This year’s Special Lecture will explore the evolving standard of care in legal services for vulnerable older adults, with a focus on how legal professionals can prevent – or inadvertently enable – fraud, scams, and elder financial abuse.

Anchored in the Law Society of Ontario Tribunal’s decision in LSO v. Harrison, the session will delve into legal ethics, client protection, and the duty to provide independent legal advice in transactions that pass through a lawyer’s office — including real estate deals, mortgage lending, powers of attorney, and intergenerational wealth transfers.

Older-adult clients are increasingly targeted by sophisticated schemes such as romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and equity-stripping mortgages. The legal profession plays a crucial gatekeeping role in either protecting or exposing these clients to harm.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the implications of LSO v. Harrison on the legal standard of care for advising and representing vulnerable older clients.
• Recognize red flags in real estate, mortgage, powers of attorney, and intergenerational wealth transfer transactions.
• Explore the lawyer’s role in preventing elder financial abuse.
• Adopt best practices for due diligence, conflict screening, and independent legal advice.
• Hear from practitioners on meeting the standard of care and implementing safeguards in practice.

LSO Accreditation: Professionalism & EDI credits pending

Bethanie Pascutto — Staff Litigation Lawyer, ACE

Bethanie joined ACE as a staff litigation lawyer in November 2023. She graduated from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2019. Prior to joining ACE, Bethanie was an associate at a litigation boutique in Toronto. She has appeared before trial level and appeal courts across Canada, as well as a number of administrative tribunals.

Greg Weedon — Founder & Principal, Weedon Law

Greg is a Certified Specialist in both Real Estate Law and Civil Litigation (Law Society of Ontario). His practice covers conveyancing, real estate litigation, professional negligence, mortgage fraud, and title remediation. A seasoned trial and appellate lawyer, Greg has had numerous decisions reported and cited by Ontario courts. He has been a leading advocate against the misuse of Notices of Security Interest (NOSIs), representing victims of title and mortgage fraud and driving legislative reform, including leading efforts that resulted in Ontario’s Homeowner Protection Act, 2024, which bans consumer NOSIs on land titles and protects homeowners from predatory practices.

Joel Kadish — Real Estate Lawyer & Educator

Called to the Ontario Bar in 1990, Joel practices in Toronto specializing in real estate, leasing, and corporate matters. He has taught residential real estate at the Bar Admission Course since 1994, has spoken on real estate matters for the Law Society of Ontario and the Ontario Bar Association, and has lectured at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson Polytechnic University). Joel gave expert evidence on behalf of the Law Society of Ontario on the legal standard of care while acting for vulnerable older adults in LSO v. Harrison.

Ken Doering — Manager, Investigation Services, LSO

Ken is a Chartered Professional Accountant and a specialist in forensic accounting. He is currently the Manager of Investigation Services, Professional Regulation at the Law Society of Ontario. He previously served as Team Manager, Mortgage Fraud and Syndicated Mortgages. Ken has been with the Law Society’s Investigation Services Department for 14 years and, before that, was with BDO LLP’s Litigation Support Group for 13 years.

In-Person Attendance

Registration deadline: Thursday, September 18, 2025

Live Stream Attendance

Registration deadline: Thursday, September 25, 2025