Law Times

Page 16 January 12, 2015 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com RENOS TO BRAMPTON COURTHOUSE Lawyers, staff, and litigants at the busy courthouse in Brampton, Ont., are getting some relief. Last week, the Ministry of the At- torney General announced plans to add space at the courthouse. The goal is to meet projected demand for the next 25 years, according to the ministry. The first two f loors of the six-f loor addition will contain new courtrooms and support spaces such as judicial chambers with the remaining areas to accommodate future courthouse developments. The aim is to complete the addition by December 2017. "This courthouse expansion showcases our government's commit- ment to enhancing access to justice for Ontario communities," said At- torney General Madeleine Meilleur. During construction, additional courtroom space will be available in Milton, Orangeville, and Kitchener, Ont. COURT DECLARES DRAW IN SCRABBLE SQUABBLE MELBOURNE, Australia — Some people take their board games rather seriously, a legal dispute over Scrabble has shown. According to Reuters, a state court has de- clared a draw in a long-running war of words between an Australian and the official Scrabble body. The Victoria state magistrates' court ruled the local chapter of the Australian Scrabble Play- ers' Association must overturn a ruling that re- tired teacher Mohammed A. Hegazi had behaved in a manner "unbecoming" to the board game. But Hegazi failed to persuade the court to declare he had never cheated while playing the game, his lawyer, Robert Frajsman, told Reuters. "Who would have thought that Scrabble would be a blood sport?" asked Frajsman. Hegazi had agreed in 2008 to a 12-month sus- pension from the association after it found him guilty of bullying competitors, cheating, and un- professional conduct. Details of the cheating ac- cusation weren't immediately available. But despite returning to competition once the ban was up, Hegazi maintained he never cheated and asked the association to overturn its finding. In mediation late last year, the association agreed to revoke its finding, but Hegazi took the matter to the state court. COUPLE COLLECTED FOOD STAMPS WHILE ON YACHT MINNEAPOLIS — It's one thing to defraud the public of social assistance but it becomes a whole other issue when you do it while living on a yacht. According to Reuters, a Minnesota man who collected food stamps and other public assistance while living with his wife on a yacht valued at $1.2 million has received a 21-month sentence. Colin Chisholm III, 63, pleaded guilty in November to two felonies, theft by swindle and wrongfully obtaining public assistance. The Chisholms obtained nearly $168,000 in food, cash, and medical care while living on the yacht in Florida and later in a lakeside home in an upscale suburb of Minneapolis, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said they had filed more than a dozen forms seeking county and Minnesota state aid from late 2004 into 2012 that failed to disclose where they were living. NUDE BURGLAR NOT IN A RUSH KEIZER, Ore. — People are often in a rush when committing a burglary, but in this case the sus- pect seems to have had all of the time in the world. An Oregon man was still nude when police ar- rested him last weekend on accusations of break- ing into a home, stripping off his clothes, soaking in a hot tub, taking a shower, and then burglariz- ing another nearby residence, according to police. Guillermo Brambila Lopez, 24, appears to have stolen only the alcohol he consumed before dawn, although he may have caused some dam- age during his break-ins, said Jeff Kuhns, deputy police chief in Keizer. According to a police report, a woman called police after she had woken up after hearing noises in the laundry room. When she went to investi- gate, the door slammed closed. Police arrived to find a nude Brambila Lopez hiding in the laundry room and signs he had en- tered by forcing open a window, the report said. After investigating further, police found someone had forced open the windows at a neighbouring home. "During a search inside the home, officers lo- cated Mr. Brambila Lopez' clothing," said police in a statement. "Officers also determined that after Mr. Brambila Lopez had broken into this residence, he drank the homeowner's alcohol, used their hot tub, and then took a shower in the master bath- room," the statement added. Police charged him with two counts of bur- glary and one count of second-degree criminal mischief, Reuters reported. LT legal expertise? Looking for Find exactly what you need at www.CanadianLawList.com It's fast, It's free, s fa , s f and it's available to you 24 hours a day. ay. s available y availabl y Starting a business, making a will or buying a house? Declaring bankruptcy, dealing with a personal injury, insurance claim or job loss? If you're in the midst of one of life's big events, help is as close as your smartphone, tablet or computer. Simply go to www.CanadianLawList.com to find the right lawyer for your particular legal need. www.CanadianLawList.com is Canada's most comprehensive online directory of lawyers and law firms. And it's easy to use! You can search by city, legal specialty, or name for listings and contact information. Find the legal expertise you need at www.CanadianLawList.com. CLLonline_LT_July7_14.indd 1 14-07-02 8:13 AM u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story TORONTO LAWYER DISBARRED A Law Society Tribunal hear- ing panel has disbarred Toronto lawyer Tim Leahy. Last month, the panel dis- barred Leahy and ordered him to pay almost $21,000 in costs after finding, among other things, that he practised law and held himself out as someone entitled to do so despite his suspension in Decem- ber 2012. It also found he practised law through a business entity, Forefront Migration Ltd., that didn't have a certificate of autho- rization from the Law Society of Upper Canada. In the case of Toronto law- yer George Allan Marron, the hearing panel allowed him to sur- render his licence by Jan. 9, failing which the LSUC would revoke it on Jan. 10. Among several acts of misconduct, the panel found he had failed to serve five clients and acted dishonourably by not com- plying with two court orders. NEW PARTNER AT LERNERS Regulatory lawyer Bonni El- lis has joined Lerners LLP as a partner. A lawyer with more than a de- cade of experience in professional regulation, Ellis brings a "unique and specialized skill set," accord- ing to the firm. "Her expertise and regulatory professions practice adds a new level of expertise to our litigation practice in Toronto," said Brian Grant, managing partner of the firm's Toronto office. CHANGES AT PALLETT VALO There's new leadership at Pallett Valo LLP as Bobby Sachdeva takes over as managing partner from Anne Kennedy. Sachdeva, who took over the role on Jan. 1, has been with the firm since 1995 when he filled in for a maternity leave. Since then, he founded the firm's insolvency group and has also served as deputy managing partner. Kennedy will continue as deputy managing partner. "Pallett Valo has established itself as a top regional firm, is poised to build on that reputa- tion and with Bobby's leadership I know great things are ahead," she said. Other changes at Pallett Valo include the appointment of Craig Ross as a partner. STIKEMAN ELLIOTT NAMES 4 NEW PARTNERS Stikeman Elliott LLP has start- ed the year with the appointment of four new partners. The changes include three new partners at the firm's Toronto of- fice: Maria Konyukhova, Jonah Mann, and Tim McCormick. Konyukhova is a member of the firm's litigation group who practises insolvency law. Mann, a member of the corporate group in Toronto, focuses on mergers and acquisitions, cor- porate finance and governance, and securities law compliance. McCormick is also a member of the corporate group who prac- tises business law with an em- phasis on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. Besides the Toronto appoint- ments, the firm also named a new partner in Calgary: tax law- yer Julie D'Avignon. LT "Our artificial intelligence robot is very good at data collation and document linking but still has a few issues around inappropriate workplace behaviour." Brampton courthouse

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