TikTok’s Privacy Blunders: A Wake-Up Call for Business Owners

New guidance from the offices of the Canadian Privacy Commissioner and the Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta Privacy Commissioners (collectively, the “Offices”) has been published through the recently released decision in PIPEDA Findings # 2025-003 (the “Finding”) with respect to the Offices’ expectations of organizations who are collecting, using, or disclosing personal data. While there …

Tax Planning Misstep? Ontario Court of Appeal Says No to Rectification

A recent decision from the Ontario Court of Appeal is a good reminder that courts won’t bail you out just because a tax plan didn’t go as expected. In Pyxis Real Estate Equities Inc. v. Canada, 2025 ONCA 65, the Court made it clear: if your documents match the plan – even if that plan …

The Partition Act: A Powerful Tool for Resolving Jointly Owned Property Disputes

In the recently released decision of Ross v. Luypaert, 2025 ONCA 236, the Ontario Court of Appeal reaffirmed that a co-owner of real estate can compel the sale of jointly owned property under the Partition Act. The only exception is where the opposing party can prove that such an application amounts to malicious, vexatious, or …

Canadian B Visitors to the U.S.: What Does Registration Mean for You?

On March 12, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published its proposed new registration Interim Final Regulation (IFR).[1]  It becomes effective on April 11, 2025. The IFR outlines the existing long-term regulations that provide that it is a legal requirement for all unregistered foreign nationals (or previously registered foreign nationals who turn 14 years …

Ontario Court of Appeal Clarifies Limitation Periods for Loans, Gifts, and Estate Claims

The question of when a lawsuit can be commenced in Ontario seems pretty straightforward – in general, a plaintiff has two years from the date when the basis for a claim is (or should have been) discovered. It sounds simple enough, and oftentimes, it is. However, a few recent decisions from the Ontario Court of …

Support for Temporary Employment Agencies: WSIA Changes Ahead

Temporary Employment Agencies (TEAs) should become familiar with a change to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997 (“WSIA”)[1], which creates a new classification, 001281, added to Class L. Traditionally, for premium setting with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) under the WSIA, TEAs report and pay premiums for labour provided based on their …

Court of Appeal Decides Fate of “Crypto King” $500,000 Deposit

In 2021, the self-proclaimed “Crypto King,” along with an associate, paid a $500,000 deposit to purchase a commercial real estate property to store their exotic car collection. The “Crypto King,” Aiden Pleterski, had received more than $40 million from investors who thought they were investing in cryptocurrency. The investors had never authorized Mr. Pleterski to …

When Property Managers Change Jobs: Who Keeps the Client?

In the property management industry, where everything is deeply competitive, a critical question is whether or not a property manager is entitled to switch from one property management company to another and, at the same time, continue servicing the same condominium building with the property manager’s new employer. For example, suppose John is a property …

Commercial Lease Modifications: Why Oral Agreements Don’t Hold Up in Court

Most people likely understand the risks of trying to rely on an oral agreement to vary the terms of a commercial lease. Nonetheless, parties often get into disputes over whether there was an oral agreement that varied the terms of a lease. A recent Ontario decision, Parkland Corporation v. Caledon Fuels Inc.[1], confirms the risk …