Law Times

June 11, 2018

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Page 16 June 11, 2018 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story "They're posting defamatory comments on the cheese company's website, using a proxy server so they can't be traced even if our internet provider is served with a Norwich order. Mark them down as very intelligent." DANCE LIKE YOU'RE NOT CARRYING DENVER — An off-duty FBI agent dancing wildly at a downtown Denver bar accidentally shot a man in the leg when the agent tried to pick up a gun that fell from its holster as he per- formed a handstand, reports Reuters. A bystander recorded video of the incident involving the unnamed agent, which authori- ties said took place early on June 2 at the Mile High Spirits and Distillery night spot. In a statement, the Denver Police Depart- ment said the agent "was dancing at a night club when his firearm became dislodged from its waistband holster and fell onto the f loor. When the agent retrieved his handgun, an unintended discharge occurred." Another bar patron was hit by a bullet in a lower leg, sustaining a non-life-threatening in- jury, said the statement by a department spokes- woman, Marika Putnam. The agent was taken to police headquarters, Putnam said, and later released to an FBI super- visor. The Denver District Attorney's office will decide whether to press any charges against the agent. Denver FBI spokeswoman Amy Sanders said Denver Police are leading the investigation and that it was a "personnel matter for the FBI." She did not say how the FBI has or will discipline the agent. FROM ACCUSED KILLER TO 'AFFABLE YOUNG MAN' SEOUL — With missile tests, nuclear threats and ruthless destruction of opponents, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been an omi- nous presence hanging over the South. These days, however, customers at a cafe in the centre of South Korea can find an image of the North Korean leader staring up at them from their cof- fee cups, reports Reuters. Since a beaming Kim held a summit in April with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the In & Out cafe in Jeonju city, south of Seoul, has been serving lattes decorated with frothy im- ages of the two leaders. A sign also offers customers the chance to take a photo and be featured on latte foam along with Kim and Moon. Few other businesses seem to be willing to risk using Kim's image, but in the wake of the April summit, where Kim came across as an affable young man, more South Koreans are changing attitudes toward a leader who has threatened to destroy Seoul. Besides raining invective on the South and its leaders since he took power in Pyongyang in 2011, Kim has been accused of ordering the kill- ing of his uncle and half-brother and of scores of officials suspected of disloyalty. According to a Gallup Korea survey released on June 1, Kim's overall favourability among South Koreans rose to 31 per cent in May from 10 per cent in March. BILL CORRECTS 50-YEAR-OLD SPELLING MISTAKE NEW YORK — The New York State Senate unanimously passed a bill that would correct the spelling of a bridge that has been wrong for more than 50 years, reports NBC4 New York. New York City's Verrazano-Narrows Bridge is spelled with one zed. It should have two zeds for Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who discovered New York Harbor in 1524. The Staten Island Advance reports a Senate bill aimed at fixing the spelling passed 61-0 on June 6. The bill has been sent to the Assembly, where it must pass a vote before heading to Gov. An- drew Cuomo for consideration. A previous bill stalled in the Assembly earlier this year. A statue of Verrazzano in lower Manhat- tan includes the two zeds, as does a bridge over Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay. LT PRIVATE EQUITY STUDY Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP has released what it says is a "one- of-a-kind" study with data based on private equity mergers and acquisitions it has handled over a three-year period. The Canadi- an Private Equity Deal Study focuses exclusively on transac- tions involving Canadian private companies or their assets and is sourced from transactions Blakes was involved in as lead or Cana- dian counsel. "The goal was to provide our clients and industry friends with an answer to a question we're of- ten asked, which is 'What is mar- ket?' We're hoping that Blakes and our private equity study de- fines what the market is going forward," said Kurt Sarno, partner in the firm's private equity group, at the launch of the report on May 31. The 50-page report looks exclusively at private M&A transactions by private equity funds, sponsors or portfolio companies as buyers, sellers, investors or targets. Blakes looked at about 150 deals signed between 2014 and 2017. By reporting on aggregated data, no confidential information was dis- closed, according to the report. "You see the prevalence of industrial goods and services (25 per cent), which is a long staple of Canadian private equity, at least in On- tario, as well as technology (17 per cent) and life sciences (12 per cent)," said Sarno. JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS Federal Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould has announced that K.A. Siob- han Monaghan and Susan Wong were appointed as judges of the Tax Court of Canada. Monaghan was a partner at KPMG Law LLP in Toronto, and she replaces Justice J.M. Woods. Wong was regional di- rector and general counsel at the Department of Justice Can- ada in Vancouver, and she will take the place of Justice V.A. Miller. DAVID STOCKWOOD MEMORIAL PRIZE Evan Thomas of Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is the winner of the 2018 David Stockwood Memorial Prize awarded by The Advocates' Society. The prize is for an advocacy-related article that is selected by a panel of judges. Thomas wrote on "Prospec- tive Witnesses, Confidentiality Agreements and the Advocate." "It's about the legal and practical issues that arise when counsel in litigation wish to do pretrial witness interviews of an adverse party's former employ- ees, who may be subject to con- tinuing confidentiality obliga- tions to their former employer," says Thomas. The award comes with a $1,000 prize and will be pub- lished in The Advocates' Jour- nal. It was presented at the end of term dinner on June 7. 56 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE YES, I AGREE 44 % LAW TIMES POLL An Ontario judge ordered a California-based job search/re- cruiting website, Glassdoor, to turn over information about us- ers that posted allegedly defama- tory comments about a consult- ing company in Mississauga, Ont. Readers were asked if they agreed with this decision. About 44 per cent said yes, the deci- sion will limit content that is al- leged to be defamatory. Another 56 per cent said no, this was an overreach by the courts. LT Collaborate © 2017 Stewart. All rights reserved. See policies for full terms and conditions. At Stewart Title, we provide clients with tools that make it easier to work with others and streamline their practices. The Assyst Real Estate application, powered by TELUS, links legal professionals and lenders so data can be exchanged securely, simply and efficiently – facilitating obtaining mortgage instructions and reporting to the lender. Interested? Request a demo by calling (888) 667-5151 or visit stewart.ca. Untitled-5 1 2017-05-09 8:59 AM Kurt Sarno says a private equity study by his firm presents a 'representative picture' as to who is doing deals in Canada and where that market is likely to go.

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