Thank You to Delegates, Speakers and Partners for a
Successful Day of Learning and Networking!



The Canadian Institute’s Litigation Law Clerk Forum was held at the InterContinental Yorkville on July 15, 2014.  The conference, chaired by Dentons Canada’s Tiffany Soucy, covered a wide range of topics ranging from admissibility of evidence from social media sites, an update on expert witnesses in the aftermath of the Moore decision, drafting effective motion records and managing an appeal from start to finish.

See what delegates had to say:

“The speakers were very knowledgeable”
-Tara Sharkey, Law Clerk, Glaholt LLP

“Great specific information about how law clerks can contribute to successful litigation.”
-Eden Kaill, Law Clerk, Babin Bessnere Spry LLP

“[Liked] the variety of topics discussed.”
-Emily Tongmei Jiang, Law Clerk, Wal-Mart Canada Corp.


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sessions virtually.



The day opened with…

Practical insights from Ricketts, Harris’ Gary Luftspring, who delivered a very effective overview of new developments impacting expert witnesses from a legal perspective.  Campbell Valuation Partners’ Errol Soriano followed up with fantastic content from the expert witness’ perspective.

The morning then went digital with McCarthy Tétrault’s Ronald Podolny providing a timely overview of legal and ethical considerations to keep in mind when using social media, followed by a lively panel discussion on E-Discovery moderated by KPMG’s expert on the subject, Dominic Jaar.

Wortzmans’ Rachael Chadwick offered compelling insights on managing technology and predictive coding, with Dentons’ Ainsley Gray providing the law clerk’s perspective on e-discovery and CIBC’s Laurie McFarlane speaking to the client side. 

The variety of perspectives and topics covered made for an especially dynamic discussion.  Tiffany Soucy closed out the morning with a valuable update on preparing discovery plans and cost outlines.

The afternoon took us through…

An even wider range of topics, with Keel Cottrelle’s Christopher Wirth effectively outlining the key skills for drafting succinct and effective motion records.  Blakes’ Tariq Remtulla followed with an excellent overview of the difference between the Federal and Provincial Courts, with BLG’s Josie Sabino then speaking to new rules for managing small claims court actions – effective July 1st, so be sure you’re ready! 

Blaney McMurtry’s Stephen Moore followed with winning tips for trial preparation in today’s litigation, augmented by an incredibly useful paper he circulated on the subject.  Dentons’ Norm Emblem closed out the day with an overview of managing an appeal from start to finish, complete with anecdotes and practical takeaways. 

Each and every speaker did a fantastic job and we were delighted to have covered so much ground in only a day!

– Elizabeth Dempsey, Conference Producer, The Canadian Institute

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