LAW
We are in Toronto
We have double the reason to celebrate this Canada Day. We have found the best place to open our Law Chambers in downtown Toronto! Our third location will be opening on July 1, 2021 (Happy Canada Day!) in the Richmond-Adelaide Centre on the 29th floor. We have a beautiful view of the city and the CN Tower. Join the Wolf Law Chambers community today and revel in the stunning views of Toronto.
Wolf Law Chambers Toronto
Legal professionals in Toronto will finally have access to the industry’s leading services offering full-service office space for small and medium firms, which are also located in Mississauga and Oakville.
Wolf Law Chambers provides an elegant workspace to allow legal professionals to grow their business and network while maintaining their independence. We offer spacious and fully furnished private offices, secretarial workstations, and boardrooms, along with a full range of administrative and support services found in established law firms so that you can focus on your legal practice.
At Wolf Law Chambers you will belong to a community of legal professionals that actively share knowledge, experience and referrals; the ideal conditions to help your practice grow and succeed.
Wolf Law Chambers members are able to focus their time on what really matters: practicing law. We take care of the administrative tasks involved with running an office. From furnishing your office, to setting up the security system and maintenance, our professional team takes care of your packages, greets your clients and makes sure that you and your clients are in a safe and clean space, disinfecting the common areas regularly.
Your private office in Toronto
At Wolf Law Chambers Toronto you will find spacious offices with lots of natural light and big windows providing a stunning view from the 29th floor.
All you need to bring are your computer and files. The offices are furnished with L-shaped desks, lockable filing cabinets and chairs for you and your clients. We leave the decoration of the office up to you.
You can “hang your own shingle” and have your nameplate on your door and at reception.
You will have a private and secure internet connection, as well as printer, scanner and fax services. A shredding service will guarantee the safe disposal of your confidential documents.
At the front desk, our office coordinator greets your clients, receives and sends your packages and manages the maintenance of the office.
For your convenience, we have several services available online, including a booking app to book the boardroom and a messenger app to communicate with colleagues and the Wolf Law Chambers team.
Basically, with a private office at Wolf Law Chambers Toronto all you need to care about are your practice and clients.
You will have access to the office 24/7 including the boardroom. So you can meet your clients in our sophisticated/elegant boardroom after hours and on weekends.
Premium Virtual Office in Toronto
If you are looking to expand your practice to Toronto or work from home, the Virtual Office is a great option for you. You will have a professional address in the core of downtown Toronto where you can meet and impress your clients.
With a virtual office you are a member of the pack, so you will have access to our referral network and our social and CPD credit events. On top of that, we will help you to promote your practice with a micro-website and social media posts.
Like other members, our office coordinator will take care of your packages and clients, and not even notice that your office is not physically with us.
Remember: We want you to succeed!
Location, Access and Parking
Wolf Law Chambers Toronto can be found on the corner of Adelaide St. West and York St. in the Richmond-Adelaide Centre within the financial district, steps away from the entertainment district and deep within downtown’s vibrant business community.
Our offices can easily be reached by car, transit, bike or on foot.
Our building is easily accessed from the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway. There is underground parking as well as other nearby parking options, such as the parking lot at City Hall.
If you prefer to take transit, the King and St. Andrews subway stations are minutes away, and Union Station and the Go Transit services are close by as well. The Richmond-Adelaide Centre is also connected to the PATH that connects Toronto underground enabling you to avoid the wind, snow and rain.
If you prefer to take your bike, the Richmond-Adelaide Centre has underground bike racks and changing rooms on the premises.
Premises
The Richmond-Adelaide Centre is a beautiful building with many amenities such as a food court, car wash and care, a fitness centre, outdoor space, and a concierge. Anything you could think of to make working away from home easier, this building has it, including dental clinics, a pharmacy and printing services.
The Richmond-Adelaide Centre has a beautiful patio and outdoor space where you can bring your food to eat and enjoy the sun. In 2020 a large sculpture, Dreaming by Jaume Plensa, was unveiled in the courtyard by Oxford Properties. Plensa hopes the sculpture will inspire all who see it to look inward, contemplate and dream of the future.
Services
Wolf Law Chambers has many services designed to help make our members’ practices run more smoothly and to free up their time to focus on the law and their clients. Included among our many amenities we have binding services available for binding court documents, live reception services where we greet and welcome clients as well as send and receive packages. As part of our community, legal practitioners also have unique access to our referral network and readily available witnesses and commissioners.
Security
As we are lawyers ourselves, we understand the paramount importance of confidentiality and security. To that end each private office will have their own separate internet connection. All the furniture as well as the offices are equipped with locks. We have installed an internal surveillance system to maintain the security of the Chambers at all times. Confidential documents can be discarded in a locked container which will be emptied and destroyed by a certified company. Working amongst a community of legal practitioners has the added benefit of a shared understanding amongst all the members regarding the importance of confidentiality and security. There is no better or safer space to set up a law practice.
Meet Clients in a Professional and Impressive Space
Wolf Law Chambers Toronto, like our other locations, has been exquisitely designed by the interior designers at Silver Elephant. The vibrant artwork is inspiring and motivating. Canyon-inspired walls and carpets complement the sleek finishes of the furniture. Natural light beams through tall windows and even on rainy days, the view is magical. Our boardroom combines the comfort of a meeting space, accents of Earth’s natural wonders and the inspiring view of the Toronto skyline to make a space that is both functional and destined to impress your clients.
Join Wolf Law Chambers Toronto!
Wolf Law Chambers is the place to be. It will help you save money in a professional and safe environment. Be surrounded by people that understand what your profession demands and will help you avoid distractions so that you can grow your practice. The best thing is: you are not alone. Our regular social events and office activities will keep you connected, supported and help you decompress.
Don’t waste time; schedule a tour or a phone meeting with a member of our team NOW.
Click here to schedule an in-person meeting to see our beautiful facilities.
To get more information about our services, schedule a phone meeting here.
If you want to learn more about our locations click here.
We will help you grow your practice.
At Wolf Law Chambers, we’re here to help you succeed
Julia Munk: Helping You Understand the Law
Julia Munk actively seeks to change the world by helping each of her clients understand their legal rights and the process they are apart of.
If you come away understanding the legal picture a little bit better, she has succeeded.
“When I was in the fifth grade my teacher asked us to draw pictures of what we wanted to be when we grew up. My best friend drew a teacher and the boy next to me drew a firefighter. I drew a stick figure holding up a sign on a stick and wrote across the top of my page, “When I grow up, I want to be a protester.”
My teacher asked my why I wanted to be a protester and without a second thought I responded, “So that I can change the world.”
– Julia Munk of Munk Law
A Change in Direction
Julia Munk originally intended on becoming a disability studies professor. She did her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto studying political science and equity studies. This was followed by a Masters at University of Victoria where she studied Studies in Policy and Practice and Social Services. Julia was ready to graduate and continue on a professorship career path when a situation developed in her personal life that changed everything. Julia suddenly became intimately familiar with parental rights and this led her to re-examine her career trajectory. She decided that her original plan did not line up with her shifting priorities. She concluded, “I realized I wanted a career where I’m not just writing about social justice in theory, but I’m actually able to do things for people in practice that will help their lives.” She decided to pursue a career in law.
Joining the Legal Community
After graduating from Osgoode Law School in Toronto in 2016, she considered the several options available to a newly-minted lawyer. The most attractive was becoming a sole practitioner. And Julia knew exactly the kind of law she wanted to practice and the types of clients she wanted to represent. Of course, Julia is glad to represent anyone who seeks her services, but she’s especially passionate about reaching the people who believe legal representation is beyond them, inaccessible physically, financially, or socially.
Being a sole practitioner can be lonely, so Julia began looking for ways to plug into the legal community. She heard about the law chambers concept and immediately loved the idea. A law chambers would connect her to the legal community and put her in direct contact with other lawyers. It would give her everything she was looking for: allow her to run her own practice but not feel like she was all by herself. Julia saw an ad on LinkedIn for Wolf Law Chambers and went for a meeting to learn more about the chambers concept. The price was right and provided a professional environment to work in and to meet clients. It was important to her to have an office space that reflected the professionalism with which she approaches her career. Wolf Law Chambers stood well above rivalling office options available to her as a new law practitioner. Everybody was friendly. At the end of her visit, she thought, “This place is up-and-coming,” And then, “I’m up-and-coming too.” So she signed up for a virtual office.
It’s proven to be a good decision. Julia has found that being part of Wolf Law Chambers reminds her that she’s not that different from other lawyers. “Sometimes I think when you’re working all by yourself you feel like you are,” she said. She loves being around other professionals who think law is as exciting as she does. She was also immediately connected to another lawyer who consulted with her on her specialty. The benefits of Wolf Law Chambers’s referral network were immediate.
Her Practice
Julia tries to make her practice as client-based as possible. “I’m trying to increase access to justice to the best of my ability to clients who would otherwise not be able to access legal services.” Family law, estates issues, and human rights are the three main prongs of her practice. Within estates, she enjoys doing something for families because it’s also connected to disability and capacity issues as well as protecting people’s rights as they get older. Disability law and elder law have a lot of overlap which intrigues her. Within family law, her scope ranges from child protection to representing parents with disabilities and the unique challenges they face. Julia practices all types of family law and has a special affinity for helping non-traditional families navigate the system. Under the umbrella of human rights, Julia will focus on education law, family law and rights in employment. She also acts as a consultant for other lawyers, educating and enabling them to interact and represent their disabled clients effectively. In the end, every case Julia takes on is done so with the goal to increase access to justice.
Philosophy
Julia believes a lawyer should be accessible, diligent and caring. She strives to be client-focused, empathetic towards her clients’ experiences, and takes time to explain the intricacies of the law to each one. She wants to help people who otherwise wouldn’t utilize legal services. “It’s not about disability or incapacity… Law plays a role in everyday life and I want it to be accessible to everyone.” Not just people who understand it, not just people who have the means, but also for the busy mom who needs legal advice, or the individual who has a tight budget. Julia likes helping people understand the processes of law and the documents they are required to sign.
Julia wants to incorporate inclusive design principles into her practice. This means creating a legal service that is inclusive of all people. In the future, Julia envisions creating a practice for lawyers that accommodates specialties of all kinds and draws lawyers from diverse backgrounds who reflect their communities. Julia has learned that her experience, her background and who she is lends her a unique perspective to issues that others may not have thought of. It still surprises her the way her insights sometimes light up another lawyer’s eyes giving them a new avenue of possibility to explore in a given case. “It’s one of my favorite parts, the idea that I can bring a new idea to the table,” she said.
In the End
There’s law in everyday life and Julia doesn’t want it to be just about ability or disability, that’s not the distinction that she feels should be focused on. She wants it to be about what law can do to improve and change the world. “I still want to be a protester,” she said, “but I’m trying to find practical ways of achieving that.” If just one person understands their employment contract a little bit better or understands their rights a bit better after working with her, she has succeeded.
If you have previously considered legal service just out of reach, Julia is here to guide you through the complexities of the legal system with care and compassion.
Neeraj Pal: Heart of the Community
Neeraj Pal is a new Canadian lawyer who practices corporate commercial, real estate and civil litigation law. His focus is on easing the burdens of his clients and helping with complex legal matters.
Neeraj Pal was born and raised in India. Before coming to Canada in 2017, Neeraj was a lawyer in India for 16 years. He worked as in-house counsel for ESPN, Vodafone, Viacom and Times Network in India. In Canada, he is a sole practitioner that focuses on corporate commercial, real estate and civil litigation.
The Beginning
Neeraj didn’t always want to be a lawyer. There were a few lawyers and judges in his extended family and to his limited child perception, they led rather boring lives. “I wanted to be someone who was free-spirited, doing their own thing,” he said. The trouble was, he wasn’t quite sure what it was that he wanted to do. No matter, he thought. He would start the track to become a lawyer to keep his parents happy and to give himself time to figure out where his true passion lay. He took the law school entrance exam, got into law school and realized with a mild shock that he loved it. Soon law became his passion. “I realized how amazing it is to search [for] new things, do research…fight a case…get a confirmatory result… And I was good at it,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
At one point in law school he had the opportunity to argue a case in a simulated court environment. He prepared his case law and his arguments, practiced his delivery. During his presentation, he was so wrapped up in his arguments that he didn’t realize he had gone beyond the allotted time. It didn’t seem to matter though, because when he was finished, his classmates were on their feet and showering him with applause. “[It was] such an amazing feeling,” he said. “I thought, if I can do it here, maybe I can do it somewhere else.”
Neeraj was called to the bar in India in 2001. He worked as a junior lawyer assisting a senior counselor in research, court appearances, documenting reviews and time management. During his next job at ESPN, he decided to do his Master in Laws in London, England. After his Masters, he was rehired by ESPN. Later on, he got an opportunity to be part of the Viacom’s dynamic legal team. Before heading to Canada, he was taking care of the legal and regulatory functions at Times Network, where he was dealing with serious techno-commercial agreements for the online and broadcast media business. Neeraj enjoyed the work and the team-based environment. When he and his family came to Canada in 2017, he contemplated returning to the same type of in-house environment but ultimately decided it was time to try starting his own practice, something he had wanted to do for awhile.
Coming to Canada
Neeraj took his accreditation exams while still in India so that when he arrived in Ontario, he was able to start the process to be licensed. He wrote his Barristers and Solicitors exams, completed his articling with Brampton Legal Community Clinic and was called to the bar in June 2019. He opened Gretis Legal in November 2019.
Neeraj focuses on corporate commercial and real estate civil litigation. In corporate commercial cases, he helps his clients incorporate a business, establish business practices, and develop employment agreements. In real estate, he focuses on sale and purchase transactions. In civil litigation he does personal injury claims and accident benefit claims.
Out of all the types of law, Neeraj has always been drawn to corporate commercial cases. It’s why he worked as in-house counsel in India. He feels a sense of kinship when many people are working together towards a common goal, to produce a product of the highest quality. And although he no longer works for a large company, he tries to bring that sense of ownership and partnership to the cases he works on with his clients. Real estate is his second area of interest. He finds it’s a way to stay connected to the community, give back to it, and stay in touch with the people within it, which is very important to him.
Third, Neeraj does civil litigation for personal injury claims and accident benefit claims. He finds litigation intriguing because he must stay active and updated on caselaw as it can change overnight. It’s a way to help people with their rights, making sure they get their share of things.
When asked what he’s most proud of, he gave a surprising answer. Neeraj said that the easy answer would be graduating from law school or passing the bar both in India and in Canada. He acknowledged that they are impressive accomplishments and he is proud of those moments, but to him, his proudest achievements are learning to knot his tie, learning how to swim as an adult, immigrating to a new country and starting all over again, and of course learning to drive on the other side of the road. He had to really work hard to overcome his fear (swimming) and years of trained instinct (driving) to succeed, which he did, and he’s beyond proud of those victories.
Choosing Wolf Law Chambers
After deciding to start his own practice, he began looking for an office space. Through a Google search, he found Wolf Law Chambers. He called and made an appointment for a tour. “They were very welcoming, and I was very impressed with the space,” he said. “I have worked most of my professional career in an environment where everybody has their own space but there is room to help each other. I wanted something similar. I never realized it would be available, but I saw [it] here.” When he checked it out, he knew he wanted an office at Wolf Law Chambers for himself. “The infrastructure is good, [there’s] 24/7 access and the coffee is great,” he added with a laugh. He noted that the clients who visited his office were very impressed. They liked the layout and the air of professionalism. The location is also a bonus as it’s pretty central in terms of reaching different parts of the GTA.
As a tenant of Wolf Law Chambers, he’s really impressed with the use of technology and how it’s been incorporated into office use. “They have enabled it to become your personal assistant,” he said. He can get his voice messages by email; he knows when he has mail or a parcel to pick up. He receives faxes electronically, negating the need to physically pick up the fax and then scan it himself. He can book the conference room online. “Technology has been used very positively, which is good because it can bring down efficiency [but not here], here it is used very nicely.” Too often, you don’t realize you need something until the need arises, but time and again, Neeraj has found his needs anticipated and fulfilled before he can voice them.
Looking forward
Short term, Neeraj would like to keep his practice running and keep learning about the Canadian system. Long term, he would like his practice to evolve into a big firm that has lawyers specializing in different areas, and for his practice to be heavily involved in the community. He also wants to create his own Bay Street. He sees a lot of good talent coming from outside Canada that could be utilized. He thinks it would benefit the community and be good opportunities for the incoming lawyers. “Not everyone can go to Bay Street after all, so why not make one right in the heart of my community?” he asked.
At the end of the day, his favourite part of being a lawyer is when he’s able to put a smile on his client’s face. When they’re able to walk out of his office satisfied and smiling, he’s happy. “Whatever it takes to make that happen,” he says, “I will do.” That smile is the best feeling of satisfaction.
If you would like to ease your burdens and smile, give Gretis Legal a call.
How to use Virtual Office Spaces to boost your firm’s image
When you’re running a small firm, it can be daunting to have a client visit your business. Especially if you’re managing day-to-day operations from home. Many small firms tend to deal with this issue. But why would you move into an expensive office space if your firm consists of a team of only 2 to 3 people?
There is another way. Now you can rent virtual office spaces from shared workspaces. We’ll cover the benefits that come with virtual offices and how they can impress your clients.
You’ll have access to a professional address
It can be uncomfortable putting your home address on business cards and your website. Now, you can use the address from your virtual office space. Doing this makes your business seem more professional especially when it pops up on Google Maps.
At Wolf Law Chambers, we have locations in premium places that are perfect for legal professionals. You can use one of our addresses to invite your clients to and use as your permanent working address.
Utilize the workspace amenities
With virtual office spaces, you’re usually able to use their workspaces. This can include working desk areas, having printer access, internet, and more.
If you use our virtual offices, you’ll even have access to a receptionist. They will handle calls from clients when they call into the lobby and will handle clients when they come to visit. This is a fantastic way to “WOW” your clients. There’s nothing more professional than having your own receptionist.
You can rent out office spaces
Have an upcoming client meeting? You can rent or request access to boardrooms or meeting spaces. These rooms are equipped with the tools you’ll need to make a great impression.
At our virtual office spaces, you will even have access to snacks and drinks. Your guests will love the accommodations and will appreciate the gesture.
Are virtual offices right for your business?
Virtual office spaces are a no brainer solution for small firms. With our virtual office spaces, you have a big business image despite your company’s actual size. Our office spaces are designed with legal professionals in mind. We will promote your business on our websites, help you record videos about your practice, and you’ll have instant access to our referral network. Rent any of our virtual office spaces in central Mississauga and Downtown Oakville. It’s time to take your business to the next level and join a community of legal professionals. Get in touch with us today.
Presentation Skills for Lawyers – Webinar Event
We would like to give a huge thank you to Max Beaumont from Potato Chip Communications for adjusting his presentation “Presentation Skills for Lawyers” to fit an online medium. Although we were not able to participate in some of the interactive exercises that were originally planned before COVID-19 arrived and online meetings became the norm, Max still made the session fun, interactive and memorable.
Everyone has experienced the nervousness that comes with giving public presentations, perhaps reminding us of that first middle school presentation that felt like a flop! Max understands this nervousness and outlines six major things to focus on to improve our presentation skills: mindset, body language, audience interaction, conversational delivery, and simple messages.
The biggest takeaway was mindset and audience interaction.
Our natural bent when explaining our presentation before our peers or others is to focus on ourselves: not messing up, slowing down our speech, getting sales, how we’re coming across. Bottom line? We’re thinking about ‘me’. Max challenged us to change our mindset, shifting it from the mechanics we’re engaging in to get our message across, to instead think about our audience, to listen to ourselves as if we were sitting in their shoes. In addition, he let us in on the ‘secret sauce,’ the key ingredient to channeling our nervousness into a presentation that achieves a conversational style and engages our audience in an accessible way. By the end, we all left the meeting with something to think about.
This is one of the benefits of being a member of Wolf Law Chambers, that from time to time we come together as a community of professionals to participate in ongoing educational seminars that are also open to friends of Wolf Law Chambers. And of course, the credits gained by attending count towards a legal practitioners’ annual requirement for continuing education.
We invite you to join us for our next seminar. Who knows? Maybe Max will be back.
What are your rights and obligations during the declared emergency?
Here’s a primer on the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.
This past long weekend you may have observed more police and provincial offences act officers out and about at public parks and in the community.
Police and provincial offences officers are now responsible for responding to calls related to the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (the “Act”) invoked by the Province of Ontario and as well as ensuring the public’s general compliance with it.
An emergency was declared by an Order in Council (Ontario Regulation 50/20) on March 17th, 2020 pursuant to section 7.0.1 of the Act. It was recognized that the outbreak of a communicable disease, namely COVID-19, constituted a “danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons.”
The initial period of the declared emergency was for fourteen days. It was extended a further fourteen days until April 13, 2020. On the recommendation of the Premier, the Assembly may by resolution extend the period of an emergency for additional periods of no more than twenty-eight days.
There have been a number of orders made under the Act which cover things like price gouging on hand sanitizer or the pick up and delivery of cannabis (if you are a holder of an authorization) during the declared emergency.
The emergency declaration has also called for a number of measures including:
- Closure of establishments (for example, all bars and restaurants, except to the extent such facilities provide takeout food and delivery) O. Reg 51/20
- The mandatory closure of non-essential workplaces (O. Reg. 82/20)
- Closure of outdoor recreational amenities (which includes outdoor playgrounds and outdoor sports facilities) O.Reg.104/20
- Strict restrictions on the size of organized public events, social gatherings, and conducting religious services, rites and ceremonies, being limited to 5 persons (except for members of single household), funeral services (not more than 10 people) O.Reg. 52/20
There are penalties in place for breaching the orders. Keep in mind that there are also provisions for the enforcement of these orders.
For example, officers may require an individual to provide their correct name, date of birth and address if they believe that a person has committed an offence (O. Reg. 114/20).
Failing to comply with any of the emergency orders is an offence under the Act but so is the failure to identify oneself accurately.
For example, failing to correctly identify one self carries a fine of $750 for failure to comply with an order made under the Act or $1,000 for obstructing any person in exercising a power if a provincial offences officer issues a ticket.
This is a significant departure from the law prior to the declared emergency. In my criminal practice I am often asked by my clients whether they are required to identify themselves to police upon request. My standard answer to that question was, “well that depends.”
If police stop you while you are driving or cycling you DO have to show the police identification. (This is required by the Highway Traffic Act and municipal bylaws.) But in many cases, if the police simply stop you on the street I tell my clients that you don’t have to show the police your identification or answer their questions.
An important caveat is that during the declared emergency – the scope of police powers are now significantly broader. If police or provincial offences officers have grounds to believe that you are breaching the Act, you should hand over your identification.
Finally, there is one last question I wish to address. Are the police stopping cars with two or more occupants and issuing tickets under the Act?
There have been rumours swirling on social media recently that police forces in the GTA are issuing tickets under the Act when there are two ore more people in a car if they do not live at the same address.
In fact, this rumour became so pervasive that Peel, Durham and York Regional Police have taken to social media to confirm that officers have NOT been directed to ticket vehicle occupants when there are two or more people in a car. Peel Police, however, DID recommend limited the number of people in any car to family, to limit the spread of the virus.
Be well and stay safe.
-Michelle Johal
Michelle Johal is a local criminal defence lawyer. She can be reached at [email protected]
Michelle Johal is a member of the Wolf Law Chambers community.
For more information on being a member try our free office calculator now.
Finding the Right Client for Your Practice
On February 19, Wolf Law Chambers welcomed Kim Piller from Sandler Training to give a talk on how lawyers and paralegals can increase their sales effectiveness.
Thanks to everyone who came!
Dezso Farkas, the Director of Wolf Law Chambers, started the evening with a summary as to why lawyers and paralegals don’t like to sell. When it comes down to it, there’s a negative connotation associated with sales. There’s also a general feeling that sales are not what the legal practitioner is trained to do. Law is what they trained to do. But as sole practitioners or small firms, the reality is that finding clients, promoting your practice is something you have to do.
In his presentation, Kim Piller spoke about why some sales fail: “winging” the sales pitch, lack of a plan, not really knowing what you’re selling, no process in place, and sometimes a sheer lack of compatibility. But all of that can be overcome. He provided tips and techniques to help make connections and land new clients.
He advocated for putting a system in place to help you sell. With a system, you’ll know what beats to hit in your sales pitch and this will help you maintain control, save time, stay on track, duplicate positive results and recognize any problems.
The goal is to get a positive result: a yes, a no, or a referral. Although getting a “no” may be counterintuitive as a positive result, it can lead to a lesson learned or simply saved time. Maybe’s are the negative result; causing you to bleed time and resources.
In the end, he reminded everyone, the thing to remember is people decide to purchase or choose you as their legal practitioner based on emotions. They will justify it later intellectually, but the emotions they feel are the deciding factor.
- Look at their personal needs.
- Be a good listener.
- Understand why they are coming to you.
Toronto Wolf Law Chambers coming soon
Dezso Farkas, a lawyer and the Director of Wolf Law Chambers, made his vision of a shared workspace for legal practitioners into reality in 2019. Wolf Law Chambers opened two locations, one in Mississauga in April and another in Oakville in December. It is designed to be a place to foster community and collaborations across all legal disciplines while still allowing the members to be autonomous.
Dezso recognized that solo practitioners face a lot of challenges in the day to day running of their practices and he wanted to help. Wolf Law Chambers has a marketing team to help with branding and advertising, sponsors networking events as well as CPD credit events and on the whole tries to anticipate its members’ needs.
To better serve the legal community, a new location is opening in Toronto in 2020. In addition to the courier and reception services that are already available, Wolf Law Chambers will be starting copying and binding services, and will have the option of the presence of a qualified legal practitioner available to sign documents with a client at one of the locations, all with the aim of saving our members’ time and making their lives easier.
Wolf Law Chambers is all about providing a place for legal practitioners to collaborate and be part of a community while still maintaining their solo identity and brand. If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, come on in. The doors are open.
No Detail Is Too Small: Thamar Abdu
Thamar Abdu of Thamar Bilingual Legal Services Ontario provides legal services in both French and English. After becoming a licensed paralegal in April 2018, Thamar started her practice in May 2018. She focuses on Small Claims Court matters and commercial litigation, such as a contract dispute between two businesses or between a business and an individual, as well as Landlord and Tenant issues. Her true love, though, is anything to do with contracts: going through the terms, finding the defects, examining the details.
Background
Up until three years ago, Thamar lived and worked in Quebec. She spent many years working in the financial industry before working for the government of Quebec. Both of these jobs played a role in where she has ended up today.
Her first encounter with the law as an employment opportunity was when she was asked to fill in for a colleague in the legal department of her employer’s company. To her delight, during her training she discovered an aptitude for law, understanding the concepts and aspects quite easily. As she did not have a legal education at the time, it remained a delightful discovery about herself, nothing more.
A few years later, Thamar was working for the Quebec government in a job that required her to know governmental procedure quite well and be very familiar with the law that intersected with her work. When her uncle visited from Ontario, she accompanied him to court on a minor matter, both for moral support and because she was familiar with the structure of a governmental/legal organization. Her uncle, seeing how much she enjoyed the visit to the Quebec courthouse, told her that in Ontario she could go back to school and become a licensed paralegal and provide legal services to the public.
At this point, a yearning for a new challenge had been quietly residing in the back of her mind for some time, specifically a chance to start her own business. But Thamar is not a person who works with her hands and so was not sure what her business would focus on. With no focus or outlet, the desire for her own business remained an idea. When her uncle told her about the paralegal educational opportunity, her dream came into laser sharp focus. Within a month she had resigned from her job in Quebec and enrolled in a paralegal education program in Ontario. Although it was scary and daunting to leave behind an established life as well as a secure and well-paying job, Thamar was also excited to be setting out on a new challenge, a challenge that she relished. She’s never looked back.
Puzzle Pieces
Thamar loves examining details, investigating terms, searching for information and uncovering facts. Every case is made up of thousands of tiny pieces and she enjoys putting them together to see the big picture. In another life, she might have been an investigator. As a paralegal, her passion for facts and details help her to understand each case fully. She examines every facet of a case thoroughly, looking for anything that might help or hinder her client. Although this level of detail might be daunting to some, Thamar thrives on it. She uses her drive to understand everything to her advantage, to enable her to grasp the situation a client might be facing and examine and present each possible outcome. She never underestimates the value of one detail. Although this passion for detail may cause frustration, it can also have the benefit of finding that one piece of the puzzle that changes the perspective of an entire case.
Although she is still building experience and her practice is young, she doesn’t let her newness stop or intimidate her. She throws her heart and soul into preparing for every case. All doubts and inexperience can be overcome with preparation and knowledge, she says. When asked how this translates to helping her clients, Thamar says that she is very thorough and outlines all possible outcomes that may arise. Her goal, she says, is not winning per se, but getting the best possible outcome in the circumstances for her client – be that money, an order from the judge or something else entirely.
Wolf Law Chambers
Choosing Wolf Law Chambers as the home for her practice is another decision Thamar has no regrets over. When she first started as a licensed paralegal, she worked out of a home office for a year but found it to be lonely work. She realized she needed to have other professionals around to talk about work, get opinions, brainstorm, get advice or even just to have a quick chat about coffee. Wolf Law Chambers provided this as it is a community of legal professionals. “It feels like a family,” she says. She found that her productivity soared when she was around other professionals and as an added boost, Wolf Law Chambers is more convenient for her practice. There’s a professional space readily available to meet clients, the boardroom, and if a client has problems in other areas of law, there are other legal professionals just outside her door who could help.
One of the benefits from starting her own business that Thamar enjoys is the freedom she’s gained to structure her day. As an early riser, Thamar long ago discovered her most productive hours were early in the morning. Once, those hours were needed to prep to get to the office for 9. Now that she runs her own practice, she can use those hours more effectively and efficiently because she can work from anywhere.
Although starting her own business has been challenging, Thamar focuses on the positive. She took the leap of faith to open her own business and pursue her love of law and details and contracts; what someone else may find tedious, Thamar finds fascinating.
Thamar and her eye for detail is ready to help you with your contract issues.
Determination and Perseverance Always: Gideon McMaster
Gideon McMaster of McMaster Law practices in the areas of criminal defense, civil litigation and commercial law. He was admitted to the bar in Trinidad and Tobago in 2012 and upon moving to Canada in 2017, started the accreditation process to be a licensed legal professional. Gideon has now been a Foreign Legal Consultant in Ontario since May 2017. He currently maintains his practice in Trinidad & Tobago, separate from his practice here in Ontario, which is new and growing quickly.
Gideon is grateful for the experience he gained in Trinidad and Tobago that shaped him into the lawyer he is today and where he has been involved in numerous high-profile cases. He values being licensed to practice both there and in Ontario and believes that both jurisdictions continue to develop him as a lawyer in their own unique ways. Gideon is inspired by top litigators who win difficult cases, especially those in which it seemed all hope had been lost.
The Choice to Become a Lawyer
Gideon’s choice to become a lawyer gradually formed from several factors. Since childhood Gideon has been outspoken, independently minded and passionate about the things in which he believes. Gideon’s interest in law as a career path developed through his association with persons involved in law and politics during his adolescence, including close friends of his family. His home is well known by relatives as a battleground for political debates. Gideon viewed the legal profession as a viable avenue through which he could generate positive changes in his environment. On the business side of things, he saw his parents build a very successful business from the ground up. Watching them, Gideon recognized that all success and failure would come through his own grit and determination. He understood that these qualities would also bring fulfillment in his life’s work.
Philosophy
Gideon sees his philosophy of life as consistently working towards being an agent of positive change in any environment he is in. He believes that determination, grit and a burning desire to succeed even when the odds are against you are the hallmarks of most successful individuals irrespective of profession. That’s the kind of lawyer Gideon desires to be.
The Mark of a Good Lawyer
Litigating is a superb career choice for people who like to argue, and Gideon thrives on arguing! While this might lead to difficulty in other professions, it is an excellent asset for litigators. It is the job of the litigator to argue for his client’s rights and it is one of Gideon’s goals to become a top litigator in the province. Litigating is not about winning – even though a love of arguing implies a love of winning. While Gideon loves competition, it is simply not the most important thing to him. He commented that winning is simply expected of lawyers, a by-product of their true purpose to fulfill their civic duty.
He freely admits that while winning has its benefits, he feels that making litigation about winning is not a true test of a lawyer’s skill or aptitude since there are many factors that may skew the results and make them look positive: choosing only “winnable” cases, getting a sympathetic judge, or having at one’s disposal considerably more favourable evidence. Because of these factors, Gideon believes that what makes a good lawyer is skill, not necessarily the lawyer’s record of wins.
To him, being a top litigator is more about honing his skill and doing the job with excellence and perseverance. It is about helping the people who come to him with the very best of his ability – this is Gideon’s passion.
Gideon describes a good lawyer as a person who:
- Understands the importance of the client and their obligation to them,
- Understands that in many instances people come to lawyers at the worst points in their lives, and,
- Shows compassion to those seeking out their services. Of course, every lawyer needs to have paying clients in order to make a living but Gideon believes there are times that a lawyer may need to take on a case pro bono, and he has personally found much fulfillment in doing so.
He has been fortunate to have won the vast majority of his cases, but he refuses to put a number to his win ratio. He attributes it to good trials and good luck together. Instead Gideon prefers to focus on his passion to help people who are in need of a skilled litigator.
Choosing Wolf Law Chambers
Gideon is excited to be a part of Wolf Law Chambers and the benefits it brings to his practice. Since he doesn’t need to worry about administrative details such as internet, phone bills or going to the post office – it’s all taken care of in-house – this allows much more time to be focused on his case load. Gideon chose Wolf Law Chambers because of its structural similarity to the law chambers model which exists in Britain and the Caribbean, where he was trained. He also practices in a law chambers in Trinidad & Tobago. Gideon is attracted to the idea of lawyers working in close proximity to one another as it fosters an environment in which lawyers can bounce ideas off one other, work collaboratively, have an intellectual exchange, and have the opportunity to learn and help one another.
Gideon is a very determined, goal-oriented lawyer. His belief that there is always room for growth inspires him to continue striving for excellence as he builds up his practice in Ontario and continues to hone his advocacy skills. His love of arguing and his sincere desire to help his client get everything they deserve make him a valuable addition to Wolf Law Chambers. Gideon never gives up… just like his favourite soccer team.
Gideon is an avid supporter of Manchester United. Attending Law School in Manchester, UK, gave Gideon plenty of time to observe the team’s story and philosophy of sheer determination and doggedness; to see them as a team that never says ‘die’ and fights to the bitter end. He believes that this is consistent with his own outlook and philosophy of life. Gideon is also an amateur soccer player and plays in the Burlington Soccer League with Squire FC.
If you have any legal matters pertaining to criminal defense, civil litigation or commercial law, feel free to contact Gideon for a consultation.