Industry: Professional & Technical Services

Parliament Prorogues until October 16th

· 1 min read

Upon the request of the Prime Minister, the Governor General officially prorogued Parliament today.  The next session of Parliament is scheduled to begin on October 16, 2013, with a Speech from the Throne.  As described in our previous post – Parliament to be Prorogued – all Government Bills have “died on the Order Paper,” and…

Government Announces Three-Year EI Premium Freeze

· 1 min read

On September 9, 2013, the federal Government announced that it would be cancelling its planned EI premium hike for 2014.  Instead, EI premiums will be frozen at the 2013 level of $1.88 per $100 of insurable earnings.  The Government also stated that the rate would not exceed $1.88 for 2015 or 2016. On the same date,…

Confidentiality Provisions: Important, Effective and Enforceable

· 3 min read

In most unionized workplaces, many grievances are settled before the parties present their evidence and before an arbitrator issues a public decision. In most instances, when a grievance is settled, the terms of that settlement are recorded in written form. The parties often agree that the settlement must be kept confidential and include a confidentiality…

Stephen Shamie Quoted in Canadian Lawyer 4Students on Specializing

Hicks Morley’s Stephen Shamie was quoted in the 2013 Fall digital edition of Canadian Lawyer 4Students in the article entitled, “To specialize or not to specialize?” The article discusses whether specializing early can help students land their desired job. Stephen states, “While it is great if they have an interest in labour or human resources…

Parliament to be Prorogued

· 1 min read

The Prime Minister has announced that he will ask the Governor General to prorogue Parliament until October 2013. Parliament was previously set to resume sitting on September 16, 2013. With prorogation, the unfinished business of Parliament will “die” on the Order Paper, including government bills which have not yet received Royal Assent. These bills can…

Sean Sells Quoted in Law Times

Hicks Morley’s Sean Sells was quoted in the August 19, 2013 edition of Law Times magazine in an article entitled, “Focus: Spike in pension-related human rights litigation.” The article discusses the influx of pension claims and cautions that a successful claim could have damaging consequences on a pension plan. Sean states, “Employers and pension plans…

OCA Upholds Termination Clause in Employment Contract

· 2 min read

In a recent decision, Dimson v. KTI Kanatek Technologies Inc., the Court of Appeal for Ontario found that the termination provision in an employment contract was enforceable and did not violate the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”). At issue were the following contract provisions: Section 18 (c) In addition, [the employer] may terminate this Agreement…

Alberta Court of Appeal Upholds Conviction in Calf-Roping Machine Case

· 4 min read

In its decision Alberta v. XI Technologies Inc., the Alberta Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of XI Technologies in relation to the death of an employee who was operating a faulty calf-roping machine at an employer hosted-event, concluding that the employer failed to do all that was reasonably practicable to avoid the foreseeable risks…

Hicks Morley’s Lawyers Globally Recognized as Top 500 Leaders

Hicks Morley is pleased to announce that Christopher Riggs, Stephen Shamie, John Brooks, and Craig Rix are globally recognized as Top 500 ICFM Leading Lawyers by InterContinental Finance 2013 Magazine. They were selected for their border-crossing roles as leaders in the legal field. InterContinental provides international reviews, focusing on distinct practitioners with significant cross-border standings. View…