Separate Agreements, Separate Forums: When Equity Disputes Escape the Employment Arbitration Clause

How employment and equity arrangements are structured and interpreted remains a focus for Ontario courts. Hicks Morley’s Avleen Banwait examines a key distinction for employers to consider when drafting relevant provisions: equity-based claims may fall outside the scope of an employment arbitration clause where separate agreements and forums are at play.

Past Conduct, Present Cause: Ontario Court Upholds After-Acquired Cause in Birnbaum v. Dr. Chan

What happens when an employer discovers serious misconduct only after terminating an employee without cause? In Birnbaum v. Dr. Chan, the Ontario Superior Court confirmed that employees are not insulated from the consequences of serious misconduct committed before termination simply because it was discovered afterwards.

Ontario’s Municipal Accountability Act, 2025 Receives Royal Assent

Recent legislative developments have introduced key changes to municipal accountability in Ontario. Stephanie Jeronimo outlines what Ontario’s Municipal Accountability Act, 2025 means for municipalities, including new conduct standards, oversight and enforcement measures.

Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses

On April 15, 2026, the Government of Canada announced that it had tabled draft regulations under the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act (Act). Although the draft regulations have not yet been publicly released, the Government published a Description of the Proposed Regulations, which forms the basis of this summary.

A Deal Is a Deal: Lessons From Stribling v Starbucks Coffee Canada Inc.

In Stribling v Starbucks Coffee Canada Inc., the Ontario Superior Court addressed a scenario in which an employer made a separation offer that was accepted in writing by the employee. However, the employee did not sign the release that was delivered to him by the employer and then sued for wrongful dismissal. The court treated…