News
Allen / McMillan Litigation Counsel is pleased to share that we have been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Law Firms for 2024 by The Globe and Mail and Statista
This is the third year The Globe and Mail has completed this report in partnership with Statista, and it will be featured in the December 2023 edition of Business Magazine. The aim of the report is to determine which law firms in Canada are held in the highest esteem by their colleagues. The award is based on over 10,000 recommendations collected from peers and clients.
Emma Successfully Defends Wrongful Dismissal Claim
Emma successfully defended a claim for wrongful dismissal and bad faith termination. Emma’s client was the defendant, a person with severe disabilities who employed the claimant as a personal caregiver.
Emma successfully argued that her client had just cause to terminate the claimant’s employment, because the claimant had, on multiple occasions, failed to respond for several hours when her client called during the night for urgent assistance. These breaches had led to adverse health effects for her client. Emma skillfully argued that since highly vulnerable disabled adults are fully dependent on their caregivers, it is a basic duty of the personal caregiver to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the person they are caring for.
The judge agreed that the claimant’s failure to fulfill this basic duty repudiated her contract of employment. Accordingly, she was dismissed for just cause and no warning was needed before termination.
Emma also successfully argued that the termination was in good faith and that her client had communicated the termination as respectfully as possible given her disabilities.
In the result, the claimant’s claims were dismissed in their entirety.
Emma and AMLC’s lawyers contribute hundreds of hours to pro bono work, striving to help promote access to justice. For more information on this case please contact Emma at ecoffin@amlc.ca.
Meet Alex Mok
AMLC is pleased to announce that Alex Mok has joined our team.
Alex recently moved to Canada and finished his Master of Laws at the Allard School of Law. He has eight years of experience as a lawyer with various global law firms in Hong Kong. During that time, he maintained a broad practice of civil and commercial disputes. Alex speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. He will article with us for four months before he is called to the British Columbia bar.
We are excited to welcome Alex to the firm!
Joel V. Payne is joining AMLC as Counsel
AMLC is pleased to announce that Joel V. Payne is joining AMLC as Counsel. He is an experienced trial and appeals lawyer who most recently ran his own firm for five years. He has represented clients in every level of court in Canada, and comes with a wealth of knowledge on complex corporate/commercial litigation, property and contract disputes. Joel also has a deliberately tech-forward and modern approach to his practice, which we are excited to continue building at AMLC.
We are thrilled to have Joel join the team!
Allen / McMillan appearing at the Supreme Court of Canada in October 2023
On October 16, 2023, Greg, David and Chloe will be appearing at the Supreme Court of Canada in R v Edwards et al, a case involving whether military court martials satisfy the constitutional guarantee of an independent and impartial tribunal.
Our team will be representing the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, and urging the Supreme Court of Canada to overturn a 1992 decision in which it limited the scope of the right to be tried by an independent and impartial tribunal in the context of the military justice system.
For those who enjoy both constitutional rights and early mornings, the hearing will be streamed live through the Supreme Court of Canada’s website.
For more information on Allen / McMillan’s pro bono public law practice, please contact Greg at greg@amlc.ca.
Congrats to Greg, Wanda, and Wes for being recognized in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™
Several members of our AMLC team have been recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada™! Based entirely on peer review, Greg Allen has been included for his expertise in Corporate and Commercial Litigation, and Defamation and Media Law, Wanda Simek has been included for her expertise in Insurance Law, and Wes McMillan has been included for his expertise in Corporate and Commercial Litigation, and Real Estate Law. This is the first time Greg and Wanda were recognized by this publication, and Wes’ third year in a row.
Congratulations to Greg, Wanda, and Wes!
You can learn more about Best Lawyers®, a peer review publication and a source of legal referrals, on their website, www.bestlawyers.com