Law Times

June 14, 2010

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PAGE 16 June 14, 2010 • Law Times Bizarre #1 Power House application for real estate. www.doprocess.com ntitled-2 1 The Inside Story BOB BAXTER DIES OF CANCER Bob Baxter of Baxter Struc- tures died last Monday follow- ing a brief battle with cancer. "We are all extremely fortu- nate to have had such a won- derful man in our lives and we will miss him dearly," said his daughter, Kyla Baxter. The elder Baxter is survived by his wife, Diane, his two children, and three grandchil- dren. A funeral took place on Saturday in Toronto. NEW PARTNER AT BLANEY MCMURTRY Boris Muchalov has become the newest partner at Blaney McMurtry LLP, where he'll continue his practice in corpo- rate and commercial law. Called to the bar in 1999, Muchalov focuses on debt fi- nancing, asset-based lending, and equipment financing and leasing. He also acts as corpo- rate counsel to a number of lo- cal and foreign manufacturing and technology businesses. PAIR OF LAWYERS HONOURED BY YORK York University conferred honorary degrees on two lead- ing lawyers during its spring 2010 convocation ceremonies. At the Osgoode Hall Law School event last week, Marlys Edwardh received a doctor of laws degree. The criminal lawyer and civil rights activist graduated from Osgoode Hall herself in 1974. The honour acknowledges her work since then, including the high-profile wrongful conviction cases of Donald Marshall, Guy Paul Morin, and Steven Truscott. Edwardh also serves as a vice president of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Also last week, the univer- sity conferred a doctor of laws degree on Joseph Sorbara, another alumnus of Osgoode Hall. He served on the univer- sity's board of governors for 12 years starting in 1988 and be- came an honorary governor in 2000. Sorbara has also helped fund many projects at York, which recognized his volunteer work with the Toronto Sym- phony Orchestra and North York General Hospital. CUNNINGHAM SWAN BOOSTS RANKS Lili Kramil-Marcus, a well- known family lawyer, has joined the Kingston, Ont., firm Cun- ningham Swan Carty Little & Bonham LLP. Kramil-Marcus becomes a partner in the firm's family law group after 20 years of involve- ment with the Office of the Children's Lawyer. She currently sits on the boards of the Col- laborative Family Law Asso- ciation, the Kingston Jewish Council, and the Kingston General Hospital Founda- tion. "Graduating from Queen's law school in 1986 as a ma- ture student, Lili is herself an inspiring story and is a shin- ing example of legal profes- sionalism and civility," said Cunningham Swan managing partner Tim Wilkin. "Not only our clients but all our firm's lawyers and staff will benefit from her wisdom, skill, experience, and example." MILLER THOMSON GOES TO MARS Miller Thomson LLP has an- nounced a new partnership with the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. As part of the deal, the firm will provide counsel in areas such as business planning, fi- nance, intellectual property management, and go-to-mar- ket strategies. "Our work at MaRS pro- vides access to the full spec- trum of legal expertise neces- sary to nurture and protect the intellectual property of some of Canada's most promising innovators, including those in the expanding clean technol- ogy sector," said Anthony de Fazekas, a partner at Miller Thomson and the firm's leader at MaRS. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. "No, I haven't seen your copy of the new Rules of Civil Procedure." THERE IS A DIFFERENCE RainMaker Group 110 Yonge Street, Suite 1101 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1T4 Untitled-5 1 Tel: 416-863-9543 Fax: 416-863-9757 www.rainmakergroup.ca www.lawtimesnews.com 3/23/10 11:35:15 AM 5/26/10 9:35:25 AM 75-YEAR-OLD GUILTY OF BEST NAME EVER NEW YORK, N.Y. –— Even if he goes to jail for the fake bomb threat he's accused of making, this is one 75-year- old who should be proud of the fact that he has a name that could live in infamy. Draco Slaughter of Chi- cago is accused of telling a flight attendant in New York that he had a bomb in his carry-on luggage. As pas- sengers were exiting a flight from Chicago to New York, a flight attendant noticed a bag left near the rear of the plane. When she asked if it belonged to anybody, Slaughter alleg- edly spoke up. "I said it was mine and kid- ding I also said there could be a bomb in there," NBC New York reported him as telling police. The flight attendant im- mediately told him he could be arrested for such a re- mark, and when he exited the plane, he was met by se- curity personnel. He contin- ued to maintain he was only joking around, apparently unaware of the fact that New York is the site of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil and thus authorities there are unlikely to find such a remark humorous. The plane was searched for more than two hours, but nothing dangerous was found. If convicted, Slaughter Briefs By Viola James faces up to seven years in prison. But with a name like that, he'll automatically be- come a legend among fellow convicts should he be found guilty. 'ABUSE CONTRACT' NULLIFIED SEATTLE, Wash. — This is one contract that probably wouldn't hold up as legally binding in court. Seattle native Graydon Smith, 31, is accused of forc- ing his 19-year-old pregnant girlfriend to sign an "abuse contract" that would allow him to physically abuse her whenever he wanted. Police arrived at the cou- ple's house after the victim's stepfather had stopped by and allegedly noticed Smith was throttling the woman. He called police, who when they arrived found she was covered in cuts and bruises. At the same time, the de- tails of the contract came to light. "Graydon made her sign a statement giving him permis- sion to physically abuse her anywhere on her body except on her pregnant belly," said Seattle police detective Eliza- beth Ellis. The contract allegedly stated he was able to punch, kick, and throttle her when- ever he felt like it. Smith, who is unemployed, allegedly admitted to police that the contract was his doing and now faces charges of assault and harassment. BLOODY CLOTHES NOT PROPER WORK ATTIRE LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — When you arrive for your first day at a new job, you might want to clean the blood off of your clothes be- fore clocking in. Terry Billups found this out the hard way last week when he was arrested at the Conway Human Develop- ment Centre. Billups, a sus- pect in the murder of his girl- friend, was arrested without incident. He is accused of stab- bing his girlfriend, 35-year- old Briticia Walters, in the throat following an argu- ment, which could explain the blood on his clothes. A news release issued by the Little Rock police depart- ment said Billups "still had on bloody clothes when we arrested him." Billups' downfall began when Walters' aunt found her with multiple stab wounds to the throat and covered in blood. Authorities also al- lege Billups placed Walters' seven-month-old son be- tween a mattress and the wall and covered him in a pile of clothes. Although police haven't formally charged Billups, he's being held on suspicion of capital murder, endangering the welfare of a minor, and theft of property for allegedly stealing Walters' car. LT Seen, heard, or been involved in a bizarre brief? Tell Viola James about it at viola.james@ gmail.com.

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