BLG TOPS PROSTATE CANCER FUNDRAISERBorden Ladner Gervais LLP has topped the list of workplace fundraisers for Prostate Cancer Canada’s Wear Plaid for Dad campaign.
The firm raised almost $30,000 through contributions from its offices across Canada. The amount topped the $20,747 raised by second-place McCarthy Tétrault LLP.
“The committed and strongly ingrained sense of social responsibility demonstrated by the BLG team in support of the Wear Plaid for Dad campaign is that which has made BLG one of the leading pro bono firms in Canada,” said BLG partner and campaign chairman Alec Zimmerman.
Proceeds from the campaign will go toward research, advocacy, education, support, and awareness around prostate cancer.
POLL RESULTSThe results of the latest
Law Times online poll are in.
The Trinity Western University issue never fails to generate significant interest and this poll was no exception.
With 667 participants, 84 per cent of them felt the Divisional Court had gotten it wrong in upholding the Law Society of Upper Canada’s decision not to accredit the university’s law school. The poll followed the court’s ruling earlier this month that dismissed the university’s application for judicial review of Convocation’s decision on the issue.
LAWYER ALLOWED TO SURRENDER LICENCEThe Law Society Tribunal has given a lawyer permission to surrender his licence after making several misconduct findings against him in relation to mortgage transactions.
The penalty followed Robert Gordon Durno’s admission to knowingly participating or assisting in mortgage fraud in relation to eight transactions between 2002 and 2004; acting for multiple parties with conflicting interests without adequate disclosure; and failing to be honest and candid in advising his lender clients.
A lawyer called to the bar in 1972, Durno was closing about 1,000 real estate transactions a year at the time of the eight transactions, according to hearing panel chairwoman Laura Donaldson’s July 3 reasons in the case. The ruling noted none of the lenders suffered losses as a result of the transactions.
While the Law Society of Upper Canada sought to disbar Durno, he suggested he should be able to surrender his licence. Among the mitigating factors the panel considered were his 40 years of practice with no prior discipline history, his expression of remorse, and the lengthy history of the proceeding.
“We are satisfied that the public interest will be protected, and its confidence in the legal profession will be preserved, if Mr. Durno is given permission to surrender rather than having his licence revoked,” wrote Donaldson.
