Beware the Continuous Operation Leasing Clause

April 02, 2017
Leasing requires more than just a good eye for location. Your professional duties require you to provide competent services. This means you must understand the legal implications of standard terms and how these terms can make or break your client’s business.

Avoiding lawsuits in lease deals

May 17, 2016
Lawyers are great assets for any real estate agent or realty team. They’ll help you craft a legally acceptable arrangement, but they have their limits.

The dangers of the insurance clause

May 13, 2016
The most hated of lease clauses – the insurance clause – is not only frequently ignored, but is also poorly understood by almost everyone in the real estate industry. And that includes real estate lawyers. Yet, it can be the most dangerous.

Think like a lawyer, act like a leasing guru

May 13, 2016
You’re a professional. You’ve been trained to understand what your client needs. And you know how to find the best real estate. You and your client are excited, you sign the offers and then close the deal.

I’ll Be There For You - Warranty Provisions for Defects

April 22, 2016
Most loyal Central Perk-loving ‘Friends’ addicts know the small details of each of their favorite Friends characters. It took, however, over 10 years and Google to finally solve the mystery that Chandler Bing is an IT Procurement Manager - the guy in your company who plays a fundamental role in the negotiations of your technology services agreements.

A-C-C-E-P-T: Find out What It Means to the Customer in Your Services Agreement

April 22, 2016
You are an entrepreneur with a brilliant idea for the next technological ‘sensation’. Understandably you're concerned about protecting your IP, you will likely focus on those parts of the MSA. This is good and important, but the chances are that while protecting your IP, you could be overlooking an equally essential clause.

Envy Isn't Illegal: How You Should Use It

March 23, 2016
Greed isn’t good. Because greed is never satisfied. Greed creates an endless void that motivates poor decisions, causes the destruction of critical partnerships and inflames one’s sense of inadequacy. But, Envy. That’s different. Envy is good. And now there’s science to prove it.

Designer Labels and Legal Fashion: Don’t Be Fooled by Appearances

March 14, 2016
We see what we expect to see, and the fashion industry has been making $ billions exploiting this principle. In the world of fashion, the label changes everything. In the world of legal (drafting) fashion however, lawyers, being human, will of course look at the headings, and must resist being influenced by them.

CASL Part II: B2B Messages and the Concept of Consent

December 11, 2015
Are you trying to use the web to reach out to as many people as you can to build your business? - Not so fast! Canada’s new anti-spam legislation (“CASL”), which came into force July 1, 2014, creates restraints on your ability to do this if you are sending commercial electronic messages (“CEM”).

Property Powers of Attorney - Why You Need One

December 03, 2015
The other day I was at the library with my 10-year old son. I bumped into a bookshelf next to the children’s section and a book fell to the floor. I picked it up and was surprised to note that the book was an introduction to the topic of powers of attorney, written for the general public. As I glanced through it a title caught my eye: 'If powers of attorney are important, why do so few people have them?' Why indeed?

Defending Your Business Name

February 24, 2014
Once your company has started to gain some 'traction' (subscribers, customers) you will turn a corner where it has its own brand and identity. At that point in time you will likely want to protect that identity with a trade-mark.