Monday, August 22, 2016

LAWYERS TEAM UP TO LAUNCH ROSEN SACK LLP
Toronto lawyers Avra Rosen and Susan Sack have joined forces to start a new firm called Rosen Sack LLP.

The two lawyers have been friends since they were put in the same section at Osgoode Hall Law School in the 1980s.

“We are two very strong women, advocates, trial lawyers — very similar in the way we approach things and how we have compassion for our clients and strive for excellence,” Rosen says.

Called to the bar in 1987, Rosen practised family law while Sack initially pursued commercial litigation.

Rosen has had her own family law firm, Law Offices of Avra Rosen, for the last 19 years. She says one of her only sticking points of creating the new firm was that everything in her office remains purple — which has become what she calls her “colour trademark.”

Sack, who recently left Basman Smith LLP, focuses the majority of her practice representing family lawyers in LawPRO proceedings, but she also does some family law and commercial litigation.

The firm, which launched Aug. 15 with six lawyers, is set to move into a new space at the corner of St. Clair Avenue and Yonge Street in Toronto. The two lawyers say their skillsets complement each other well because the new firm will offer a complete package for family law clients who may need the help of a lawyer with estate litigation experience.

SOUTH ASIAN BAR ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NEW DIRECTORS
Five new directors have been elected to the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto’s board of directors.

SABA Toronto elected Aarondeep Bains of Aird & Berlis LLP, Neil Gurmukh of Miller Thomson LLP, Devin Persaud of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, as well as lawyers Aman Patel and Vibhu Sharma.

The directors will join the board after being elected at the association’s 10th annual general meeting in August.

TLA CALLS FOR HONSBERGER AWARD NOMINEES
The Toronto Lawyers Association is calling for nominations for the 2017 Honsberger Award.
The annual award recognizes a TLA member’s accomplishment or ongoing contribution, which exemplifies knowledge, advocacy and community — the association’s three pillars.

The award is named after John Honsberger, a TLA president from 1967 to 1968 and association historian who was the first recipient of the Law Society Medal and the TLA Award of Distinction.

For a nomination form or for more information, contact [email protected]. The deadline for nominations is Sept. 30 and the award will be presented at the TLA Awards of Distinction Reception on March 2, 2017.

LAW TIMES POLL
Law Times reported recently that Legal Aid Ontario is reconsidering its practices around transparency in light of the province’s recent Open Data Directive.

Readers were asked if they thought Legal Aid billings should be kept secret.

Around 45 per cent said yes, releasing the data would violate the privacy of lawyers and the information would lack context.

The remaining 55 per cent said no, transparency and accountability would be enhanced if it was released, showing how public funding is used.