Law Times

PAGE 20 MARCH 10, 2014 • LAW TIMES www.lawtimesnews.com MCMILLAN SCC LAWYER MOVES TO GOWLINGS McMillan LLP lawyer Jeff rey Beedell has joined Gowling Lafl eur Hender- son LLP. Previously, Beedell worked as a Su- preme Court agent advising on leave applications and appeals, according to Gowlings. Beedell was also part of a team that worked on amending the top court's rules of practice, electronic fi ling eff orts, and the introduction of electronic mate- rials, the fi rm noted. "Jeff is one of Canada's most highly re- garded Supreme Court agents. His ability to navigate the complexities of the court and deliver the best possible results is second to none," said Scott Jolliff e, Gowlings' chairman and chief executive offi cer. "As trusted counsel to a long list of national clients, Jeff is an invalu- able addition to Gowlings, where he will further enhance a team that already includes some of the country's pre-eminent Supreme Court professionals." #NOSAVESIES, POLICE WARN PHILADELPHIA — You can save seats in a movie theatre, so why not do it with parking spots? In that case, it's illegal, police are warning. According to Reuters, Philadelphia police are using a velvet hammer to crack down on the il- legal but widespread practice of saving parking spaces with furniture, toilets, and other items, by turning to a Twitter hashtag that warns: #No- Savesies. "Shovelling a spot from a public street does not make it yours," Sgt. Eric Gripp, who runs the Philadelphia police department's Twit- ter account, told Reuters. With the value of a no-cost street parking spot rising as quickly as snowbanks this winter, n orthern cities including Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore are familiar with the problem. Phila- delphia is using social media to take the lead in raising awareness that saving spots is illegal. On the police department's Twitter page, famed Philadelphian Ben Franklin, the U.S. founding father known for saying "A penny saved is a penny earned," is paraphrased in the service of parking peace: "A parking spot saved is a lesson learned." Another tagline, with a photo of Kanye West interrupting fellow singer Taylor Swi at a music awards ceremony, says: " at's a nice excuse, and Ima let you fi nish. But saving parking spots is still illegal." Over the years, illicit tools used to claim spots have included commandeered traffi c cones, trash cans, lawn chairs, and even a working grandfather clock, said Gripp. "It was actually keeping time," he noted. Philadelphia's Twitter campaign began a month ago — with the hashtag #NoSavesies — and immediately got traction with many residents retweeting the message they called an eye-opener. 'SUCK IT' POST COSTS MAN $80K MIAMI — Breaching a confi dentiality provi- sion on Facebook is bad enough, but telling an opposing party to "suck it" probably makes it worse. at's a lesson the daughter of the former head of a preparatory school has learned a er the court decided not to enforce an agreement. So Patrick Snay, 69, won't get the $80,000 he was to receive through his settlement of an age discrimination and retaliation lawsuit against Gulliver Preparatory School, according to Unit- ed Press International. "Mama and Papa Snay won the case against Gulliver. Gulliver is now offi cially paying for my vacation to Europe this summer. SUCK IT," the daughter's post read. In response, the school said it wouldn't be paying the money. A circuit court upheld Snay's motion to enforce the settlement, but an appeal court found otherwise, according to United Press International. LAWSUIT TARGETS INFLATED WIRETAP BILLS SAN FRANCISCO — If the controversies over government surveillance weren't enough, U.S. offi cials are now going a er a telecommunica- tions company over infl ated bills it allegedly sub- mitted in order to comply with wiretap orders. According to Courthouse News Service, the U.S. government alleges Sprint Communica- tions infl ated its bills by 58 per cent through false claims. e Federal Court case is seeking treble damages, penalties, and costs. e case takes the company to task for false claims to reimburse expenses for "carrying out orders authorizing wiretaps, pen registers, and trap devices," according to Courthouse News Service. While companies can bill for reasonable expenses incurred in complying with an order, they can't recover the costs of modifying equip- ment, facilities or services. e lawsuit alleges Sprint "knowingly" included such costs, Court- house News Service reported. As a result, the gov- ernment claims it paid $21 million in unallow- able costs. LT Canadian Lawyer | Law Times | 4Students | InHouse | Legal Feeds MBXUJNFTOFXTDPNtcanadianlawyermag.com Fresh Canadian legal news and analysis every day X BIZARRE BRIEFS By Viola James X The INSIDE STORY ONTARIO NAMES 21 JPS, NEW JUDGE Ontario has appointed 21 new justices of the peace to the On- tario Court of Justice. e 21 appointees include people with a wide range of expe- riences, including former CBC journalist Karen Baum and former City of Toronto solici- tor and Ministry of Commu- nity Safety and Correctional Services counsel Rosanne Gi- ulietti. Among the appointees is Anna Blauveldt, Canada's former ambassador to Iceland. Others include former sole prac- titioner Karen Valentine; court manager Helena Cassano; provincial prosecutors Ralph Cotter and Lloyd Phillipps; Mississauga, Ont., lawyer Ver- uschka Fisher-Grant; broad- caster Jane Hawtin; criminal lawyer Rizwan Khan; Bru- net McMahon LLP partner John McMahon; Law Society of Upper Canada discipline paralegal Jane Moff att; Legal Aid Ontario Newmarket, Ont., criminal duty counsel offi ce manager Renée Rerup; LAO duty counsel Raff aella Scarpa- to; and psychotherapist Audrey Summers. A handful of appointees, such as omas Glassford, Paula Konstantinidis, Paul Lan- glois, and Michele ompson, worked for the Ministry of the Attorney General in various capacities. In addition, the prov- ince named Temagami First Nation at Bear Island execu- tive director Holly Charyna and principal Ginette Forgues as new justices of the peace. Many of the 21 will be work- ing in Toronto, but a handful will be taking up their new roles in Ottawa, Brampton, Owen Sound, Barrie, Walkerton, Brant- ford, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie, and Cornwall, Ont. Besides the new justices of the peace, the province named a new judge on Feb. 28. On March 12, Romuald Kwolek will join the Ontario Court bench in Sault Ste. Marie. A former deputy judge of the Small Claims Court, Kwolek is a lawyer with a general practice that included family law. SUMMIT JOINS ONTARIO, N.Y. LAWYERS Lawyers from Toronto and New York will meet in both cities this month to talk about cross-bor- der legal issues and how to serve their clients better. e legal summit will include discussions on issues such as cross-border taxation, fi nancing transactions, multijurisdictional class action litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and mining and energy, according to the On- tario Bar Association. e Toronto event will take place on March 28, and lawyers will meet again on March 31 in New York. e summit is a joint eff ort by the OBA and the New York State Bar Association with help from the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the New York City Bar Association, and the international law section of the American Bar Associa- tion. LT "Sure, amendments to the Employment Standards Act clarify which classes of workers are entitled to minimum wage and remove any caps on claims for back pay. But you were made in Texas. Where's your Canadian work permit?" Jeffrey Beedell

• Cover