Michelle Davis

An appeal from an arbitrator's decision in a long-running dispute between law firms regarding a Professional Services Agreement.

The appellants challenged the arbitrator's handling of a solicitor-client privilege objection to spreadsheets and her refusal to remove respondents' counsel who received the allegedly privileged documents.

The court upheld the arbitrator's decision to dismiss the privilege motion while reserving the right to reconsider the issue after further evidence, and upheld the decision not to remove counsel.

The court found the arbitrator acted within her discretion and applied the law reasonably to the circumstances.

This decision concerns the interpretation of a contingency fee retainer agreement between Aylmer Meat Packers Inc. and Richard Walter Clare (the "Client") and their former law firm, Harrison Pensa LLP ("HP").

The court found that HP was not entitled to a contingency fee on a judgment obtained by the Client on appeal after new counsel was retained.

The agreement only entitled HP to a contingency fee on damages recovered prior to or at trial.

The court also rejected HP’s claim for compensation under quantum meruit, holding that the enforceable agreement governed the parties’ rights and obligations.

The court dismissed the defendant’s motion for summary judgment in a personal injury action arising from a 2015 motor vehicle collision.

The defendant argued the action was statute-barred, but the court found the limitation period did not begin to run until the plaintiff received a diagnosis in July 2020 that clarified the severity and cause of her injuries.

The court held that the plaintiff acted diligently and that there was not a sufficient body of evidence to support a claim until the feedback session with Dr. Day.

The action was therefore commenced in time.