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Page 16 May 15, 2017 • Law TiMes www.lawtimesnews.com GRANT WINS AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN FAMILY LAW Stephen Grant, a partner at Grant Crawford & Watson LLP, has been named the win- ner of the Ontario Bar Asso- ciation Award of Excellence in Family Law, in Memory of James McLeod. The award recognizes out- standing OBA members for their accomplishments in the develop- ment of family law, their leader- ship in the profession, their ability to take on and advance precedent- setting cases and their involve- ment in advancing the practice of alternative dispute resolution, said the OBA in a press release. "In light of the overall excellence of the family bar, it's very gratify- ing to be receiving this award," Grant told Law Times in an email. Grant is known as a self less and tireless teacher, mentor and au- thor, according to the OBA. "As someone who has both faced Stephen in court and fought side by side as partners, I can honestly say that I much prefer the latter," said Gerry Sadvari, counsel with Grant Crawford & Watson, in the press release. "As a leader of the family bar for decades, there is no better fam- ily law counsel active today and no one more deserving of this long overdue award." This award is in memory of James G. McLeod, an esteemed and much respected lawyer who has been referred to as "the most inf lu- ential figure in family law in the past 25 years" and who died at the young age of 57, said the OBA. The celebration honouring Grant will take place June 12 in Toronto. RICO RECEIVES SCHLIFER AWARD Loly Rico has been named the recipient of the Spirit of Barbra Schlifer Award. The award is given annually to a woman whose work demonstrates a commitment to changing the lives of women who experience violence for the better. As founder and co-director of FCJ Refugee Centre in Toronto, Rico is a recognized leader for the rights of refugee women facing violence, said the clinic in a press release. "It is very special because the Barbra Schlifer award has a lot of meaning, especially for women who have been in situations of violence," said Rico, in an email. NEW HIRES AT MILLER THOMSON Miller Thomson LLP wel- comes two new lawyers to its To- ronto office. Associate counsel Damien Buntsma was previ- ously with Lawrence Lawrence Stevenson LLP, while associate Stephanie De Caria comes via Fogler Rubinoff LLP. Buntsma's practice area is la- bour and employment, while De Caria's expertise is in insolvency and commercial litigation. 39 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE YES, I AGREE 61 % LAW TIMES POLL The federal government has tightened security at the fed- eral courts in order to improve safety, such as installing metal detectors. We asked readers if they thought this was a good invest- ment. Sixty-one per cent said yes, having people go through metal detectors and getting their be- longings screened will improve security. Thirty-nine per cent said no, lawyers should not be subjected to security screening as it will be an inconvenience. LT u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story Stephen Grant is the recipient of the OBA Award of Excellence in Family Law, in Memory of James McLeod. "Personally, I have no objection, but my client does have an irrational fear of metal detectors." 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 GORDY THE GOAT RESCUED FROM KID-NAPPERS ST. PAUL, MINN. — Call it a kid-napping. When St. Paul police recently searched a GMC Yukon Denali that had crashed following a chase, they found an unlikely victim in the cargo area, reports Reuters. Four people f led the sport-utility vehicle, but Gordy the goat was found lying down with an orange electrical cord around his neck. Police said Gordy had been abducted at In- dian Mounds Park from a herd of goats that had been rented by the St. Paul Parks and Rec- reation department. Their job was to eat invasive plants on a difficult-to-reach bluff along the Mississippi River. It was the St. Paul Police Department's first known case of goat-thieving, said spokesman Steve Linders. The motive is still a mystery. He said two 29-year-old men were arrested on potential charges of gross misdemeanour theft and f lee- ing police. Gordy was returned unharmed to the park. Some of his herd had escaped through a dam- aged fence and were rounded up, according to park officials. Since then, a police Facebook post about the incident has received an usual amount of at- tention with comments such as "stealing really gets my goat." STORE OWNER CALLS POLICE — ON HIMSELF SALEM, N.H. — The owner of a local conve- nience store is charged with vandalizing sev- eral cars parked in front of his business, reports the Eagle-Tribune. Yogesh Patel, owner of M&N Borderline in Salem, called police last week and reported multiple cars parked illegally in front of his store. Police arrived to find 10 cars in the park- ing lot that had one or more tires def lated. Officers determined that Patel and a store employee, Deepakkumar Patel, called police to report the illegally parked cars, then walked outside and drilled holes in more than 20 tires. Police said they recovered video surveil- lance footage from the store that shows the two men vandalizing the cars and the drill they al- legedly used. Both men were arrested and charged with falsifying physical evidence and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief in excess of US$1,500. They were released on US$5,000 cash bail and are scheduled to be arraigned in 10th Cir- cuit Court in Salem on June 28. PRO TIP: DON'T TWEET ILLEGAL ACTIVITY JOHANNESBURG — A South African woman seeking advice on Twitter about buying a driv- er's licence got more than she bargained for on Wednesday when her inquiry caught the eye of police minister and prolific tweeter Fikile Mbalula, reports Reuters. "It's a criminal offense to buy a Driver's Li- cence [like a] ngathi ligwinya," Mbalula tweet- ed back, using a local word for a doughnut. "It will get you, the traffic department and the driving school arrested." Mbalula, nicknamed "Razzmatazz" from his time as sports and recreation minister, has more than 750,000 Twitter followers and sees his personal feed as a useful tool in the fight against South Africa's high crime rates, said a report by Reuters. South Africa's traffic laws and regulations are tight by African standards, although re- ports of driving instructors asking for bribes or people driving without a valid licence are com- mon. LT

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