“What are the obligations of the parties to a contract (verbal or written) or other relationship when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties (the “Event”) prevents one or both parties from fulfilling their obligations under a contractual or other relationship?”

This “Event” is COVID-19.

The entire country, both its businesses and citizens, are presently being affected by the “Event”. Unprecedented government measures are being undertaken to protect the health and safety of every Canadian. Like everyone else, we wish for strong social compliance with the precautions ordered, and a quick recovery from the economic and legal challenges that this pandemic has to all of us.

Baker Newby LLP has created a Legal Response Team to assist businesses and individuals with the legal challenges that COVID-19 is creating within our lives. These types of legal issues can be anywhere from wondering what the Canadian employment laws are, including COVID-19 employee rights, to business and commercial lease disputes to family law issues.

We have adjusted to the reality that Courthouses are closed by embracing video-conferencing for discoveries, mediations, and arbitrations. We are using negotiation to minimize potential avenues for dispute and to wrap up existing lawsuits.

We can help by:

• Stabilizing both large and small construction projects and working with industry participants to complete them which can lead to construction project disputes;

• Stabilizing large and mid-level commercial landlord and tenant relationships impacted by business interruption, loss of tenant revenue, and stalled tenant improvement work;

• Assisting lenders in working out COVID-19 relief arrangement with borrowers so they can get their Coronavirus loans to help them get through these difficult times;

• Handling all aspects of employment law, inclusive of workplace and occupational health such as Coronavirus employee rights and whether you need a wrongful dismissal lawyer;

• Handling all aspects of residential conveyance complications, and residential landlord/tenant relationships such as landlord-tenant dispute resolution services; and

• Handling family law matters, where parenting time and financial support arrangements are now jeopardized including custody arrangement agreements, as well as child and spousal support payment delays.