Law Times

PAGE 16 WillBuilder Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 doprocess com ntitled-2 1 The REARRANGING THE BENCH University of Toronto Prof. Michael Code is moving to the judges' chambers as he takes a position with the Ontario Superior Court. For the last three years, Code taught at the University of To- ronto following stints at law firms Sack Goldblatt Mitchell LLP and Ruby & Edwardh. In between, he was Ontario's assistant deputy attorney gen- eral. More recently, he co-wrote a report on speeding up major criminal cases for the Ontario government along with former Superior Court chief justice Patrick LeSage. Other moves on the bench include Justice Craig Perkins, who switches from his current job with the family court branch to replace Justice S.N. Leder- man in Toronto. Taking Per- kins' place is Heather McGee, a founding partner with McGee & Fryer in Markham. FASKENS GETS BIG P3 CONTRACT Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP has won a contract as spe- cialized legal counsel for a mas- sive road reconstruction project, the firm announced. The project, called the largest road infrastructure effort ever un- dertaken in urban Quebec, will see a major revamp of the Turcot Complex. The province's pub- lic-private partnership agency is leading the $1.5-billion project that will involve the creation of a transportation corridor through the relocation of Highway 20 and existing railroads. SYMPOSIUM HIGH- LIGHTS ALTERNATIVE CAREERS Looking for alternatives to high- stress full-time work at a law firm? The Women in Transition program next month may have some answers for you. It aims to outline options to do non- traditional legal work in places like regulatory bodies, commu- nity organizations, government, and academia as well as present opportunities to work part time. Reinventing the Will www 2/2/09 10:53:45 AM Inside Story The program, run by the University of Toronto's sum- mer institute for executive legal education, is aimed at practising lawyers thinking of switching out of traditional legal work, in- cluding people with parental or family responsibilities or those planning to return to the legal field under alternatives such as a work-sharing arrangement. It runs on June 17 and 18 at the Verity Women's Club in To- ronto. For more information, contact the program at executive. education.law@utoronto.ca. TORONTO LAWYER GETS MEDICAL NOD He's a lawyer, but his long asso- ciation with the medical field has earned Stewart Saxe recognition as an honorary member of the Ontario Medical Association. Currently, 10 people have that honour, one Saxe's Toronto law firm, Baker & McKenzie, says is rare for a lawyer to re- ceive. It recognizes people who have made significant contribu- tions in science or humanities through service to the OMA or to medicine. Saxe himself has been active with the OMA as a labour and employment lawyer assisting in negotia- tions with the Ontario govern- ment. Last year, he became the OMA's lead negotiator, Baker & McKenzie noted in a release. DEAN HONOURS OSGOODE GRADS Seven graduates of Osgoode Hall Law School received hon- ours for their contributions to the legal profession and society at the dean's annual alumni re- ception. "These awards are our way of recognizing exceptional alumni who have brought distinction to the profession of law and the law school," said Dean Patrick Monahan. Honourees included Eva Marszewski, Gordon Kirke, Alison Youngman, Lor- raine Land, Douglas Ewart, Doug Lewis, and Charles M. Gastle. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com "Another typical example of heartless corporate downsizing!" 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 SLEEPING ON THE JOB COSTS GUARD HIS CASE CLEVELAND, Ohio — The- odore Rongers was a hospital security guard who felt his employer had a duty to ac- commodate the side effect of his heart medication by letting him sleep on the job. One would think that an integral part of being a security guard was remaining alert in or- der to actually provide security. The Cuyahoga County Court of Appeals earlier this month agreed. The guard had launched a wrongful dismissal suit after he was fired for dozing off. He'd been caught on surveillance tapes napping up to six times during his shifts, sometimes for as long as two hours. Rongers admitted sleeping on the job meant that he was not performing his essential duties as a security guard at University Hospitals of Cleve- land. But his suit still claimed his medical condition should be accommodated. "Reasonable minds could only find that Rongers' ex- tended periods of sleep far exceeded UH's permission to take naps as necessary. We find as a matter of law that Rong- ers failed to establish that he could safely and adequately perform his job of a security officer while under the influ- ence of his medication," said the ruling. ™ May 25, 2009 • Law TiMes Bizarre Briefs By Viola James DON'T STEAL FROM A STEELER PITTSBURGH — Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najeh Davenport prob- ably didn't expect anyone to steal his 1970 Chevrolet Im- pala when he left it running outside his house for a few minutes. Rodney Terrell Green prob- ably didn't expect a pro foot- ball player to run after him when he nipped in and stole said Impala. But as Green, 22, sped off, Davenport, who now plays for the Indianapolis Colts, chased after him. Green ended up hitting four parked cars and totalling the Impala. As he got out of the wrecked vehicle, the footballer nabbed him and held him until police arrived. Green was slightly injured in the accident and then spent a night in the lodgings of the Allegheny County Jail. IF YOU CAN'T PRACTISE LAW, BAKE NEW YORK — Lots of peo- ple do lots of things with their law degrees — but cupcakes?! Recent New York Law School grad Lev Ekster real- ized he wasn't going to get a law firm job this year and was inspired after having a disap- pointing trip to a local bakery. After standing in an end- less queue for what he says was a "dry and tasteless" cupcake, Esker put a plan into action to provide moister, tastier cupcakes to the denizens of Gotham. Ekster, 22, tasted recipes from countless bakers. He hit upon the perfect one in for- mer Bouley pastry chef Manal Mady's creations. Next month, Ekster will open CupcakeStop, the city's first mobile cupcake truck. Look for it on the streets of Manhattan between 10 a.m. and 4 a.m. THE CAT BONG CASE, NEED WE SAY MORE OMAHA, Neb. — Acea Schomaker, 20, cited for mis- demeanor animal cruelty in March for allegedly placing a cat inside a homemade bong and exposing it to marijuana smoke, will have a hearing next month to see if the case will go to trial. Schomaker's 22-year-old girlfriend, Marissa Vieux, also faces animal cruelty charges and appeared in court today. She's set for trial in July. Both Schomaker and Vieux pleaded not guilty last month, and Schomaker says he had no intention of harming Shadow, a six-month-old female. Vieux says she adopted Shadow from friends who had abused her. Schomaker claims he only placed her in the bong to soothe her. "Every time we took her out she would pretty much just lay down and proceed to clean herself and act like a stoned person," he has said. Shadow was seized from the couple and taken to a local hu- mane society. LT Seen, heard, or been involved in a bizarre brief? Tell Viola James about it at viola.james@gmail. com.

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