Clark Wilson LLP

Today was paws-itively amazing as our long-time furry friends paid us a visit right here at the office for Employee Appreciation Week! Our incredible firm members embraced the opportunity to pet, cuddle, and unwind with these lovable companions. A gracious thank you to HeroDawgs for bringing in their wonderful therapy dogs and the work they do spreading joy. The day was filled with many smiles and wagging tails throughout the office. We hope everyone had a fantastic time! 🌟🐶 #EmployeeAppreciationWeek #TherapyDogs #ClarkWilson #LawFirm

🖐Attention all employment lawyers, #BCBusiness owners and #HR professionals, and employment lawyers — have you saved your in-person or virtual seat for the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC's annual Employment Law Conference next week? 🙋♀️ 🙋♂️ Clark Wilson LLP Employment & Labour partner Catherine Repel will be speaking on the hot-button topic of freedom of speech within and beyond the workplace. In this panel session, Catherine will cover: > The ability of employees to engage in acts of expression within or outside of the workplace (whether work-related or not) > The applicability of Charter rights > The Human Rights Code's protections of political beliefs and prohibitions on hate speech > An employee's right to expressive activity versus an employer's ability to regulate on- and off-duty conduct or terminate employment as a result of such activity > Decisions within and outside of BC will be explored to not only provide an overview of current jurisprudence but also where it may be headed in the coming months and years Joining Catherine for this informative and engaging discussion are associates Madeline Lusk and David Penner of Harris & Company LLP. Find the full 2-day Employment Law Conference program, plus information on how to secure your in-person or virtual seat here 👉 https://bit.ly/3xT5fev #BCPoli #BCLegal #BCLawyers #Employers #EmploymentLaw #LabourLaw #FreedomOfExpression

🌲 Our Forestry Law Chair, Jessica Anderson, was a contributing editor to the recent 2024 Re-Issue of the Forestry Chapter in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada. The Forestry chapter provides practitioners with guidance on determining the party or authority responsible for administering forest lands, complying with applicable federal, provincial, or territorial regimes, and managing and harvesting forest resources. The Forestry chapter is combined with the Expropriation 2024 Reissue and Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance 2024 Reissue chapters in one book published by LexisNexis Canada Inc. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4bbB1lf #forestrylaw 

Today, we had the sweetest treat for our incredible employees – our annual Earnest Ice Cream pop-up right here in our lounge! There’s nothing quite like indulging in a scoop (or two!) of delicious ice cream to lift spirits and spread smiles. Rain or shine, there is always time for ice cream and there is always time to appreciate all the hard work our amazing firm members do every day. Thank you to everyone who makes Clark Wilson a Great Place to Work. Here’s to many more moments of appreciation and delight together this week! 🌟🍨 #EmployeeAppreciationWeek #clarkwilson #lawfirm #earnesticecream

📅 It's almost time, #BCFamilyLawyers - join Clark Wilson LLP's Cori Molloy as she presents at the Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch's Family Law 2024 Conference in Vernon this week. 🤝 In this session, "Family Violence: Myths, Stereotypes, and Biases," Cori will discuss the relevance of family violence under the Family Law Act and Divorce Act. She will also discuss recent leading decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of BC to provide practice tips for navigating cases involving family violence. Alex J. Boland of Connect Family Law will join Cori for this presentation. Learn more about the conference and find the full 2-day program here: bit.ly/3JT8Z2B We hope to see you there! #FamilyLaw #FamilyLawyer #FamilyViolence #DomesticAbuse #FamilyLawAct #DivorceAct #BCLaw #BCLegal #BCLawyers

Today was Day 2 of Employee Appreciation Week at Clark Wilson and we started our day on a delicious note with a breakfast bar featuring an array of sandwiches, muffins, and pastries. It's fantastic to see everyone enjoying a hearty breakfast together!   What makes today even more special is knowing that our catering choice isn't just about delicious food; it's about making a difference in our community. The profits from today's breakfast go back to the Downtown Eastside, helping to empower and employ low-barrier income residents.   At Clark Wilson, we believe in the power of giving back, and today's breakfast is a wonderful reminder of the positive impact we can have beyond our workplace walls.   A special thank you to the Potluck Café Society for helping to make today extra tasty.   Here's to savoring good food, fostering community connections, and making a difference together! 🍔🍳🌟   #EmployeeAppreciationWeek #CommunityImpact #GiveBack #lawfirm #clarkwilson

✨ ICYMI: Clark Wilson LLP’s Estates & Trusts partner and co-chair of the Estates & Trusts Opinion and Appeals group Polly Storey (she/her)’s paper, “Beneficiary’s Access to Trust Documents” has just been published in Thomson Reuters Westlaw’s Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal. ✨ The question of a beneficiary’s access to trust documents has challenged courts and practitioners for decades. In Barbieri Estate v. White, 2023 BCSC 1176, a recent decision from The Supreme Court of British Columbia, Justice Blake had an opportunity to review, in unique circumstances, the different legal theories that have grounded a beneficiary’s access to trust documents. In this piece, Polly summarizes Barbieri v. White, a contentious case in which three siblings battled over their late mother’s estate. One of the children became the sole executor of the estate and started an action against his siblings about the disclosure of “privileged documents” which centred on his wishes to keep payments made to his lawyers confidential, despite being paid for by the proceeds of the mother’s estate. While lawyer-client privilege generally protects these documents, it is not consistent across all areas of law, including estate matters. Here, Polly dives into the three historical legal theories on the entitlement of beneficiaries to information and how they were applied in this landmark decision. Westlaw subscribers can read “Beneficiary’s Access to Trust Documents” in the Estates, Trusts & Pensions Journal here: https://bit.ly/49O2Tek #BCPoli #BCLegal #Trusts #TrustAdministration #EstateAdministration #Beneficiaries #EstatesAndTrusts #TrustsAndEstates

🎇 Pop quiz, #BCEmployers — can you terminate an employee while they are on leave? 🤔 This is a question many employers have been grappling with lately, and frustratingly, the answer is usually not straightforward. 🤷♂️ A recent case from the BC Human Rights Tribunal would seem to indicate that employers can terminate employees on sick leave without the risk of a successful discrimination complaint. Clark Wilson LLP's Employment & Labour lawyers Andrea Raso, Catherine Repel, and Debbie Preston summarize the case and offer an analysis of the Tribunal's decision here: https://bit.ly/4b8jLO0 The short answer to the quiz question is: it depends. Despite the outcome of this specific case, BC employers would be well advised to seek legal advice that considers the surrounding circumstances and risks before proceeding. For BC business owners and HR professionals looking for more information on terminations, please join us for our upcoming breakfast seminar, “Risky Business: A Crash Course for BC Employers on Terminations, Damages & Prohibited Actions” on Thursday, May 30th at The Vancouver Club. Find the full agenda and registration information here: https://bit.ly/43TnFb4 If you'd like timely and informative updates (just like this one) on BC's employment and labour laws delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our complimentary Workplace Post e-newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3yFDvrN

Today marks the beginning of Employee Appreciation Week at Clark Wilson!   This special week showcases and celebrates our incredible employees for everything they do and for making the firm a Great Place to Work! Gifts were handed out in the morning to many joyous faces to help recognize the hard work, dedication, and passion that each member of our firm brings to the table every single day. We have more events planned for the week and we can’t wait for everyone to experience them.   Here's to a week filled with appreciation, camaraderie, and plenty of smiles! 🌟   #EmployeeAppreciationWeek #lawfirm #clarkwilson

The Government of Canada recently released Canada’s “2024 Budget.” The plan contains several items of interest for charities, not-for-profits and donors, so our charities & not-for-profits law and tax lawyer, St.John McCloskey, has compiled a brief overview of them. St.John covers: > Changes to the Alternative Minimum Tax (specifically concerning the Charitable Donation Tax Credit); > Proposals to make receipts, and the process of submitting them, simpler; > Amendments to CRA processes; and > Updates for foreign charities registering as qualified donees Discover more about all of the above in St.John’s new article here: https://bit.ly/3Uuy5Ld #Budget2024 #taxlaw #charitieslaw #notforprofitslaw