Monday, August 8, 2016

INVESTORS CLINIC LAUNCHED
An Osgoode Hall law professor is set to launch a free investors clinic, thanks to a grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario.

Poonam Puri is starting the Investor Protection Clinic and Living Lab, which will help individual investors who suffer loss because of wrongdoing.

The clinic is a joint project with FAIR Canada.

“Canadian investors who believe they have been wronged or suffered a loss deserve a single point of contact to help them with their investment complaint,” says Puri.

“Our clinic, the first of its kind in Canada, will fill this gap. I’m really excited to be able to offer this unique hands-on learning opportunity to Osgoode Hall law students.”  

Law students will staff the clinic, heralded as the first of its kind in the country.

The clinic will collect information and data on complaints, and will develop a plain-language grievance guide for investors who have fallen prey to fraud.

The Law Foundation provided Puri with a $98,959 grant to launch the clinic through its Access to Justice Fund.

The foundation announced a total of $700,000 for eight different initiatives that all look to help vulnerable investors.

Other winners who received grant money from the Law Foundation included the Canadian Centre for Elder Law, a division of the British Columbia Law Institute, the Canadian Foundation for Advancement of Investor Rights and the Fondation du Barreau du Québec.

OBA WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD
The Association for Continuing Legal Education has given an award to the Ontario Bar Association for its use of technology in its continuing professional development.

The OBA received the honour for its OBA Institute 2016, which brought together 2,000 lawyers from across the province in February.

The OBA said technology played a big role in the gathering, connecting venues in Ottawa and Toronto through a number of methods, including two-way hubs, which allowed lawyers to participate in events in the other city.

DALTON JOINS DLA PIPER (CANADA) LLP
DLA Piper (Canada) LLP welcomed corporate lawyer Lauren Dalton as the newest addition to its Toronto office. Dalton will join the firm as an associate. Called to the bar in both Ontario and New York State, Dalton has experience in cross-border issues.

LAW TIMES POLL
Law Times reported recently that Paul Schabas, the new treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada, will be taking a “hard look” at the Law Practice Program, after concerns were raised that the program creates two tiers in the licensing system. Readers were asked if the review is needed.

Almost 87 per cent of respondents said yes, a review of the LPP is needed and there are outstanding concerns that require scrutiny.

Roughly 13 per cent of respondents said no, a review is unnecessary and the program has been introduced already. Any review would simply be window dressing.