J. Matthew Sack Matthew is a graduate of the University of Toronto where he obtained his Honours B.A. in Political Science and English Literature. While at the University of Toronto, he was a Dean’s List scholar and graduated with Distinction. Matthew received his LL.B from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, and was the recipient of the Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Millenium Scholarship in Constitutional Law. While at the University of Windsor he worked at the university’s Community Legal Aid program for three years and participated in the Zuber Moot competition. Matthew articled with Devry Smith Frank LLP where he received a broad exposure to a variety of areas of litigation with an emphasis on mortgage enforcement and insurance defence. He was called to the Bar in 2003 following the successful completion of the Bar Admission Course in Toronto. Matthew’s practice focuses primarily in the areas of secured and unsecured debt recovery, with an emphasis on mortgage remedies, as well as bankruptcy and insolvency. He has acted as counsel for many Canadian chartered banks and other financial institutions on hundreds of recovery matters. Matthew is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Ontario Bar Association. He is also a Notary Public. By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 27, 2020September 6, 2023 No comments yet
Kelli Preston Kelli graduated from Osgoode Hall with an L.L.B. in 2002. Kelli was called to the bar in 2003 and became a partner of a litigation boutique firm in 2004 which provided her with a large breath of knowledge in a number of areas of law. She joined Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) in 2013. Kelli manages the Whitby, Bowmanville and Haliburton offices for DSF. Kelli’s litigation practice areas encompass, real estate and mortgage litigation cases including mortgage recovery, estate litigation, bankruptcy, securities litigation, professional negligence, and general corporate/commercial litigation. Working on cases at all levels of court in Canada, Kelli has counselled and co-counselled several significant cases at the trial and appellate level. In addition to litigation, Kelli also practices real estate including residential and commercial, mortgage refinancing, wills and estate planning, franchising, corporate including share purchase and asset purchase agreements. Prior to her call to the bar in January 2003, Kelli was a law clerk for 13 years. In this capacity, she gained significant experience working with prominent senior lawyers in the commercial litigation field, with a special emphasis on solicitor negligence claims. Kelli credits this background to her pragmatic approach to her files. Kelli lives in Brooklin Ontario with her husband and has three children. Kelli’s favorite pastime without a doubt is travelling. Having her next trip booked is mandatory! She also loves cooking, waterskiing, downhill skiing, practicing yoga and spending time with her family at their cottage in Haliburton. By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 27, 2020March 25, 2024 No comments yet
Larry W. Keown Larry has practised with the firm since 1997 as a litigator in the areas of commercial litigation, real estate law and employment law including: commercial landlord and tenant litigation, leasing disputes, real estate and mortgage litigation, banking recovery litigation, title insurance litigation, bankruptcy, receivership and insolvency, wrongful dismissal and employment law, oppression remedy and shareholder disputes, franchise disputes, construction lien litigation, injunctions, estate litigation, partnership litigation, commercial contract disputes and collections. Larry completed his honour arts degree in Psychology and Sociology at Brandon University in Manitoba and his law degree at Osgoode Hall Law School. After articling at the firm in 1995/1996, Larry was called to the Bar in 1997 and admitted as a partner in the firm in 2003. For more than a decade, Larry has been the Managing Partner of the firm. Larry’s clients include a broad range of individuals, corporations and institutions including: major banks, lenders, title insurers, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers, shareholders, employers, employees, commercial landlords, commercial tenants, property managers, insurers and others. He has significant courtroom experience, having appeared before the Small Claims Court of Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice, the Federal Court of Canada, the Divisional Court in Ontario and the Ontario Court of Appeal on numerous motions, applications, trials and appeals. Larry has also appeared before many tribunals including: the Financial Services Commission, the Work Place Safety and Insurance Tribunal and the Ontario Labour Relations Board. He also has participated in many alternative dispute forums including: arbitrations and mediations. To see what some of Larry’s clients have said about him please visit our Client Testimonials page. Our law firm is conveniently located at Lawrence and Don Mills and we offer free parking. For further information or assistance with a legal matter please contact Toronto lawyer and litigator Larry Keown. By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 27, 2020September 5, 2023 No comments yet
Shawna M. Sosnovich Shawna M. Sosnovich joined Devry Smith Frank LLP in 2007 and is a partner of the firm. Shawna currently practices in the areas of commercial litigation, bankruptcy and insolvency, debt recovery, and employment law for a variety of small and medium-sized businesses, institutional clients including banks, title insurers, commercial landlords and trustees in bankruptcy, as well as individuals, employers, employees and professional advisors. Shawna was called to the Bar in 1999 after completing her Bachelor of Laws degree at Osgoode Hall Law School in 1997. Prior to joining Devry Smith Frank LLP, Shawna practiced in the areas of civil and commercial litigation with a well-respected GTA law firm, where she gained valuable experience in contractual disputes, debt collection, civil fraud, employment, and bankruptcy and insolvency matters. Shawna has extensive courtroom experience and has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court in Ontario, and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. In addition, Shawna has been counsel at private mediations and prides herself on negotiating practical alternatives to resolve disputes. Cases in which Shawna has appeared as counsel have been reported in the Ontario Reports and other industry reporting services. Shawna Sosnovich is a member of the Law Society of Ontario. TESTIMONIALS “Thank you Shawna for your expertise and advice with my employment matter. You improved my settlement and acted with professional skill and determination. It was a pleasure dealing with you and your on-the-ball assistant, Carmen. – L.P.” “My experience working with Shawna at DSF was unimaginably wonderful. Before retaining Shawna, I met with few lawyers to help me with what I knew is going to be a challenging and an extremely emotional ride. When I met with Shawna though, there was an instant trust that with no hesitation I knew at our first meeting I want to work with her and here we go, 4 years later, we got our successful outcome.During the four years of working with Shawna on a hotly contested litigation matter, Shawna was able to keep track of so many moving parts, so many developments and twist and turns. Throughout the process, her exceptional attention to detail, her professionalism, her expertise and her thorough research provided us with a positive outcome.Her calm yet firm style were truly amazing. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without her guidance throughout. She was reassuring in the face of set backs and challenges, yet always offered realistic advice and kept my case moving forward. Going to court is never a pleasant experience, but Shawna was there with me at every step – As much as she was my lawyer, she was my sounding board. Shawna is one of a kind. Thank you so much Shawna! – Maryam Mostaedi.” I wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you. We received our funds today. I cannot express how great full we are for the funds and to put this in the past. Thank you so much for representing us, believing in our case and staying the course. We appreciate the both of you!-Thank you again.-Dave By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 27, 2020September 5, 2023 No comments yet
Christopher W. Statham Christopher joined the commercial litigation group at Devry Smith Frank LLP following his call to the bar in 2011. His practice focuses on construction litigation, including lien claims, breach of trust claims and construction deficiency matters as well as real estate litigation, commercial tenancy disputes and insurance litigation. Additionally, as a member of our commercial litigation group, Christopher has experience dealing with a range of other complex commercial disputes including shareholder disputes, employee fraud & fraud recovery, employment law matters, and defamation litigation. He frequently appears before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and has also appeared before the Divisional Court, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Federal Court of Canada, the Tax Court of Canada, the Small Claims Court, Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board and the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Christopher is a graduate of the University of Toronto (Hons. B.A. & M.A) and the University of New Brunswick (LL.B). He completed his articles with Devry Smith Frank LLP and is the self-proclaimed president of the firm’s library committee. He is also a member of the Law Society of Ontario and the Canadian Defence Lawyers Association. By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 26, 2020September 5, 2023 No comments yet
Lawrence Hansen Acting for individuals, corporations and institutions, Lawrence Hansen has a highly varied commercial litigation practice which includes dealing with commercial disputes, business and employee fraud, the enforcement of judgments, debt recovery, contract disputes as well as litigation arising from commercial leases. Lawrence also has over ten years of experience with insurance-related matters, mostly but not exclusively for insurers, focusing on complex litigation matters, particularly those involving insurance fraud, coverage, title insurance, and allegations of bad faith. He has advised clients on difficult questions surrounding suspicious and potentially fraudulent claims, their investigation, the remedies available to clients, and high-risk arson claims. In addition, Lawrence has been retained to represent defendants in personal injury and product liability claims. From Canada’s Atlantic coast, Lawrence spent a year studying Spanish and living in South America and Mexico. He is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick (History), McGill University’s Faculty of Law, and has earned a Certificate in Conflict Management from the University of Windsor (Stitt Feld Handy). Lawrence has studied Spanish at the University of Toronto, in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico and Venezuela. Lawrence is a member of the board of directors of the Simcoe County Law Association as well as of the Barrie Literacy Council. By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 20, 2020April 26, 2024 No comments yet
