Geoffrey Cauchi

Geoffrey Cauchi

Associate. Call to the Bar: 1983

Education:
Geoff graduated with a Bachelor of Law from the University of Western Ontario in 1981.

In April of 2016, Geoff earned the certification of CIC.C (Corporate In-House Counsel – Canada) after successfully completing the Business Leadership Program for In-House Counsel offered by the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, the Canadian Bar Association and Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Geoff was one of only three lawyers in his class (Cohort #3) who are currently in private practice, and believes that this training will be of great benefit to his corporate and credit union clients who are looking for external counsel with "in-house counsel attitude!"

Experience:
Geoff joined RZCD in January 2009 when he and Penny Rintoul moved their practices from Guiney Rintoul Cauchi LLP, a boutique firm that focused on providing legal services to banking and financial institutions and, in particular, all the levels of the Canadian Credit Union system, under the name Tanner & Guiney Associates. He and Penny Rintoul now head up the Financial Institution Services Group at RZCD.

Before joining Tanner & Guiney Associates in 2000 Geoff was Corporate Counsel and Secretary to Niagara Credit Union Limited (now Meridian Credit Union Limited) from 1986 to 2000. Geoff has been an active participant on Credit Union industry committees. He served on the Industry Advisory Committee for the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Ontario, particularly in the development of the Member Institution Self-Assessment Report from 1996 to 1997, and the DICO recommended Board Policies. Geoff also served on the Ontario Credit Union Legislative Reform Committee for the Ministry of Financial Institutions, which produced its final report in 1993. He continued as consultant on the Legislation until passage of the Credit Unions and Caisses Populaires Act (1994). Geoff was also a presenter at Credit Union Central of Ontario’s New Legislation Training in May 1995. Geoff’s banking and financial institution clients benefit from his particular expertise in the area of credit union operations and administration, board and management governance, banking system contracts, outsourced services and other networking agreements, and compliance with privacy and anti-money laundering legislation.

In 2000 and 2001, Geoff was a member of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee for the Financial Services Compliance Administration Program at Seneca College.

Memberships:
Geoff serves on the Boards of Directors of several charitable and non-profit organizations of local, provincial, and federal scope. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Peel Law Association, and the Christian Legal Fellowship.

Published Works:
Legal Limits on Flat NSF Fees and Overdraft Charges: published in National Banking Law Review (LexisNexis Canada Inc., Robert E. Elliot, Editor), December 2004.

The Protection of the Reliance Interest and Anticipated Contracts Which Fail to Materialize: (1981), 18 U.W.O. L. Review; cited in Trevor A. Mills, Letters of Intent and the Canadian Approach to Good Faith Bargaining Obligations: So Close So Far (1996), 11 B.F.L.R. 397; and in Duxbury v. Training Inc., 2002 ABPC 24 (CanLII).

A Catholic Lawyer Takes a Look at the Marc Hall Case: in Judicial Activism: A Threat to Democracy and Religion (Ed. Alphonse de Valk) (Toronto: Life Ethics Information Centre, 2003)

The Lyfe-Preserver Protective Advance Directive and Power of Attorney for Personal Care (Annotated) published by Alliance for Life (Ontario)

Practice Areas:

  • Banking and Financial Institution Services
  • General Business Law
  • Laws relating to charities and non-profits
  • Advance directives and powers of attorney for personal care for people of faith
  • Commercial and Residential Real Estate

For further assistance, please contact Geoff directly at gcauchi@rzcdlaw.com or at Ext. 274.

Alternatively, his legal assistant, Ann Duxbury can be reached at aduxbury@rzcdlaw.com or at Ext. 276.

Alternatively, his legal assistant, Colette Fu can be reached at cfu@rzcdlaw.com or at Ext. 277.

For real estate matters, please contact Laura Lovell at llovell@rzcdlaw.com or at Ext. 257.