Essentials for Lawyers and Paralegals 2023

9:00 a.m. ET
Chairs’ Introduction and Opening Remarks

Jack Fleming, Executive Director, North Peel and Dufferin Community Legal Services
Kristin Ley, Cohen Highley LLP

9:05 a.m.
Essential Update: Recent Developments in Residential Landlord-Tenant Law

Jack Fleming, Executive Director, North Peel and Dufferin Community Legal Services
Kristin Ley, Cohen Highley LLP

A comprehensive and practical refresher on cases and other developments from the past year. This essential update will cover:
• Sections 48.1 and 49.1 compensation, 2212369 Ontario Inc. v. Vora
• Returning tenant to possession, Minas v. Adler; Schram v. Thompson
• Duty of fairness, Pinto v. Regan (applying Bhasin and Hrynew)
• The merits of in-person hearings
• Two tiered tenancies: When landlords differ

10:15 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m.
Landlord vs. Tenant: Clashing Perspectives

Yodit Edemariam, Director of Legal Services, Rexdale Community Legal Clinic
Jack Fleming, Executive Director, North Peel & Dufferin Community Legal Services
Rachel Gibbons, Horlick Levitt Di Lella LLP
Joe Hoffer, Cohen Highley LLP

This highly anticipated annual panel will feature experienced practitioners from both sides squaring off on some key and very timely issues, including:

• Damages for wrongful eviction and new remedies for landlords
• Guests and additional occupants: Trespass notices against tenants’ guests and tenants increasing the number of occupants past what was contemplated when signing the lease
• Window air conditioners
• Restoring a tenant to possession
• The use of an N11 agreement instead of an eviction notice
• Judicial notice and systemic evidence
• Repudiation of agreement before taking possession

12:30 p.m.
Lunch Break

1:15 p.m.
Procedural Changes
Melissa Anjema, Cohen Highley LLP
Joe Myers, Lawyer/Director, Willowdale Community Legal Services

This session, focused on the practical, will provide you with a thorough update on major procedural changes at the Landlord and Tenant Board from the past 12 months.

2:00 p.m.
The Role of Tribunal Counsel

Eli Fellman, Counsel, Tribunals Ontario

An experienced legal practitioner with Tribunals Ontario will provide a comprehensive overview of the role of tribunal counsel as it relates to residential tenancies matters.

2:30 p.m.
Novel Tactics by Landlord and Tenants

Doug Levitt, Horlick Levitt Di Lella LLP
Samuel Mason, Staff Lawyer & Clinic Instructor, Housing Rights Division, Parkdale Community Legal Services

In this session, you’ll hear both perspectives on novel tactics employed by landlords and tenants in relation to:

• Protests against landlords (both online and on-site)
• Defamation suits
• Threats to evict protesting tenants

3:15 p.m.
Break

3:30 p.m.
The Human Rights Code in Residential Tenancies

Caryma Sa’d, Law Office of Caryma Sa’d
Lee Webb, Manager of Services and Education, Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA)

The interrelationship between The Human Rights Code and residential tenancies law is thoroughly examined in this session as you’ll hear a recap of all the human rights issues in housing from the past year.

4:30 p.m.
Ethics and Professionalism for Residential Landlord-Tenant Law Practitioners

Jack Fleming, Executive Director, North Peel and Dufferin Community Legal Services
Kristin Ley, Cohen Highley LLP

In this final session, you will analyze some of the key professional challenges confronting today’s residential tenancies law practitioner including one’s obligations under the Rules of Professional Conduct to report threats of violence.

5:00 p.m.
Program Ends