About Safiyya Vankalwala
Safiyya is PracticePRO Manager & Counsel at LAWPRO, overseeing the creation and delivery of practical risk-management resources and educational initiatives for Ontario lawyers. She monitors legal developments and claims trends, and collaborates with partners across the profession to promote best practices and reduce risk and claims. Her background includes 15 years in private practice, followed by work at a fintech company focused on strategic planning and legal technology development.
When not working, Safiyya can be found soccer mom-ing around the city, deep in a debate with family or friends, or unraveling a mystery -- sometimes in books, sometimes on TV, and occasionally in real life.
Safiyya Vankalwala's Posts
New Fraud Scheme: Insurance Settlement Funds
A new fraud scheme involving insurance settlement funds has a familiar end: the cheque is no good. The scheme commences when fraudster approaches a lawyer, usually with no previous relationship, asking the lawyer to review settlement documents, provide ILA, and receive the settlement funds into the lawyer’s trust account. To make the fraud attempt more… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionNew Cybersecurity Threat from AI Searches: The Rise of Phantom Squatting
AI doesn’t just hallucinate case law, it hallucinates website domains too. In a new and growing form of digital attack, hackers use AI agents to query search engines to get the most common hallucinated sites. A bad actor then registers the hallucinated domain and creates a convincing website at that address. The next time that… Read More »
Categories: Fraud Prevention, TechnologyThe Lawyer Down the Hall
I interviewed Sina Hariri, Counsel and Manager, Practice Management (Supports), Practice Supports and Resources at the Law Society of Ontario in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Coach and Advisor Network. The following article is a summary of our discussion. Twenty years ago, if I was stuck on a file, I would likely walk… Read More »
Categories: MentoringImpact of Statutory Accident Benefits Changes on Lawyers
As of July 1, 2026, Ontario’s accident benefits coverage is changing significantly, and some injured persons may have little or no accident benefits coverage even if they are not at fault. Certain accident benefits that were previously mandatory as part of the auto insurance policy will become optional in Ontario. Even if the auto policy… Read More »
Categories: Civil LitigationIgnoring the LRO: A Cautionary Tale for Real Estate Lawyers
In this real-world example, both the vendor’s and purchaser’s lawyers were advised by the Land Registry Office (LRO) that the legal description of the property did not meet registration requirements. The LRO warned that if the issue was not fixed, both the transfer and the mortgage would be withdrawn. Despite the clear warning, neither lawyer… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateSeparated but Not Divorced: Key Considerations for Wills
Amendments to the Succession Law Reform Act in 2021 (specifically to section 17 and 43.1) mean that, as of January 1, 2025, spouses who have been living separately and apart due to a breakdown in marriage for three years will be treated the same as divorced spouses. In practical terms: Gifts left to the separated… Read More »
Categories: Wills & EstatesDigital Platform Workers’ Rights Act will come into force July 1, 2025
The Digital Platform Workers’ Rights Act, 2022 will come into force on July 1, 2025, and will apply to digital platform workers and operators in Ontario, regardless of their employment status under the Employment Standards Act. The Act establishes a range of obligations for operators and guarantees new rights for workers who perform digital platform… Read More »
Categories: Announcements, Employment lawWhen ILA isn’t
This is a story of what seemed like a simple independent legal advice (ILA) matter that turned out to be more complicated than it looked. The claim story A lender sought ILA about a loan that he wanted to advance to a friend. The friend intended to use the money to purchase additional shares in… Read More »
Categories: Risk Management Strategies