SIX ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED
The federal government announced six new judicial appointments last week, including two to the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Joining the appeal court is Superior Court Justice Katherine van Rensburg, who replaces justice Edward Ducharme, and her colleague Justice William Hourigan, who takes the place of Justice Alexandra Hoy. Ducharme died earlier this year and Hoy became associate chief justice of the appeal court in June.
The government also shuffled the deck and made new appointments at the Superior Court. Joining the bench is Peter Douglas, a lawyer in Barrie, Ont., who replaces Justice Margaret Eberhard, and Marc Garson, a Crown attorney in London, Ont., who replaces Justice John Desotti. Both Eberhard and Desotti elected to become supernumerary judges earlier this year, the government noted.
Other changes at the Superior Court include Justice Michelle Fuerst’s appointment as regional senior judge of the central east region. She replaces Justice M.F. Brown, who resigned as regional senior judge in April.
IP BOUTIQUE JOINS OSLERS
Ottawa intellectual property boutique law firm McFadden Fincham has joined Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP.
Lawyers at McFadden Fincham provide services exclusively in intellectual property. Oslers says the firm’s addition will boost its range of intellectual property services.
“Both of our IP practices are built on a solid commitment to client service. We are very pleased to welcome our new colleagues and are confident that their clients will continue to receive the excellent service to which they are accustomed — with the benefit of access to the full range of Osler’s legal talent,” said Brad White, chairman of Oslers’ national intellectual property department.
“Our solid record of growth and leadership in the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, together with strategic advice on portfolio management for clients in Canada and around the world, is enhanced by the addition of McFadden Fincham’s practice,” Osler said in a press release.
HANSELL LLP LAUNCHED
A former Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP senior partner has launched her own boutique law firm.
Carol Hansell, who deals with capital markets, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions, announced the opening of Hansell LLP in Toronto last week.
The boutique governance counsel law firm says it will provide expert advice to businesses, boards of directors, and shareholders.
“Boards, shareholders, and management teams operate within a complex environment of evolving governance practices and regulation,” said Hansell.
“Hansell LLP will respond to their need for sophisticated and focused advice.”
Lawyers Michael Brown and Frédéric Duguay will be joining Hansell LLP in the coming weeks, the firm announced.
“Mr. Brown and Mr. Duguay bring to the firm important expertise in M&A, capital markets, and securities law as well as deep regulatory experience.”
Brown is formerly of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. For more than 10 years, he also practised at the Ontario Securities Commission, where Duguay also worked as a senior legal counsel in the corporate finance group.
NEW LAWYERS AT DENTONS
Dentons Canada LLP has two new lawyers at its Ottawa office.
Peter Burn is now counsel in the public policy and regulatory affairs group and Marc Doucet is a partner in the firm’s construction group.
“Two highly respected lawyers with top tier skills are joining our team in Ottawa,” said Tom Houston, managing partner of Dentons’ Ottawa office.
“Peter’s government and international experience and Marc’s broad construction law expertise are strong assets for Dentons’ clients, and for our firm’s global platform.”
Burn has worked in areas involving technology and regulation, clean energy development, and climate change strategies, Dentons said in a press release. The firm noted he also represented Canada’s minister of finance during the development and negotiation of the Canada-U.S. free-trade agreement.
Doucet has been practicing construction law since 1987, according to Dentons.
POLL RESULTS
The results for the latest Law Times online polls are in.
The majority of respondents aren’t happy with Queen’s University’s plan to expand enrolment at its law school in Kingston, Ont. About 80 per cent of respondents said the law school shouldn’t be increasing enrolment.
Queen’s is entertaining the idea of increasing the number of applicants it accepts to its law school in order to increase its revenues. But critics have said it’s not the time to do so given the shortage of articling jobs.
