertise in hot prac- tice areas, the study said. "Improving service levels and hiring associates with in-demand experience are primary concerns for law firms looking to retain existing clients and grow reve- nue," said Robert Half's division director Jon Veale. "To control spending, many corporate legal depart- ments are also hiring staff with specialized skills to do the work in-house instead of relying on outside counsel." Reinventing the Will www Inside Story Practice areas facing the high- est demand include litigation, regulatory and compliance, energy and environmental law, restructuring and insolvency, health care, and corporate trans- actional. FREIMAN JOINS LERNERS Mark Freiman is joining Lerners LLP's commercial liti- gation group after acting on a number of public inquiries and royal commissions. Freiman was lead counsel for the commission of inquiry into the investigation of the bombing of Air India flight 182. He has also argued before human rights tribunals and the European Court of Human Rights. From 2000 to 2004, Freiman served as deputy attorney general for Ontario. He is also national president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. Freiman brings to the new post expertise in appeals, defama- tion, commercial disputes, and public law. CBA REVISES CODE OF CONDUCT The Canadian Bar Association released a revised code of profes- sional conduct last week. The new code contains revi- sions in two areas: conflicts of interest and clients' language rights. "Standards of professional ethics form the backdrop for everything lawyers do," said CBA president Kevin Carroll. "In adhering to codes of conduct, we uphold the long-standing val- ues of our profession and ensure protection of the public. The revised code makes an important contribution to the delivery of competent legal services accord- ing to the highest ethical tradi- tions of our profession." The code is available online at cba.org/CBA/activities/pdf/code ofconduct.pdf. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. "The terrorism trial? That's in courtroom 212. This is the clown trial." WHICH DIRECTION IS BEST FOR YOU? RainMaker Group 110 Yonge Street, Suite 1101 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1T4 Untitled-7 1 Tel: 416-863-9543 Fax: 416-863-9757 www.rainmakergroup.ca www.lawtimesnews.com 5/29/08 1:05:49 PM ™ FEBRUARY 1, 2010 / LAW TIMES Bizarre 1/26/09 3:38:37 PM CHEESY ISSUE PUTS MCDONALD'S IN A PICKLE THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The McDonald's out- let in the northern town of Lemmer, Netherlands, fired a worker over an extra piece of cheese on a burger. But a court ruled last week that action was a little extreme. "The dismissal was too severe a measure," said the rul- ing from the district court in Leeuwarden. "It is just a slice of cheese." The court ruled a written warning would have been more appropriate. McDonald's was forced to pay out the salary left in the five months of the employee's contract, about $7,300, as well as court costs. Last March, the worker dropped a free piece of cheese on a cheaper-priced ham- burger bought by a fellow employee during her break. McDonald's maintained she had broken the rules that pro- hibit any free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. THERE'S BAD WORDS IN THEM THAR' DICTIONARY LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Merriam-Webster's 10th edi- tion of its dictionary has a definition for oral sex in it. That's what dictionaries do Briefs By Viola James — define words. But a parent in the Menifee Union School District in south- ern California was most dis- pleased that children had been reading the above definition. According to the local paper, the dictionary has been in use in the classrooms of Grade 4 and 5 students for the past few years. For now, the Menifee Union School District has pulled the dictionary from its shelves over fears that the "sexually graphic" entry is "just not age appropriate," said the paper. A panel is now reviewing whether the Menifee ban will be made permanent. NO-DOG HOT POT LAW STIRRING CONTROVERSY BEIJING, China — In China, a hot pot dish made with dog meat is very popular, so a move to jail people who eat it is caus- ing quite a stir. The first draft of a law against animal abuse, aiming to protect animals from being hurt or killed in a cruel man- ner, has been completed and is slated for legislative debate in April. The draft proposes peo- ple caught eating dog or cat meat be jailed for up to 15 days and fined 5,000 yuan (Cdn$775), while businesses would be fined from 100,000 to 500,000 yuan, according to the Chongqing Evening News. It has created debate in Chinese media and Internet forums. "Eating cats and dogs is a shameless, barbarian thing. Anyone with humanity would not kill these loyal friends of ours," a user named Yuxiang999 posted on xinhuanet.com. Others said a ban on dog and cat meat was unrealistic. "Banning such custom by law is inappropriate and unable to work," the Yangtze Evening News quoted Xu Huiqiang, chief of wild ani- mal protection in Jiangsu province, as saying. FIREMAN FIRED FOR GROWING WEED AT WORK MOSCOW, Russia — Moscow firefighter Kirill Marichev was given the boot from the fire service after cops discovered he had been growing marijuana at his fire station. Marichev, 28, got away with a 10-month suspended sentence. "You can buy all the equip- ment from the Internet, with delivery, it's fully legal," he told the life.ru web site. "Seeds can be purchased legally, too. They are sold as birds' food. It's only illegal to grow from them." Marichev installed lamps and a watering system in the basement of the fire station. His plants were apparently doing well, but he was discov- ered after only four months. "It takes six months. I never got my harvest," Marichev said bitterly. LT

• Cover
• Boycott Ends
• Judicial Retirement
• Focus On Family Law/Trusts and Estates