With the complexities of the law and the ever-changing legal environment, it is crucial to have expert guidance when dealing with legal matters. Seven of Toronto’s top lawyers share their insights on what to expect when retaining their firms and navigating the legal landscape.
Meysa Maleki
Meysa is the founder of Maleki Barristers. She has extensive experience in all aspects of separation and high conflict divorce, including complex financial matters and parenting litigation. As Senior Policy Advisor to former Ontario Cabinet Minister, Meysa oversaw the implementation of the governmentโs Domestic Violence Action Plan. She is the author of the book, โThe Conflict Resolution Grail.โ She has been a guest speaker on numerous radio shows across the US and Canada including the award winning Happy Hour Show with Jonna & Keryl in New York, the Ted Woloshyn Show, Torontoโs iheartradio, and the award winning show Max & Friends on LA Talk Radio.
What qualities make the most successful attorney-client relationships and why?
Separated couples come to you at one of the most difficult times of their life. A good client-lawyer relationship is based on ensuring you are available to calm their nerves when a letter arrives from opposing counsel or an important attendance is around the corner; to answer their questions promptly; and to be direct with them when necessary instead of choosing to be a mouthpiece that may ultimately disadvantage their case. Clients appreciate the honesty and integrity of the lawyer who tells them the way it is, not what they want to hear. Ultimately, clients trust the lawyer who works extremely hard on their behalf and ensures the evidence is clearly and cogently represented in their case.ย
Steve Benmor
Steve Benmor, B.Sc., LL.B., LL.M. is the founder and principal lawyer of Benmor Family Law Group, a boutique matrimonial law firm in downtown Toronto. He is a Certified Specialist in Family Law and was admitted as a Fellow to the prestigious International Academy of Family Lawyers. Steve is regularly retained as a Divorce Mediator, Arbitrator and Parenting Coordinator.
What can clients expect when they retain you/your firm?
As a Divorce Mediator, I use my 30 years of in-depth knowledge of family law, courtroom experience, and expert problem-solving skills in Divorce Mediation to help spouses reach fair, fast, and cooperative divorce settlements without the financial losses, emotional costs, and lengthy delays from divorce court.
I am dedicated to facilitating amicable, cooperative and swift divorce settlements; and am committed to helping families heal and move forward. By working with me, clients can expect real results โ fair resolutions that empower them to embrace a more secure and positive future.
Lawyers refer their clients to me for Divorce Mediation because they trust that I can settle their toughest cases.
JASMINE DAYA
Jasmine Daya has a B.B.A. in Finance, B.Sc. in Economics, LL.B., LL.M., CSC, a certificate in Negotiation from Harvard University, a certificate in Digital Marketing Analytics from MIT and is pursuing a certificate in Artificial Intelligence from MIT. Jasmine was called to the Bar in 2006 and practises exclusively in personal injury. She is also an author, podcast host and entrepreneur.
Why do you choose to practice in personal injury law?
When I graduated from Queen’s Law, I knew I wanted to be a civil litigator advocating for clients in the courtroom but beyond that I was just hoping to secure a solid articling position with a reputable law firm which at the time was highly competitive. I ended up articling at a personal injury law firm in 2005. Back then, there were no smartphones and the internet was relatively new with most firms having very basic websites, if any. I didn’t fully comprehend what personal injury lawyers did but when I realized, I was a little shell shocked. Our clients come to us with brain injuries, amputations, fractures and more. Some clients require extended stays at the hospital or rehabilitation facility. We assist real people in their greatest time of need. We are their voice and help them put food on the table as they have no other avenue to pursue due to injuries sustained from an incident in which they were involved at no fault of their own. I am proud to have served clients as a personal injury lawyer my entire career.
Jillian Swartz
Allen McDonald Swartz LLP is a boutique law firm that focuses on corporate law, transactions and securities law. Jillian has over 25 years of experience advising clients on mergers and acqui- sitions, reorganizations and commercial matters. She has assisted entrepreneurs, family-run businesses, private companies and global enterprises in a broad range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, not-for-profit, and professional services.
What types of matters do you handle?
I advise clients on a wide variety of transactional matters and commercial agreements.
ย My approach involves developing a trusted advisor relationship with clients and providing each client with highly responsive and personalized service. Clients who are interested in buying or selling their business will retain me to plan, structure, negotiate and finalize these complex transactions. My practice also involves working with individuals and corporations to develop shareholder and partnership arrangements. I often work with other legal and tax professionals to help clients implement estate plans, effect corporate reorganizations, and resolve shareholder disputes. Businesses who do not need a full-time, in-house counsel engage me to act as their outside general counsel. It is through these long-term relationships that I acquire a deep understanding of a business and its culture.
PARTNERS, Sarahย Boulay, Oren Weinberg, Kenneth Fishman
Boulby Weinberg LLP is an elite boutique family law firm providing customized dispute resolution strategies for an array of family disputes. We advise and represent our clients in simple, amicable separations as well as highly contentious divorces. While offering clients an approachable and relaxed atmosphere, our family lawyers provide a comprehensive understanding of the most complex family law issues at local, national, and international levels.
What types of matters does your firm handle?
Our team handles the full spectrum of family, support, and divorce issues, including parenting concerns (decision-making responsibility/custody and parenting time/access), child and spousal support, property and financial division, and domestic agreements (including marriage/cohabitation contracts and separation agreements). We are also uniquely experienced in complicated international matters, such as multi-jurisdictional families and child abduction cases, as well as issues impacting high-net-worth families, including business valuation and division, inheritance and wealth protection, and family trusts.
Why should someone retain Boulby Weinberg LLP?
Our knowledgeable team has a complete toolbox of dispute resolution options at its disposal to resolve issues and minimize conflict as efficiently as possible. Our firm members have extensive experience resolving complex family and divorce cases through a variety of dispute resolution processes, including mediation,arbitration, and litigation. No matter how difficult the case, we are able to create legal solutions tailored to each clientโs unique circumstances and concerns.
