Congratulations to our Partners on being recognized leading lawyers in the 2022 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
Steven A. Cygelfarb – Property Leasing
Albert M. Engel – Environmental Law
Maurice V.R. Fleming – Asset Equipment Finance
Michael B. Fraleigh – Medical Negligence
Bill Hearn – Advertising & Marketing Law
Katherine Hensel – Aboriginal Law
Eric Hoffstein – Estate & Personal Tax Planning and Estate Litigation
Karen Rosen – Asset Based Lending
Foglers takes pride in recruiting, supporting, and fostering the careers of women lawyers.
In honour of International Women’s Day, weare thrilled to announce the creation of our women@foglers mentorship program, spearheaded by Teodora Prpa and Hailey Abramsky, two young and driven female lawyers at our firm.
women@foglers is an internal program designed to cultivate our firm’s female talent by maximizing career development through guidance, support and one-to-one mentoring.
Congratulations to Kevin Shipley on being one of only 35 Canadians listed in the 2022 IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders Guide. A slot in the 300 Global Leaders is a mark of a professional whose approach to intellectual property is recognized by clients and peers as truly strategic in nature.
In celebration of Black History Month, we had the pleasure of hosting a virtual event to hear and learn from the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, social justice advocate and the first African-Canadian woman elected to the House of Commons.
Everyone in attendance was inspired by her story and career, and her historic role in passing the landmark motion to designate February as Black History Month in Canada.
It has been a frigid start to 2022 so we were happy to participate in a winter clothing drive to to support New Circles Community Services
Foglers along with our friends at Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP, Adair Goldblatt Bieber LLP, WeirFoulds LLP, Weintraub Erskin Huang LLP and Israel Foulon Wong LLP were able to collect and donate hundreds of pre-loved winter coats, hats, scarves, glove shoes and boots to support the clients of New Circles Community Services in its efforts to #KeepTorontoWarm.
I’m listening. Keep talking. Four powerful words.
Today is #BellLetsTalk day, and this year’s campaign encourages everyone to keep listening, keep talking about mental health, and keep being there for each other.
Bell Let’s Talk Day is an important day to discuss and create awareness around mental health. This year our firm came together virtually to hear from Dr. David Goldbloom from CAMH, who talked about common misconceptions about mental illness and shared insights for supporting mental wellness.
We sat down with Bonnie Fish, who serves as the Board President for the Israel Cancer Research Fund, to hear about her experience being part of an organization that for the past 45 years has helped support scientists in Israel make major breakthroughs in cancer research.
Bonnie, tell us how you got involved with the Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF)?
I was first introduced to the organization through my colleagues, and current ICRF board members, Ian Kady and Tammy Anklewicz, who invited me to attend a number of ICRF fundraising events including, their Women of Action event which recognizes women for their achievements in health sciences, community, philanthropy and business. At that time, I had recently lost a close friend to cancer and after learning more about the history of the organization and the cancer research ICRF was funding, I decided I wanted to do more to give back to this cause and to honour my friend. So I joined the Board and then spent a year on the Executive Committee and now I am in the third year of my term as Board President.
In your opinion, what is the most important work that this organization does?
ICRF’s mission is to support the best and brightest scientists conducting ground breaking cancer research in Israel. What stands out about this organization is that the funds raised for ICRF go directly to life-saving scientific research and not to “bricks and mortar.” Annual grants are given directly to Israeli cancer researchers at all of the leading academic and biomedical research centers in Israel. To date ICRF has contributed more than $83 million to support over 2,700 grants for Israel based cancer researchers. ICRF has funded scientists who went on to make incredible medical breakthroughs in cancer including discoveries which led to the development of Gleevec, an important treatment for leukemia, and Doxil, a drug for the treatment of ovarian, breast and AIDS related cancers. Two ICRF-funded scientists (Professors Avram Hershko and Aaron Ciechanover of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology) received the 2004 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Choosing to serve on a non-profit board of directors enables you to become an integral part of solving problems in your community. Similarly, as a lawyer, much of your time is spent solving problems. Does this experience with the ICRF give you a different perspective, one which you can bring to your law practice?
Absolutely. The not-for-profit world is a whole world unto itself and it has been a very different experience from my law practice. In my volunteer role, the experiences and connections I’ve made have enhanced my understanding of the world outside of the law and have given me a much broader perspective. I feel like everything that you do outside of your legal practice in a volunteer capacity, adds a new dimension to your work and a better understanding of the people that you deal with on a regular basis.
What advice would you give to a new lawyer who is looking for the opportunity to give back to their own community?
That’s a really great question. I would say in my very earliest days of practice when I was struggling with not only my own time commitments to the practice, but also raising a family, I would have found it extremely hard to commit to doing something at this level, like being President of a Board. However, even early on in my career, I would always try to get involved with something – a charity walk, volunteering at a soup kitchen, donating food and clothing to those in need and I’d get my family involved. Small commitments at first. Making the time to help out a cause or support a charity even if just for a few hours, allowed me to feel like I was doing something other than being a lawyer. As time went on, I was able to give back more and build upon those experiences. Then one day you reach a point in your career where you have some connection to a charity, either through a colleague or experience and you are able to take the next step and play a bigger role in giving back to that cause. It is very satisfying when that moment comes.
To learn more about Israel Cancer Research Fund visit: https://www.icrf.ca/
To say Michael Fraleigh likes to help is an understatement. In addition to his busy health law practice, he manages to spend a considerable amount of time giving back to his community. According to Michael, who is the President of Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto and on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario, “when you invest the time and energy to volunteer, you are investing in yourself just as much as the causes you support.”
For almost two decades, Michael has been involved in leadership roles with both the Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto and now the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario. When asked about how he became involved in his various volunteer commitments he jokingly replies “Most of the time you get involved because someone ropes you in.” Joking aside, as a community based organization, Michael plays an important role in helping to direct the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario’s strategic focus and fundraising efforts. He says, instead of focusing on research, the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario is focused on providing support to local chapters which provide programs, counselling and education, to support individuals and families who are affected by Alzheimer’s. This shared purpose to create a community of support is a feature of the organization Michael highly values.
Currently over 500,000 Canadians are living with dementia, a number that is set to reach 912,000 in 2030 due to a rapidly aging population. In addition to those who are themselves afflicted, one in five Canadians have experience caring for someone with the condition. Michael, whose father, mother and grandmother had suffered from dementia, with the latter two also having Alzheimer’s, is able to relate to what many Canadians currently face. Having lived this experience prompted Michael to get involved, so that he could learn more and help others who are going through what he and his family went through.
For many, choosing to serve on a non-profit board allows you to become an integral part of solving problems in your community. In addition to his work with the Alzheimer’s Society, Michael is also the President of Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto. Like many organizations, he has spent much of his time this past year working with the executive and staff to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic to help the Temple Sinai Congregation stay connected. When asked about his volunteer experience, and any advice he had for younger lawyers on the benefits of giving back to their community, he shared: “Volunteering provides you the opportunity to contribute in ways that are different from your day-to-day job. When you are focused on a common cause, you use and develop different skills and engage with people on a different level.”
To learn more about the Alzheimer’s Society of Ontario visit https://alzheimer.ca/on/en
It is common for many of us, especially older adults, to feel isolated and lonely. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made this isolation worse. Through Circle of Care’s Phone Pal program, volunteers provide companionship and social contact to older adults through weekly phone calls. As a volunteer with the program, Aida Nabavi and her Pal, an elderly gentleman, communicate a couple of time a week – and sometimes every day. As his Pal, Aida’s role is to check in with him on a regular basis to see if he has everything he needs including groceries and medication, and most of all to be his friend. Aida has been volunteering with Circle of Care since 2015 and is a champion of the Phone Pals program as she wholeheartedly aims to address her Pal’s isolation and seeks to find ways to improve the overall qualify of his life.
When I was in undergrad, I was looking for a volunteer opportunity that would work with my busy schedule and Circle of Care’s Phone Pal program offered me that flexibility.
The first Phone Pal that I was assigned to was an elderly gentleman who wanted to talk on the phone everyday as he was concerned about his health. From our first phone call and over the years, we developed a great friendship. It felt great being able to help someone else but also to find a friend. Generally with my Phone Pals, my role is to check in and see if they are doing well mentally and physically and if my Pal has everything they need. Simple things like asking someone how their day went; do they have plans; and giving them ideas for things they could do can make a big difference in someone’s life if they are isolated. With my current Pal, who I have been matched with for two years, rather than speaking on the phone, we email frequently because as he was a Professor and writer before his retirement, he explained that he would be better able to express himself through emails. He often writes me beautiful and thoughtful messages about life, philosophy, and every day subjects and through this we have created a mutual friendship. He has written great books, which I have read and spoken to him about.
My motivation comes from identifying what my purpose in life is, which is to help others in need. As a Phone Pal, I am invested in these relationships and it hurts me to think that there is someone out there that feels lonely and isolated. However, knowing that I have the power to easily change that feeling of isolation and loneliness by providing my friendship motivates me to continue. Also, respecting our elders is a big part of my culture and I have been taught from an early age to love, respect, and help my elders. Lastly, this is a mutually beneficial volunteering role – not only have I been providing support for my Pal, but he also provides me with his time and genuinely cares for me. For example, if I mentioned to my Pal that I was not feeling well, he would check up on me and see how I am feeling. Despite the gap in our ages, we have become great friends.
Circle of Care started originally as a program for the elderly Jewish population in the city, but gradually over the years it expanded its services to individuals of other faiths and cultures. I believe part of what makes Circle of Care so successful is that the organization and its volunteers have created a very strong community—one that is focused on helping people in any way possible. In addition to the Phone Pal program, throughout COVID, Circle of Care provided volunteers to assist with meal deliveries, getting the elderly registered for vaccination clinics and arranged drivers, and many of us also got groceries and dropped them off for those who were unable to do it themselves. Every volunteer is always willing to lend a helping hand and the organization is very strong and supportive of its volunteers. Being in a strong organization who is organized and focused on reaching its purpose naturally drives one to continue supporting its mission and the people that it targets to assist.
There are many opportunities to give back in our communities and it is very rewarding. We just need to prioritize our time efficiently and identify what is important for us in our lives. Volunteering adds a lot of meaning and purpose in our lives beyond our jobs. Not only do we contribute to the society, but volunteering is great for our own emotional and mental health. We get to connect with others and create genuine friendships with people who also care for others. It really takes a small part of our days to just listen and be a friend to someone else. Throughout this experience, I am very blessed and grateful to have met such a knowledgeable and genuine Phone Pal whom I call my friend.
To learn more about Circle of Care and the Phone Pals program visit: https://www.circleofcare.com/phone-pals
We are saddened to inform you that our friend and colleague Bill Perks, passed away on Christmas Day.
Bill Perks and Suzanne Hanson merged their boutique tax firm known as Perks & Hanson with Fogler Rubinoff’s Tax, Wills and Estates Department on September 1, 2008. Bill has continued to be an active member of the firm during his semi-retirement in recent years.
Bill obtained his accounting degree in 1974 and was called to the Ontario bar in 1976. He was well known by tax professionals, enhanced Fogler Rubinoff’s reputation within the legal and accounting professions, and had a great passion for golf. His intelligence, sense of humour, and wisdom will be sadly missed by his many colleagues, clients and friends. He was an excellent lawyer who mentored and provided guidance to many lawyers in our firm.
