Law Times

PAGE 20 WillBuilder Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 doprocess com ntitled-7 1 The FLOODING THE BENCHES The federal Department of Jus- tice recently announced a slew of judicial appointments, with seven new names added to the list of Ontario Superior Court judges. The Superior Court appoint- ments include Rick Leroy, a partner with Gorrell Grenkie Leroy & Remillard in Morris- burg, according to an announce- ment from the department. Leroy received his LLP from Queen's University in 1976 and was called to the Ontario bar in 1978. He practised mainly in the areas of family, civil contracts litigation, mediation, real estate, estates, and financial planning. Michael Parayeski, a partner with Agro Zaffiro LLP in Ham- ilton, replaces Justice J. Ramsay in Kitchener, who was transferred to Hamilton. Parayeski received his LLB from the University of Western Ontario in 1978 and was called to the bar in 1980. Parayeski has developed an ex- pertise in insurance defence work including personal injury and professional negligence defence. Edward Gareau, a partner with Feifel Broadbent Gareau Gualazzi in Sault Ste. Marie, replaces Justice W. L. Whalen, who elected to become a su- pernumerary judge. Gareau re- ceived his LLB from the Univer- sity of Windsor Law School in 1983, and was called to the bar in 1985. Gareau's main prac- tice areas include family law, mediation, collaborative law, civil litigation, wills, estate, and residential real estate. Thomas McEwen, a partner with Adair Morse LLP in Toron- to, replaces Justice J.R. McIsaac in Newmarket, who elected to become supernumerary judge as of Sept. 25, 2008. McEwen received his LLB from the Uni- versity of Western Ontario in 1984 and was called to the bar in 1986. His main practice areas are personal injury, professional neg- ligence, products liability, libel and slander, insurance coverage, statutory accident benefits, work- er's compensation, sexual abuse, and commercial litigation. Hugh O'Connell, a dep- uty director with the Public Reinventing the Will www 1/26/09 3:38:37 PM Inside Story Prosecution Service of Canada, Ontario Regional Office, re- places Justice T. Maddalena in Newmarket, who will be trans- ferred to Welland. O'Connell received his LLB in 1987 from Queen's University and was called to the bar in 1989. He has expertise in criminal law. Susan Healey, a partner at Stewart Esten in Barrie, replaces Justice R.N. Weekes in Barrie, who resigned. Healey received her LLB from the University of Western Ontario in 1991, and was called to the bar in 1993. She has practised in the areas of per- sonal injury, medical malpractice, estate litigation, commercial liti- gation, family law, family media- tion, and estate mediation. Caroline Brown, a sole practitioner in Hamilton, has also been appointed to the Su- perior Court. Brown received her LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1991, and was called to the bar in 1993. She has practised family law. These appointments are ef- fective immediately, said the department. MILLER THOMSON AWARDS SCHOLARS The Miller Thomson Founda- tion's National Scholarship Program is awarding $1,000 academic scholarships to 200 Ca- nadian students, bringing its total contribution to $2.35 million in scholarship awards to 2,350 grad- uating high-school students since 1995, the firm has announced. "The Miller Thomson Foun- Scholarship dation's National Program was created to recog- nize the achievements and as- pirations of remarkable young Canadians," says Judson White- side, chairwoman of the Miller Thomson Foundation. "The scholarships encourage and promote the attainment of the higher education goals of ex- ceptional high-school graduates who have demonstrated a high level of academic achievement and have made outstanding contributions to their schools and communities." LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com "His legal team negotiated a special deal with gravity." 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 BANISHED FOR NOT HAVING 'THE LOOK' LONDON, England — Law student Riam Dean has a pros- thetic arm which just didn't fit with retailer Abercrombie & Fitch's "look policy." A labour tribunal heard from Dean, 22, that Abercrom- bie first gave her permision to wear a cardigan to cover the join in her arm. She was born with her left forearm missing. She says later, she got the heave from the store's front into the back room, with the management saying the sweater didn't meet its "look policy." The policy, according to The Times, says: employees must "maintain a consistent level of dress and grooming that represents what people expect from [the brand]." Having just completed her final law school exams, Dean is now seeking damages for dis- ability discrimination. Dean told the tribunal she felt "taunted" when her man- ager told her that she could return to the shop floor of the company's flagship store on tony Savile Row in London if she removed the cardigan. LAWYER HAS A BIT OF A FREAKOUT PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Lawyer Adam Rodgers threw a high-gear temper tantrum in the local common pleas court after a judge initially increased his client's bail and wouldn't ad- ™ June 29/July 6, 2009 • law Times Bizarre Briefs By Viola James just his sentence. Apparently there were a lot of misunderstandings but Rod- gers did whip his pen and leath- er bag, picked up a chair and slammed it down, and pushed or hurled another around the courtroom of Judge Chris R. Wogan. He then stormed out of the courtroom, carrying on about injustice and shouting "bullshit." But it seems the judge, who seems to give no quarter to no- shows, had mistaken Rodgers' client Aaron Garnett for anoth- er accused who had shown up late in his courtroom and lied about being stuck in traffic. Garnett had not shown up on time for his initial hearing on gun charges because his grandma's house had flooded and he was helping out. After he arrived in court late, the judge found him in contempt and sentenced him to two consecu- tive terms of two to six months in county prison on contempt charges. Garnett was then taken into custody. His bail in the gun cases was hiked to $50,000. At a reconsideration hear- ing last week, the judge, mis- taking Garnett for another n'er do well laggard, left the bail and sentence as set. That's when Rodgers lost it. But Rodgers said the judge realized his mistake and sent a clerk out to tell Rodgers there was some confusion. The judge then lowered Garnett's bail to $15,000 and granted him parole on the sentences in the contempt cases. Rodgers was not held in con- tempt as the judge was not in court to witness said freakout. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE DURING A GARBAGE STRIKE Larry Wilder JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — Larry Wilder, a lawyer for the Jeffersonville City Coun- cil, had a hard night of cel- ebrating a friend's passing of a real estate licensing exam on the night of June 16. Early the next morning, a neighbour called police to say a man was sleeping in his garbage can. The cops showed up and helped a drunken Wilder back home but didn't charge him. One of the officers attend- ing had snapped a few pho- tos that were later released to media by another officer, ac- cording to Jeffersonville Police Chief Tim Deeringer. But who released them may never be known, even after an internal investigation, says the chief. Scandal ensued, however, and within a week, Wilder had resigned from his post. Wilder said he will take no legal action against the de- partment or the officer who released his photograph. But left with these words about the cop who released the photos: "If you're proud of what you've done, you should come forward and take praise." LT

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