Liability and Risk Management Trends in Municipal and Provincial Government

As the complexities and responsibilities of managing provincial and municipal governments continue to grow, so does the potential for liability exposure that could lead to costly litigation at a time of scarce resources and tightening budgets.

This 90-minute webinar will provide practical insights into the latest practices and strategies to mitigate these ever-evolving liability risks and assist you in preventing and managing potential litigation claims.

11:30 a.m. - Introductory remarks

11:35 a.m. - Opening presentation: What does Nelson (City) v Marchi mean for municipalities?

Cities and municipalities are regularly exposed to liability claims in their day-to-day delivery of services to constituents. The recent Supreme Court decision on Nelson (City) v Marchi helped clarify when a government body can be held liable for damages for negligence, when its decision or action can be immune from claims, and what factors help determine when a decision is ‘core policy’ and covered by an immunity defence. This presentation will provide some key takeaways from this case and discuss why it is critically important to future municipal risk management practices.

Pino Cianfarani, Partner, Lerners LLP

11:55 a.m. - Break

12:00 p.m. - Panel discussion:

Cities and municipalities across Canada have faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years, including dealing with the pandemic’s fallout; climate and weather-related events; changes to remote workplace settings; and a rapidly aging infrastructure. With these developments have come increased liability and litigation exposures that threaten already-tightened municipal budgets. What are some of the liability and risk management trends local governments need to be aware of, and how can they help mitigate potential new litigation claims?

• Recent litigation and risk trends that cities and municipalities need to be aware of
• Case law updates and class action developments to watch out for in 2022
• Addressing new risk exposures: climate, civil disorder, privacy/cyber and social media
• Updating your risk assessment and mitigation plans; insurance coverage

Moderator:
Ewa Krajewska, Partner, Henein Hutchison LLP

Panelists:
• Jennifer King, Partner, Gowling WLG
• C. Kirk Boggs, Partner, Lerners LLP
• David Boghosian, Partner, Boghosian & Allen LLP

12:50 p.m. - Questions and answers

1:00 p.m. - Final comments and takeaways

This program has been approved for the following CPD hours:
1.5 hours by the Law Society of British Columbia and the Law Society of Saskatchewan.

The program also qualifies for 1.5 CPD hours from the Law Society of Ontario.

For enquiries, please contact soosyan.eng@keymedia.com