money laundering Archives

A medieval figure striking a large bell, representing an employee raising the alarm about wrongdoing and the statutory protection from reprisals against whistleblowers under Ontario's Securities Act

Whistleblower Reprisals Under Ontario’s Securities Act: The McPherson Decision and Its Implications for Registrants

April 16, 2026 No Comments

The Ontario Superior Court’s recent decision in McPherson v. Global Growth Assets Inc. is the first substantive interpretation of Ontario’s statutory protection from reprisals against securities whistleblowers. This article explains the framework, the decision, and its implications for registrants, their boards, and officers with statutory compliance responsibilities.

A commercial building representing the allocation of repair and maintenance obligations between landlords and tenants under Ontario commercial leases

Who Pays for the Broken HVAC? Repair Obligations in Ontario Commercial Leases

April 16, 2026 No Comments

Who pays when the HVAC fails, the roof leaks, or a new building code requires expensive upgrades? The answer depends on the lease, the nature of the damage, and sometimes on principles of equity that courts apply to temper harsh results. This guide explains how Ontario courts allocate commercial lease repair obligations.

A chessboard representing the strategic complexity and litigation risks involved in mergers and acquisitions in Canada

When M&A Deals Go Wrong: How Litigation Arises from Mergers and Acquisitions in Canada

April 15, 2026 No Comments

Mergers and acquisitions are among the most complex transactions in commercial law. When something goes wrong, the litigation that follows is every bit as complex as the deal itself. This guide explains the most common ways disputes arise from private M&A transactions in Canada.

A jar of coins tipping over representing the varying GST/HST rates charged on Ontario legal services depending on the client's location and the type of legal work

GST/HST on Ontario Legal Services: What Out-of-Province and Foreign Clients Need to Know

April 15, 2026 No Comments

If you retain an Ontario law firm, you might assume the invoice will always include 13% HST. That assumption is wrong more often than most clients and lawyers realize. The tax rate depends on where you are, what the legal work involves, and whether you are a Canadian or foreign client.

A unique umbrella standing out among others representing the distinctive jurisdictional questions that arise in cross-border litigation in Ontario

Suing or Being Sued Across Borders: How Ontario Courts Handle Cross-Border Disputes

April 15, 2026 No Comments

Lawsuits do not always involve parties who live in the same province. When a dispute crosses provincial or international borders, the first question is whether the Ontario court has the power to hear the case at all. This guide explains how that question is answered.

Man doing a facepalm next to a question mark representing the legal consequences of mistakes in contracting under Canadian law

What Happens When a Contract Is Based on a Mistake?

April 14, 2026 No Comments

Contracts are built on the assumption that both parties know what they are agreeing to. But when one or both parties are wrong about a material fact, the terms of the agreement, or even who they are contracting with, the law of mistake may allow the contract to be voided, set aside, or corrected.

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What Is a SLAPP Lawsuit? How Ontario’s Anti-SLAPP Law Protects the Right to Speak Out

April 13, 2026 No Comments

Imagine being sued not because you did something wrong, but because you spoke up. SLAPPs, Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, are civil proceedings launched by powerful plaintiffs to silence critics through the cost and stress of litigation, not to recover genuine damages. Ontario’s Protection of Public Participation Act gives defendants a powerful tool to have these proceedings dismissed at an early stage. This guide explains what SLAPPs are, how the anti-SLAPP motion test works, what the Supreme Court of Canada has said, and what someone facing this kind of lawsuit can do about it.

A cartoon of people lined up to exit a building with a clock displayed in the background, illustrating the timing and permanence of a director's resignation

Can a Director’s Resignation Be Withdrawn? What Ontario and Canadian Corporate Law Actually Say

April 12, 2026 No Comments

A director resigns in anger at the end of a heated board meeting. Two days later, they want the resignation back. Can they simply withdraw it? The answer is no, not without the board’s consent. Once a director submits a valid written resignation, the corporation decides whether to accept the withdrawal, not the director. This post explains how resignation works under the CBCA and OBCA, what makes a resignation legally effective, and what Canadian courts have said about the limits of unilateral withdrawal.

A corporate structure flowchart drawn on a chalkboard illustrating the parent corporation and subsidiary relationship

Subsidiary Corporations in Canada: What They Are, Why Businesses Use Them, and What the Law Requires

April 11, 2026 No Comments

The modern business enterprise rarely operates through a single corporation. Most businesses of any scale structure their operations across multiple related legal entities. This guide explains how subsidiary corporations work under the Canada Business Corporations Act and the Ontario Business Corporations Act, why businesses use them, and what legal consequences flow from the parent-subsidiary relationship, including the limits of separate legal personality and when courts will disregard it.

Puzzle pieces fitting together to form a tree in a beautiful field, representing how a shareholders agreement brings together the components of corporate governance

Shareholders’ Agreements in Ontario: What They Are, Why You Need One, and What They Must Contain

April 11, 2026 No Comments

The absence of a shareholders’ agreement does not mean the absence of rules. It means the default statutory rules apply, and those rules were not written with your specific business in mind. For closely held corporations, the mismatch between the statutory defaults and the parties’ actual intentions is often severe. This guide explains what shareholders’ agreements are, how they interact with the corporate constitution, what every well-drafted agreement should contain, and the legal consequences of getting them wrong.

Canadian flag representing government procurement and public contracting rules in Canada

Bidding on Government Contracts in Canada: A Legal Guide for Businesses

April 8, 2026 No Comments

Government contracts represent some of the most significant commercial opportunities available to Canadian businesses, and some of the most legally demanding. From the Contract A doctrine to the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the rules governing how governments award contracts are extensive, binding, and legally consequential. This guide explains how government procurement works, what your legal obligations are when you submit a bid, and what remedies are available if a government buying institution does not follow the rules.

Cargo ship carrying shipping containers at sea representing international multi-jurisdictional procurement and commercial trade

Vendor and Supplier Contracts Across Borders: A Business Guide for Multi-Jurisdictional Operations

April 7, 2026 No Comments

Every business buys products and services. For businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions, every vendor or supplier contract is also a legal risk. A limitation of liability clause enforceable under Ontario law may be unenforceable in New York. An IP provision that works in England may assign ownership to the wrong party in Canada. This guide explains how these contracts work, what their most important provisions mean for your business, and where the legal rules shift depending on the governing jurisdiction.

Pre-construction condominium towers under development in downtown Toronto representing buyers facing financial difficulty at closing

Can You Get Out of a Pre-Construction Condo Agreement in Ontario? A Legal Guide for Buyers

April 6, 2026 No Comments

Toronto condo prices have dropped sharply, leaving pre-construction buyers facing financing gaps of $100,000 or more. Many signed agreements years ago and cannot close at the original price. This guide explains every legitimate legal exit available to Ontario pre-construction condo buyers, from the right to rescind where disclosure was never properly delivered, to the 10-day cooling-off period, material change rescission, Tarion delayed closing termination, early termination conditions, financing conditions, equitable rescission for misrepresentation, and assignment.

Egyptian hieroglyphics featuring Anubis representing the concept of judgment and justice in Ontario enforcement law

Enforcing Judgments in Ontario: A Complete Guide for Creditors

April 5, 2026 No Comments

Winning a lawsuit is one thing. Collecting on the judgment is another. Ontario provides a full arsenal of enforcement tools: writs of seizure and sale, garnishment, examination in aid of execution, receivers, fraudulent conveyances proceedings, civil contempt, and more. This guide explains every major enforcement mechanism available to judgment creditors in Ontario, how each one works, when to use it, and how to combine them for maximum recovery.

Boardroom overlooking an international cityscape representing commercial arbitration proceedings in Ontario

Arbitration Law in Ontario: A Complete Guide for Businesses

April 5, 2026 No Comments

Arbitration offers businesses a faster, more private, and more flexible alternative to court litigation — but it is governed by a detailed legal framework that every party to an arbitration clause should understand. This guide explains how arbitration works in Ontario: the legislative framework, the arbitration agreement, how proceedings are conducted, the role of the courts, and how awards are challenged and enforced — including the key principles of competence-competence, party autonomy, and separability that shape every arbitration from start to finish.

Restaurant interior representing franchised food service businesses subject to Ontario franchise law

Franchise Law in Ontario: A Complete Guide for Franchisors and Franchisees

April 5, 2026 No Comments

Franchising accounts for over $120 billion in annual Canadian sales. Ontario’s Arthur Wishart Act gives franchisees some of the strongest statutory protections in the country, including strict pre-sale disclosure requirements and powerful rescission rights. This article explains how franchising is regulated in Ontario and across Canada, what the key franchise agreement provisions mean in practice, how courts have treated the franchisor-franchisee relationship, and how Canadian law compares to the US regime.

wo friends representing the personal relationship dynamic behind spousal and personal guarantees in Canadian commercial law

When the Guarantor Gets the Call: Understanding Guarantee Law in Canada

April 4, 2026 No Comments

Guarantees are signed every day in commercial transactions — as a condition of a bank loan, a commercial lease, or a franchise agreement. They create serious personal liability, and they are often signed without full understanding of the risk. This article explains what guarantees are, what makes them enforceable, the defences available when a creditor calls on a guarantee, and the rights a guarantor has against both the creditor and the principal.

Clock representing time running out on limitation periods for civil lawsuits in Ontario

Limitation Periods in Ontario: How Long Do You Have to Sue?

April 3, 2026 No Comments

If someone has wronged you, there is a window of time within which you can sue — and once it closes, it closes for good. Ontario’s limitation periods framework sets a two-year basic deadline running from discovery, and a fifteen-year ultimate cap. But the rules are more nuanced than they look. This guide explains when the clock starts, when it can be paused, how specific claims like defamation, personal injury, and contract disputes are treated, and what happens across the country.

Person crossing fingers behind their back representing bad faith and the clean hands doctrine in shareholder oppression remedy proceedings

The Clean Hands Doctrine and the Oppression Remedy: What Shareholders Need to Know

April 3, 2026 No Comments

A minority shareholder who has themselves behaved badly may still succeed in an oppression claim — but the clean hands doctrine can limit or deny relief where the complainant’s own misconduct is directly connected to what they are asking the court to remedy. This article explains when the doctrine applies, when it does not, and what it means in practice for shareholder disputes.

Various currencies and banknotes representing money laundering and the proceeds of crime under Canadian anti-money laundering legislation

Canada’s Anti-Money Laundering Laws: Who Must Comply and What They Must Do

April 3, 2026 No Comments

Money laundering is one of the most serious financial crimes in Canada — and the obligation to detect and report it falls on a surprisingly wide range of businesses. Banks, real estate agents, lawyers, accountants, casinos, and dealers in precious metals all have detailed compliance obligations under the PCMLTFA. This guide explains the law, who it applies to, and what the consequences of non-compliance are.

real-estate-agent-duties-ontario-signing-contract

Legal Duties of Real Estate Agents in Ontario: What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know

March 31, 2026 No Comments

A real estate agent’s legal obligations go far beyond finding a buyer or showing properties. In Ontario, agents operate under TRESA, the Code of Ethics, fiduciary duties, and the general law of negligence and misrepresentation — all at once. This article explains what those obligations are, illustrated with real cases where agents were found liable for falling short of them.

Two people signing a contract representing the legal remedies available for breach of contract in Canadian law

Remedies for Breach of Contract in Canada: What You Can Claim

March 30, 2026 No Comments

The most important question in any contract dispute is not whether there was a breach — it is what remedy the injured party can actually obtain. This article covers the full range of remedies for breach of contract in Canada: compensatory damages, specific performance, injunctions, gains-based recovery, and punitive damages, along with the limiting rules that govern each.

Man speaking into a microphone representing slander as oral defamation under Canadian law

Libel vs. Slander: The Key Differences and When Proof of Damage Is Required

March 29, 2026 No Comments

Most defamation cases involve something written. But spoken words can be just as damaging to a reputation, and in the right circumstances they are fully actionable. This article explains slander, how it differs from libel, when proof of actual financial loss is required, and when the law dispenses with that requirement entirely.

Screen displaying social media platform icons representing online platform liability for defamatory reviews in Canadian law

Can You Sue Google for a Defamatory Review? What Canadian Law Says

March 26, 2026 No Comments

A false review on Google Maps can reach thousands of people and stay there indefinitely. The person behind it may be anonymous and untraceable. Can you sue Google instead? Recent Canadian decisions in Thorpe v. Boakye and Jeffery v. Almusslat suggest the answer is increasingly yes, where the platform had notice, had control, and chose not to act.

What Every Director Needs to Know: Board Governance and Legal Obligations in Canada

March 25, 2026 No Comments

The board of directors sits at the centre of Canadian corporate governance, bearing ultimate legal responsibility for how a corporation is managed. This article covers the statutory requirements for board composition, the meaning of director independence, what powers the board can and cannot delegate, and how unanimous shareholders’ agreements redistribute duties and liabilities between directors and shareholders.

Rows of bankers boxes on shelves representing third-party document disclosure in a Norwich Order application

Unmasking the Wrongdoer: Norwich Orders in Canadian Civil Litigation

March 24, 2026 No Comments

When you know a wrong has been committed but cannot identify who did it, ordinary civil procedure offers no path forward. The Norwich Order fills that gap. It compels a third party mixed up in wrongdoing to disclose information before proceedings start, allowing a victim to identify a wrongdoer, trace stolen assets, or confirm whether a cause of action exists. This article explains the test, the limits, and how the remedy works in practice.

Pinocchio's nose growing as a metaphor for fraud by silence and concealment in Canadian law

What You Don’t Say: Fraudulent Concealment and the Duty to Disclose in Canadian Law

March 23, 2026 No Comments

Silence is generally not fraud — but in a meaningful range of circumstances it is, and the consequences are identical to an outright lie. This article explains when Canadian courts will find that a party’s failure to speak is actionable fraud, what duty to disclose arises and from what relationships, how half-truths are treated, and how fraudulent concealment can suspend limitation periods that would otherwise bar a claim.

Irritated manager disputing phone with partner working in company office closeup

Appraisal Remedies and Share Valuation in Ontario

March 15, 2026 No Comments

Ontario’s corporate statutes give dissenting shareholders the right to exit at court-determined fair value — but the remedy is only as strong as the procedure you follow and the valuation methodology behind it. This guide covers all three types of appraisal remedy and explains how Chartered Business Valuators and courts actually determine what shares are worth.

Moore v. Sweet: When Someone Else Cashes Your Cheque

March 3, 2026 No Comments

Here is a scenario that sounds almost too harsh to be real. A woman agrees to pay her ex-husband’s life insurance premiums in exchange for

Breach of Fiduciary Duty: What It Means and How to Protect Your Interests

October 26, 2025 No Comments

Breach of Fiduciary Duty When people or organizations place their trust in someone to act on their behalf, the law imposes a special standard of

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