There are multiple scenarios whereby fraudsters will attempt to have you wire funds to a different account than the one that you had intended to fund. Unfortunately, some of those attempts are successful. LAWPRO has received such claims and heard of many others. Here are some tips to assist you if such a fraud happens… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionWe were recently made aware of a September 2013 news release from the FBI, stating that a lawyer-targetting fraudster had pleaded guilty and received hefty fines and a prison sentence. Nice to see a victory in the struggle against online scams. The number of law enforcement agencies involved shows how international these scams are, and… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionIf you are lucky enough to have a busy practice, you may welcome the brief respite you get when a legal matter goes temporarily dormant. There are three rules for taking advantage of these lulls, however: first, any such periods must in fact be brief and temporary; second, you must understand the reason for the… Read More »
Categories: Civil LitigationBecause a cybercrime attack can cause irreparable harm, law firms should be prepared to take action immediately. Being able to do this requires an Incident Response Plan (IRP). An effective IRP can put a firm in a position to effectively and efficiently manage a breach by protecting sensitive data, systems, and networks, and to quickly… Read More »
Categories: Legal TechnologyThe funny thing about legalese – unnecessarily complex or archaic legal language – is that the closer you get to it, the less visible it is. Most lawyers find that they occasionally use words that can confuse or alienate non-lawyers. The arguments for replacing archaic legal terms with plain language are familiar to most of… Read More »
Categories: Communication ErrorsThis article by Kathleen Waters, president and CEO of LAWPRO, originally appeared in the August 23, 2013 issue of The Lawyers Weekly published by LexisNexis Canada Inc. Fraud attempts come in many different forms. Some schemes (often the more transparent ones) rely on a “volume” approach: target as many lawyers as possible in the hope… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionAn Ontario lawyer has reported to us that fraudsters have impersonated his firm in order to make threatening collection phone calls to members of the public on behalf of a loan company. The name of the fake firm closely resembles the real firm name, and the callers make reference to the town the real firm… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionLawyer/client communication-related errors are the biggest cause of malpractice claims. By cost and count, more than one-third of LAWPRO claims involved this type of error. Most claims arise out of fundamental failures in the lawyer/client relationship – failures such as inadequate client-case screening, poor communication and insufficient systems, trails and record-keeping. The Managing the Lawyer/Client… Read More »
Categories: Biggest Claims RisksOn November 18, 2013, the Toronto Motions Scheduling Unit circulated an email with details of a new scheduling policy. The contents of that message are as follows: Please make note of the following important new information for the Motions & Scheduling Unit: As of November 18, 2013, any date requisitioned for a motion will be… Read More »
Categories: Civil LitigationLand Acknowledgement
The offices of LAWPRO are located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnabeg, Chippewa, Haudenosaunee and Wendat peoples. Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. LAWPRO respects and acknowledges the histories, languages, knowledge systems, and cultures of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit nations.
