Law Times

Page 16 January 16, 2017 • Law Times www.lawtimesnews.com MILLER THOMSON TO OPEN NEW OFFICE IN VAUGHAN Miller Thomson LLP has an- nounced it plans to open a new office in the Greater Toronto Area. The Canadian business law firm's new office is expected to open in Vaughan, Ont. this spring and will initially accommodate 30 lawyers. The new office will allow the firm's lawyers who already have clients in the area to be more acces- sible to them, said Peter Auvinen, the firm's managing partner in To- ronto. "Being close to our clients and the communities which we serve is an important part of our overall firm strategy," said Auvinen. Auvinen added that Vaughan's business community was a good fit for the firm, as it requires sophisticated legal services. "We are committed to the Canadian market and we were drawn to Vaughan because of the strength of its business community," said Kent Davidson, the firm's chairman. "As champions of independent business across the country, we provide counsel that is central to our clients' business and financial success. By definition these are close relationships and proximity matters." Miller Thomson, which employs more than 525 lawyers, currently has offices in downtown Toronto, as well as across the country. FEDERAL COURT OF APPEAL SIDES WITH EMILIE TAMAN The Federal Court of Appeal has found the Public Service Commission was unreason- able in its decision to reject a request by Emilie Taman for a leave to run for public office. The former federal prosecutor was fired from her job after she took time off to run for the New Democratic Party in the rid- ing of Ottawa-Vanier in 2015. In the decision, Justice Denis Pelletier ruled that the commis- sion had not "justified its refusal to grant Ms Taman permission to seek elected office." Pelletier said that the com- mission failed to distinguish be- tween the actual impairment of Taman's ability to do her job af- ter being involved in a political campaign and the perception of that impairment. DICKINSON WRIGHT LLP ELECTS NEW PARTNERS Dickinson Wright LLP has elected two new partners to its Toronto Office. The business law firm named Ted Citrome and Ted Kalnins as new partners effective Jan. 1, 2017. Both Citrome and Kalnins were "Of Counsel" at the firm before becoming partners. Called to the bar in 2002, Citrome's practice is focused on Canadian tax law, with an em- phasis on the taxation of acqui- sitions and divestures. Kalnins, who was called to the bar in 2005, practices com- mercial litigation, as well as em- ployment law. YES, I AGREE 75 % 25 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE LAW TIMES POLL A recent Law Times column states that some taxpayers are afraid of being shamed for tax planning, so they are, therefore, paying additional taxes volun- tarily. Readers were asked if law- yers should be advocating more for their clients' right to tax plan. Roughly 75 per cent of re- spondents said yes, under the law, taxpayers have a right to organize their affairs to reduce taxation. The remaining 25 per cent said no, while there is no basis in Canadian law for vol- untary payments of additional taxes, this is not a good use of lawyers' time. LT u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story "I'm beginning to suspect that some employees' Twitter posts might be having an impact on our workplace environment." CHAMBER OF RATS CONGRESS CITY OF MEXICO — Pranksters changed the name of Mexico's lower house of Congress to the "Chamber of Rats" on Google Maps Jan. 10, using the Spanish word "rata," which is also slang for "thief " in Mexico. It's the latest dig at the political class during a testing start to the year for the country's government, reports Reuters. "Our teams are working fast to resolve this incident," Google Mexico said in a statement, explaining that place names on the online map- ping service came from third parties, public sources and contributions from users, accord- ing to Reuters. It was the second such attack in the space of a few days. Mexican media reported last week that the presidential residence appeared as the "Official Residence of Corruption" on Google Maps be- fore Google Mexico removed it from the map and apologized for "inappropriate content" cre- ated by a user, Reuters reports. Mexico's government has faced protests, roadblocks and looting of shops since the start of 2017, when the cost of fuel jumped sharply on the back of a finance ministry decision to liberalize the market and end state-set gasoline prices, says Reuters. MONKEY THIEVES CHARGED NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia — A man has been fined $2,500 after he was found with a rare miniature monkey, which was stolen from a wildlife park last year, reports the Daily Mail. Jackson George, 23, and his brother Jessie George, 26, from New South Wales, both plead- ed guilty to being in possession of property of crime after a four-week-old pygmy marmoset was found in a car they were travelling in last November, according to the Daily Mail. The younger George brother was accused of planning to sell one of three monkeys stolen from the park. Accused of obtaining the mon- key from whoever stole it, he was given a two- year good-behaviour bond in addition to his fine Jan. 10 in Campbelltown Court. His broth- er was given the same bond and fined $1,500 last year, reports the Daily Mail. Documents previously tendered to the court show Jackson George sent texts to a third man about the monkey, who told him he'd "paid nothing" for the animal and "got it from the zoo last night," according to the Daily Mail. "Ay, check out my monkey," the third man said in a text message with a picture of the animal. "That's mad bro. Wanna sell it bruh,"' George responded. Later on in the conversation, when Ryan Trevascus asked how much they could sell the pygmy marmoset for, Jackson suggested "500" (presumably $500), reports the Daily Mail. "But haven't been offered any in ages bro," he texted. All three monkeys, which were taken from the Symbio Wildlife Park at Helensburgh, were found alive, according to the Daily Mail. MAN CALLS COPS FROM CAR ROOF OYONNAX, France — A man clung on to the roof of his father's stolen car and called police on his cellphone during a 130-kilometres- an-hour highway chase before the thief was arrested, reports Reuters. Osama Aoukili, who was largely unhurt after the late-night chase near France's border with Switzerland last week, told French media his reaction was spontaneous, says Reuters. "I told myself this was my father's car and that it meant a lot to him," Aoukili told BFM TV. Police commander Christophe Lesznewski said the chase through Oyonnax town and then on the motorway lasted several minutes before the car, an old Renault Clio, left the main road and slowed down, at which point Aoukili let go, according to Reuters. The thief tried to escape on foot, but police caught and arrested him. LT Peter Auvinen says Miller Thomson LLP's plans to open a new office in Vaughan this spring will be a good fit for the firm. © 2015 Stewart. All rights reserved. We put legal professionals front and centre and we put our efforts into keeping real estate transactions where they belong – in your office. Learn more about our level of support, call (888) 667-5151 or visit stewart.ca. 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