Law Times

Page 16 November 7, 2016 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com OBA HONOURS CHRIS PALIARE While he is known by colleagues as a "lawyer's lawyer," Chris Pa- liare says he would never de- scribe himself that way. The Toronto lawyer and part- ner at Paliare Roland Rosen- berg Rothstein LLP was given the Ontario Bar Association's 2016 Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation at a dinner in his honour in early November. Paliare, who represents law- yers in disciplinary matters, says he is f lattered by the "lawyer's lawyer" label, but he honestly does not really know what it means. "I guess I'm someone who people trust and whose judgment they appreciate," he says. Paliare was called to the bar in 1973 and com- pleted his articling at Cameron Brewin and Scott. He credits his success to the luck of having been surrounded by lawyers at the firm such as former attorney general Ian Scott and former Court of Appeal justice Stephen Goudge while at the firm. "I was really lucky as an articling student and a young lawyer to have attached my caboose to that train," he says. He later became a founding partner of litigation boutique Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein in 2001. Paliare, who is considered a pioneer in boutique litigation, has ap- peared before every level of trial and appellate court in Ontario, right up to the Supreme Court of Canada. TRUDEAU CHOOSES LAWYERS FOR SENATE Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed two Ontario law- yers to serve in the Senate. Kim Pate and Howard Wetston will join the ranks of the red chamber as "indepen- dent senators." Pate is a human rights expert and a part-time law professor at the University of Ottawa, who has served as the executive director of the Canadian As- sociation of Elizabeth Fry Societies since 1992. She has worked to help incar- cerated women reintegrate into society when they are released. Wetston is counsel with Goodmans LLP, an adjunct law professor at the University of Toronto and a former trial judge at the Federal Court of Canada. LAO LAWYERS VOTE TO UNIONIZE After three years of pushing for unionization, Legal Aid On- tario staff lawyers have voted to join the Society of Energy Professionals. In a 246-76 vote, lawyers ap- proved the move to have the union represent them in bar- gaining with LAO. The lawyers first requested to unionize in 2013, but they were rejected by their employer. LAO resisted the request un- til August, when they agreed to negotiate with the Society. LAO's articling students have also started their own push to be represented by the union. YES, I AGREE 69 % 31 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE LAW TIMES POLL Law Times recently reported that a Law Society of Up- per Canada committee has reversed its position to end the Law Practice Program. Readers were asked if they agree with this decision. More than 69 per cent said yes, the decision to endorse ex- tending the pilot program for an additional two years is a wise move. Almost 31 per cent said no, the decision does not ref lect the committee's original report. LT u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story "Relax! I've got title insurance." PLOT TO 'RELEASE SOULS' FOILED FAIRBANKS, Ala. — Investigators say two men arrested last week in southern Geor- gia were planning to attack an aurora research facility owned by the University of Alaska Fair- banks around which conspiracy theories of mind control have long swirled, according to Alaska Dispatch News. Television station WALB in Georgia first reported that investigators with the Coffee County Sheriff 's Office arrested Michael Man- cil, 30, and James Dryden Jr., 22, and said "the massive amount of arsenal seized looked like something out of a movie, one where a small army was headed to war." Michael Vickers, a detective with the sher- iff 's office, told Alaska Dispatch News that both men confessed "that God told them to go and blow this machine up that kept souls, so souls could be released." "All I can tell you is they were planning on blowing up the machine," Vickers said. "Going to try to find a scientist, to steal his car and ID badge to gain access. Any scientist." Vickers could not say what else the men might be charged with. "It is being investigated and there . . . could be more charges pending, but as of right now, there's nothing I can tell you," he said. Conspiracy theories about the facility's ca- pabilities for mind and weather control have persisted, to the point where the centre hosted an open house in August in an effort to dispel them. The program studies the properties and be- haviour of the Earth's ionosphere, a part of the atmosphere that can affect communication and navigation systems. DUMPSTER DIVING FOR DEER PARTS? LITITZ, Pa. — Charges have been dropped against former owners of a Chinese restaurant who were accused of illegally obtaining deer parts, according to PennLive. Shi Eng, 54, of Lititz, was issued 16 citations last July for illegally buying or selling game. Her husband, Chun Eng, 66, received one citation for the same offence. She was accused of gathering deer parts from a dumpster at an Elizabethtown deer pro- cessor's shop, Gregory Graham, a Pennsylvania Game Commission wildlife conservation of- ficer, told PennLive. The shop had initially al- lowed Eng to get deer parts for her dog, but the next day she was found "dumpster diving" for parts without permission, Graham said. On Oct. 6, the charges were dropped against Shi Eng because a witness decided not to testify, said a Game Commission spokeswoman. The charge against her husband was dropped Oct. 7. The investingation began in December 2015 after the Game Commission was contacted by New York officials who accused Shi Eng of sell- ing deer parts out of her vehicle in Chinatown in New York City. A Game Commission officer reported find- ing up to 180 kilograms of deer parts at New China House restaurant in Lititz. Legs, heads, rib cages, spinal columns and brains were con- fiscated, said the Game Commission. The business was later sold, and it is now open under new owners, said Graham. Chun Eng told PennLive last December they were not selling deer meat at the restaurant. A woman at the restaurant told officials she made soup for herself with the parts. The Engs "never admitted to anything," Gra- ham said. He said Shi Eng did plead guilty to some of the charges in New York, which were primarily unlawful possession and importation of deer from a state where there is chronic wast- ing disease in deer. The Engs had faced up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $1,500 per charge if they had been found guilty in Lancaster County court. Chun Eng pleaded guilty to Department of Agriculture restaurant violations and paid $1,200 in fines. LT Chris Paliare has received the Ontario Bar Association's 2016 Award for Excellence in Civil Litigation. A DAILY BLOG OF CANADIAN LEGAL NEWS LEGALFEEDS.CA FEEDS LEGAL POWERED BY LegalFeeds_LT_Nov7_16.indd 1 2016-11-02 7:49 AM

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