Business Law

• start-up of a new business and maintenance of an existing company (Incorporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship)
  
  
• contract documents, employee agreements, sales agreements, supplier/distributor agreements, shareholder agreements, and all other documents
  
  
• services include: providing you with strategic legal advice; preparing, explaining to you, and negotiating documents; assisting you with shareholder meetings; co-ordinating and communicating with your accountant and/or bank where required.
  
  

    Civil Litigation

• Debt collection, legal disputes, law suits
  
  
• we will help you sue someone or defend you if you are being sued
  
  
• services include: preparing of demand letter on our law firm letterhead; preparing court documents, negotiating for settlement in your favour; representing you at court including Small Claims Court (if necessary).

    Commercial Litigation

• Debt collection, disputes, law suits, injunctions, wrongful dismissal/termination
  
  
• we will help you sue someone or defend you if you are being sued
  
  
• services include: preparing of demand letter on our law firm letterhead; preparing court documents; negotiating for settlement in your favour; representing you at court (if necessary)

    Construction Liens

• payment disputes, unpaid sub-contractors, notice requirements, holdback requirements, preparing and registering Notice of Lien, vacating lien, court motions, law suits
  
  
• we will help you file a lien against a contractor or if you are a contractor, we will help you defend a lien that has been filed against your property
  
  
• services include: preparing and registering the Notice of Lien; preparing court documents (Motion documents, Statement of Claim, Statement of Defence); representing you at court before a Construction Lien Master in proceedings to have the lien removed; negotiating for settlement in your favour

    Corporate Law, Joint Ventures

• legal issues involving the purchase, day-to-day operation, and sale of your business
  
  
• agreements and contracts including sales agreements, joint ventures, employee agreements, development agreements
  
  
• services include explaining, negotiating, and preparing of agreements and contracts for you

    Mergers, Reorganizations, Securities

• mergers between two companies; restructuring a company,
  
  
• general securities law for public companies

    Leases, Landlord & Tenant

• legal assistance for landlords and tenants
  
  
• non-payment of rent, rent disputes, eviction, landlord tenant court appearance, breaches by landlord or tenant (damage to property, lack of services)
  
  
• services for commercial matters include: preparation, explanation, and negotiation of your commercial lease including those for office space, retail stores, shopping malls; assistance with evictions
  
  
• services for residential matters include: preparation, explanation, and negotiation of residential leases (for landlords and tenants); assistance with evictions

    Residential, Commercial & Recreational Real Estate

• purchase and sale of your house, building, land, commercial property, and/or cottage
  
  
• services include: conducting due diligence searches with appropriate government offices; preparing, explaining, and negotiating of legal documents

    Mortgage Financing & Remedies

• mortgage financing for real estate and businesses (lines of credit for day-to-day operations and term loans for capital purchases)
  
  
• foreclosure and power of sale for mortgages in default
  
  
• services include: preparing, explaining, and negotiating mortgages for you including all required documents, due diligence searches, and registrations with government office, and representation of you at court (if necessary)

    Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning & Administration

• elderly person issues, retirement planning, wills, power of attorney for health care and for property, death of a person
  
  
• services include: listening to your personal and healthcare wishes; explaining to you your legal options; preparing and explaining all legal documents to you, explaining the process to you in the event of the death of a loved one.

    Family Law

• preparing, explaining, and negotiating of legal documents (pre-marital agreement, marriage agreement, co-habitation agreement, separation agreement)
  
  
• handling of your divorce, custody disputes, spousal and child support payment issues
  
  
• services include: listening to your story; explaining to you your legal options; recommending appropriate legal action for most efficient resolution of your situation, preparing of all necessary legal documents, negotiating with the lawyer representing your spouse (or former spouse), representing you at family court (if required).

    Franchising

• start-up a franchise (franchisee); purchase and sale and all other aspects of starting, buying, operating, and selling a franchise operation
  
  
• services include preparing, explaining, and negotiating legal documents, conducting due diligence legal searches, negotiating with the lawyer representing the other party (franchisor or franchisee's lawyer)
  
  
  

    Articling with Coutts Crane

We have structured our articling student program to provide students with challenging opportunities and valuable experience in important aspects of both barrister and solicitor work. Our firm provides a stimulating, collegial and cooperative environment that enables our students to work with different lawyers on many interesting and complex files. Coutts Crane provides exposure to many areas of law including administrative law, business law, civil litigation, commercial litigation, family law, estates and trusts while allowing students to focus on areas that interest them. You will truly be a part of our team and we hope that, upon completing your articles, you will continue your career with Coutts Crane.

Coutts Crane takes particular interest in its articling students. In our view, students are the basis for the firm's future growth, which provide us, in many cases, with our young associates and future partners.

Our articling selection process permits us to carefully select students. Many of our professionals, both partners and associates, are active participants in the decisions surrounding the hiring of articling students, reflecting the importance we attach to this process.

Articling Student Opportunities, contact:
Robert O'Brien
T: (416) 977-0956
F: (416) 977-5331
E: ro’brien@couttscrane.com

Administrative Opportunities, contact:
Robert O'Brien
T: (416) 977-0956
F: (416) 977-5331
E: ro'brien@couttscrane.com

    How we do Business

We exceed the highest standards of legal ethics. And that's why we enjoy a relationship with all our clients that's based on complete and total trust. This explains, in part, why our clients have such deep confidence in our judgment. And in our counsel.

It may not be the way other firms do business, but we couldn't do it any other way.


    How we charge

The first half-hour is free. Once we have a good idea of what's involved in your case, we give you an approximation of what your costs could be.

Sometimes, however, circumstances don't allow us to be that specific. In these relatively unusual situations, we take you through how the fee will be arrived at.