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 PreventionThis article appeared in the September 2013 issue of TitleNews. An escrow company holds real estate closing funds in trust in the same way a law firm in Ontario would. Cyber Criminals Steal More Than $1.5 million from California Escrow Company. California-based Efficient Services Escrow Group was shut down by the state after cyber criminals… Read More »
Categories: Fraud PreventionObtaining title insurance in connection with the purchase of property has become the norm to the point that title insurance is on most real estate lawyers’ standard checklist of items to use when acting on a real estate transaction. It is important to keep in mind that, while title insurance shields buyers from many of… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateOver the past two decades, as the popularity of condominiums has increased, the legal concept of the condominium has changed and expanded dramatically in various parts of Canada. The definition of “condominium” is no longer limited to the commonly held perception of a stand-alone residential apartment building. In Ontario, for example, the Condominium Act, 1998… Read More »
Categories: Real EstateThe practice of lawyers investing in clients’ businesses is current and growing. Historically, this type of business transaction found some application in the real estate and mining industries. Inevitably, tha practice resulted from time to time in claims against lawyers. Today, we see the practice being undertaken in the high tech sector whose fast pace… Read More »
Categories: Conflicts of Interest, Law Practice ManagementClients don’t always appreciate how lawyers can help on other legal issues they may encounter as they go through life. Just as booking an appointment with a doctor or financial advisor offers an opportunity to identify issues and gauge your health (physical and financial), checking in with their lawyer can ensure your client’s legal health is… Read More »
Categories: Law Practice ManagementPunctuality is a virtue much pooh-poohed by a certain kind of lawyer – the kind who views her time as so exquisitely valuable that she must operate in a perpetual state of adrenaline-fueled urgency. Meeting starts at 9:00? If it’s only 8:56, there’s ample time to make an important phone call to get instructions from… Read More »
Categories: Law Practice ManagementDebate about lawyers’ incivility – whether it’s on the increase, whether it’s worthy of concern, how it should be handled – caught the attention of many of us in 2012. The subject continues to be discussed, and we can expect to hear more about it in the coming months and years. But high-profile cases aside,… Read More »
Categories: Risk Management StrategiesStrategically sourcing legal services may not be a new phenomenon, but the current economic downturn, coupled with the growing realization that the legal profession needs to rethink its business model to survive in the long term have put one such option – outsourcing – in the spotlight, say two outsourcing providers. Both Gavin Birer, president… Read More »
Categories: Legal Technology, Law Practice ManagementLand 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.
