Law Times

Law Times • November 3, 2014 Page 5 www.lawtimesnews.com transactions in which there appear to be missing mortgage funds, noted Thomas, adding there may be 12 transactions for which cli- ents retained Grewal during the five-month period this year in which she practised real estate law. Attempts to reach Grewal have been futile, according to the ruling ordering the interlocu- tory suspension. "The law society has attempt- ed to contact the lawyer in per- son, by telephone, mail, fax, and e-mail at her last known contact information. The lawyer has not responded," according to Wright. "E-mails were not returned, suggesting she may have received them. She has not provided any response to the law society's investigations or to this motion." Grewal practised law as a sole practitioner in that period through a professional corpora- tion called RG Barrister & Solici- tor PC. The complaints against her relate to work she did between February and July of this year. Around February, Grewal re- signed as a board member of the South Asian Women's Centre, says Kripa Sekhar, the organiza- tion's executive director. Grewal resigned after she went through a difficult personal situation, ac- cording to Sekhar. Although she wasn't sure of what happened, word was that someone had bro- ken into her house. "We have absolutely no contact with her and do not know where she is," Sekhar tells Law Times. Sekhar was surprised to hear the news about Grewal. "That's so out of character. I am so shocked." The law society says it has contacted police about the mat- ter. The Peel Regional Police media relations department says it has no information to share with Law Times. Toronto po- lice financial crimes Det. Chris Dionne says police in Toronto aren't investigating any fraud matters in relation to Grewal. An online biography for Gre- wal, one she used while a board member at the South Asian Women's Centre, says she was born in India and practised law there before coming to Canada in 2005. She was called to the bar of Ontario in 2011. Grewal is "committed to the empowerment of women," the biography noted, adding she has supported women who have gone through trauma. "She visits local community center and religious centers and helps illiterate and needy people to apply for their permanent resi- dence, citizenship, helps destitute women in getting justice, [and] actively participates in local food drive," according to the biography. Grewal had previously worked at Carranza LLP, a Toronto per- sonal injury law firm. In February, Grewal left the firm, according to Moira Gracey, a lawyer there. The reason for her departure was "nothing nefarious," says Gracey, who noted Grewal left for personal reasons. "Wow," says Gracey about the situation with Grewal. "That's certainly a shock." Besides the suspension, the hearing panel awarded $10,000 in costs against Grewal. "In the circumstances of this case, in par- ticular given that the lawyer is not participating in the investigation and this may delay the hearing, we believe that costs of the motion should be awarded now, rather than remitted to the panel hearing the merits," Wright determined. It's the second alleged instance in recent months of clients miss- ing money a lawyer was supposed to protect. Purchasers of units in a North York condo development are out as much as $15 million in deposit fees after lawyer Meerai Cho released the funds to the de- veloper of the building. LT RCMP to take heavy-handed ac- tion is a difficult task. "We don't want to criminalize the relationship but at the same time, we don't want them going over bounds we can't see," says Hamdani. Sgt. Derek McDonald, a se- nior outreach officer with the RCMP, knows it's a crucial bal- ance. When a parent calls Ham- dani about a child who has left and could be up to something nefarious, the lawyer often reaches out to McDonald. "You know, we ask the com- munities to reach out to us for assistance, so it's important to get that human approach as opposed to at that uniformed approach, that 'just the facts, ma'am' kind of thing. Hussein is very good at that," says McDonald. It's important not to go in "with a preconceived notion that we need to make a big deal or a federal case out of something right off the bat," he adds. "Let's just casually talk to people." Hamdani says he has dealt with about a dozen cases of young men who wanted to join a terrorist group, two of which involved ISIS. As a result, he has drawn some in- sights into what these young men have in common. In his mind, there are three types of individuals with terrorist-like inclinations. The first group involves "war- riors of the cause," the hard-core types who are the most difficult to deal with. "They believe this is what they need to do. They're middle aged. They're not people who are just lost. It's impossible to talk to these people rationally. It's impossible to deal with them. They've now been brainwashed," says Hamdani. They represent a small minor- ity of cases, according to Ham- dani. He sees more of the second group that includes young men who come from good families and are upset with what they see happening around the world. "They feel, as youth, they have to intervene. They actually see themselves as having good intentions," he says, adding he thinks 11 of the Toronto 18 members fell into this category. This is the easiest group to work with, says Hamdani, noting it's still possible to sway them to- wards channelling their frustra- tions into civic engagement. The third category involves people who are lost and, in some cases, have mental-health issues. "They don't have jobs, they don't have girlfriends, they don't have spouses," says Hamdani. "They don't have much going for them." They're often recent converts to Islam who previously had no cause or strong values and they take on the religion as if it were a protest, according to Hamdani. The suspects who attacked sol- diers in Ottawa and Quebec re- cently are likely examples of this group, Hamdani notes. When he does his outreach work, McDonald says he relies on Hamdani to give him cred- ibility among the Muslim com- munity. "He vouches for us in- stead of us doing it the hard way," says McDonald. With growing concerns around homegrown terrorism, the role of people like Hamdani is "absolutely vital," he adds. "It's not so much his skills as a lawyer. It's his skills as a human being that's so valuable to us," says McDonald, describing Hamdani as "just a good guy." "For a lawyer, he's a really good guy," he says jokingly. Hamdani and Kamran Bhatti, another Hamilton-based Muslim community activist, founded an organization called the North American Spiritual Revival that offers youth leadership training programs. Bhatti notes many Muslims who come to Canada from other countries bring with them a deep distrust of law en- forcement, something he and Hamdani are working to counter. According to Bhatti, Hamdani is able to relate to youth and the Muslim community while also understanding the perspectives of law enforcement. For Hamdani, the work comes with costs. He has received death threats and hate mail from those who believe he has a hidden agen- da. People have scratched his car and thrown eggs at his home. "It's disappointing because even within the Muslim com- munity, I've been called a sellout," says Hamdani, adding the work can get discouraging at times. But there are success stories. He says there are about eight cas- es in which his interventions into the cases of young men who had once aspired to a life of violence resulted in "functioning, positive members of society." Part of the success is in highlighting the work Muslim communities are doing to fight terrorism, says Hamdani. While some people blame Muslims for not denouncing terrorist acts, "the reality is we were shouting, we were screaming . . . but no one could hear us," he says. "But now we're getting better at getting that message out there." LT NEWS Continued from page 1 Former colleauges shocked at lawyer's troubles 'Warriors of the cause' most difficult to deal with Continued from page 1 Determine the best remedy for your mortgage default case in Ontario with this time-saving guide. A Practical Guide to Mortgage Remedies in Ontario, Second Edition provides targeted remedies for common real-life scenarios, along with precedents to speed your mortgage remedy work. New in this edition The Second Edition has been updated to include more expert commentary on the Mortgages Act and all aspects of mortgage remedies, as well as: • New time-saving precedents • Convenient checklists for: – Preliminary matters to consider before commencing a mortgage remedy – Entities to be served with a Notice of Sale – Timing options – Notice of Sale and Statement of Claim • Elaboration of the Mortgagor's Right of Redemption • A reference to Canada Revenue Agency super priority claims • A detailed explanation of the impact of residential tenancies on mortgage remedies with specific references to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 • More real-life scenarios help contextualize the points of law and illustrate how the various remedies are applied With this handy guide, you will be able to offer your client or company the best possible advice in a mortgage default situation. Determine the right remedy for mortgage default New Edition A Practical Guide to Mortgage Remedies in Ontario, Second Edition Judith M. Wolf, J.D. Order # 985676-65203 $89 Softcover approx. 280 pages November 2013 978-0-7798-5676-3 Shipping and handling are extra. Price(s) subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes. 00222MJ-A45903 Available risk-free for 30 days Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800

• Cover