Alfonso Gurreri Alfonso recently completed the LLB Program at the University of Hertfordshire in London, United Kingdom. While Alfonso was in law school, he worked with the school to assist with improving international student applications. Prior to studying and working in law, Alfonso worked as a Merger and Acquisition intern during his final year of undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto. This experience is what encouraged Alfonso to attend law school. Alfonso is excited to be working with the team at Devry Smith Frank and looks forward to assisting in any problem-solving situations and helping the team serve their clients best. By Justin DominicApril 6, 2021April 7, 2021
Esther Abecassis Esther Abecassis joined Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) in 2021 as an associate lawyer in our wills and estates and corporate groups. She is a graduate of Western University where she earned both her B.A. and J.D and was soon called to the bar in 2019. Esther began her legal career at a mid-sized downtown firm as a member of the corporate and tax law groups. She then joined a boutique corporate law firm where she developed her skills in business law, estate planning, and real estate. Esther specializes in private wealth management and business law with extensive experience in dealing with large and complex estate matters. She has worked closely with businesses and organizations to provide effective strategies at all stages of development from incorporation to sale. Her clients value her understanding of complex legal issues and her ability to provide individual client-focused solutions. Esther is fluent in Spanish and her interests include camping, travelling, cooking different cuisines and swimming. She is also a Broadway enthusiast having attended over 50 different plays. By Justin DominicFebruary 16, 2021March 24, 2021
Cindy Leung Cindy Leung joined Devry Smith Frank LLP in August 2020 as an associate lawyer in our litigation, personal injury and insurance groups. She is a graduate of Queen’s University (B.Sc in Life Sciences) and the University of Western Ontario (J.D.). Cindy was called to the Ontario bar in 2017. Prior to DSF, Cindy practiced with a reputed boutique law firm in Toronto gaining experience acting on numerous complex matters including motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, medical malpractice, (sexual) assaults, product liability, burn injuries, dog injuries, wrongful dismissals, disability benefits, and home insurance claims. She values effective communication and while drafting Cindy strives for mathematical clarity by explaining calculations line by line along with the applicable assumptions. Her client-centric approach and fluency in Mandarin and Cantonese have made her a respected and trusted advisor to her many clients. During her spare time, she enjoys reading and is an avid hiker, having travelled extensively across Canada. If you need assistance on injury-related cases, consult with our personal injury lawyer in Toronto by contacting Cindy at 416-847-3580 or emailing her at cindy.leung@devrylaw.ca By Fauzan SiddiquiSeptember 17, 2020December 10, 2020
Steven Huryn Steven recently graduated from the Juris Doctor program at the University of Western Ontario. While attending law school he received several academic honours. He was on the Dean’s Honour List (top 10% of class) and received awards for achieving the highest grade in his Civil Procedure course (out of close to 200 students) and International Tax Law course. Steven also worked as a research assistant in Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law and was a member of Western’s Bowman National Tax Moot team for 2020. In 2019, following his second year of law school, Steven joined DSF as a summer law student during which time he assisted with many Commercial Litigation and Small Claims Court files. Prior to studying law, Steven completed his Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Environmental Science at the University of Toronto. As a graduate student, Steven worked as a teaching assistant in multiple courses and his research has resulted in four publications in leading peer-reviewed journals. Steven also has experience working in Toronto’s real estate industry. He enjoys interacting with people and problem solving, which is in large part what motivated him to become a lawyer. By Fauzan SiddiquiSeptember 17, 2020November 5, 2020
Kathrin Gardhouse Kathrin Gardhouse joined Devry Smith Frank LLP as an articling student in August 2020. Kathrin completed the Global Profession Master of Laws (GPLLM) at the University of Toronto in 2020. She has previously been trained in German civil law at the Westphalian Wilhelms University in Münster, where she graduated among the top two percentile nationwide in 2016. Upon emigrating to Canada in 2016, Kathrin expanded her education by conducting two years of graduate studies in philosophy at McMaster University in Hamilton with special emphasis on philosophy of law. For her major research project “Comparative constitutional law – binding and persuasive precedent”, Kathrin was awarded a SSHRC scholarship. She withdrew from the PhD program in good standing in order to become licensed in law in Ontario and commenced her accreditation process in 2019. Other than in Germany and Canada, Kathrin also studied law in Luxembourg for one year and completed two internships in the United States, with the Beaver County District Attorneys and a sole family and estates law practitioner in Pittsburgh respectively. Kathrin worked part-time as a legal assistant for a family and fertility lawyer in Toronto while completing the GPLLM. There she gained valuable experience in contract drafting and financial disclosure proceedings. In her free time, Kathrin is a passionate Salsa, Bachata, and Kizomba dancer. She plays beach volleyball and enjoys woodwork and sewing. By Fauzan SiddiquiSeptember 17, 2020February 3, 2021
Kenna Bromley Family lawyer Kenna Bromley joined Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) in 2020 as an associate in our Barrie Family Law group. She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor of Arts and later received her Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa. Prior to joining DSF, Kenna advocated on behalf of clients at a law firm in Orillia where she gained extensive litigation experience in divorce and separation, custody, access, support, property, and child protection proceedings. As a Barrie family lawyer, Kenna has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and although her practice is taking her to the courtroom often for conferences, summaries, motions and trials, she also uses collaborative and alternative processes to reach agreements that are mutually beneficial for all parties involved. She serves as a panel member for the Office of Children’s Lawyer, County Simcoe, Ontario where she acts as counsel and represents children clients under both the CLRA and CFSA. Kenna is also actively involved as a volunteer for various causes including community outreach, charitable events, and currently serves as vice-chair and board member for the Barrie Women and Children’s shelter. Outside the court, she spends much of her spare time practicing yoga, exploring healthy cooking and playing golf. For more information regarding family law, please contact Barrie family lawyer Kenna Bromley at kenna.bromley@devrylaw.ca Kenna has acted as counsel for the following reported decisions: Balfour v. Balfour, 2019 ONSC 2892 (CanLII) Lonsdale v. Smart, 2018 ONSC 3991 (CanLII) Kaplan v. Kaplan, 2015 ONSC 1277 (CanLII) Graham v. Sherman, 2015 ONSC 1882 (CanLII) S.D.G. v. A.S., 2015 ONSC 752 (CanLII) Sine v. Bannister, 2016 ONSC 7750 (CanLII) By Fauzan SiddiquiJuly 15, 2020December 16, 2020 No comments yet
James A. Proskurniak Jim is an experienced Toronto lawyer who joined the business law group of Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) early in 2014. In his previous years of practice, Jim was a senior business law partner in the Toronto office of a well respected national Canadian law firm. With DSF, Jim looks forward to continuing to offer client-focused and cost-effective legal services and solutions as a trusted advisor to business owners, corporations, institutions and organizations. All clients benefit from Jim’s extensive experience in advising domestic and foreign clients in all aspects of Canadian corporate and commercial law including loans secured by personal and real property, business formation and corporate law and business succession planning. In his commercial lending practice with DSF, Jim will continue to provide personalized and value-added services to a broad range of lenders including banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, private lenders, institutional and other specialty lenders and governmental financing agencies. He is also well versed in providing commercial law support to restructuring and insolvency practitioners in connection with loan realization and work-out transactions. His financial services clients benefit from his extensive experience in advising domestic and foreign lenders in all aspects of Canadian commercial lending law including syndicated and single lender loan documents, security documentation collateralizing both personal and real property, inter-creditor and subordination agreements, cross-border issues, specialized security over investment property, transactional legal opinions, banking services and products and the regulatory aspects of foreign lenders operating in the Canadian market. He also provides expert advice with respect to the application and interpretation of the Ontario Personal Property Security Act and Securities Transfer Act, 2006. Jim’s business law practice with DSF will accentuate his personalized and value-added services to small and medium-sized Canadian businesses and subsidiaries of foreign multinational corporations and to the institutions and organizations that serve and interact with those types of businesses. Business owners will benefit from his broad experience in structuring and implementing business succession planning transactions. Jim’s industry experience includes automotive, aerospace, agriculture, financial services, investment advisory, financial planning, technology, manufacturing, sports franchises, pension funds, distributors, transportation, infrastructure, cooperatives, marketing, brand advisory and commercial real estate. He enhances his legal practice through involvement in various business and legal professional organizations, and he gives back to the legal community through writing, teaching and participation in law reform committees. In his spare time, Jim likes to spend time with close friends and family. He enjoys a good movie and has been known to attend popular music concerts by both classic and upcoming performers, at venues large and small. Summer often finds him assisting happily with gardening and landscaping projects around the house. By Justin DominicMay 28, 2020November 26, 2020 No comments yet
Marty Rabinovitch Français Marty is a graduate of Queen’s University (B.A.H. in Political Studies) and the University of Windsor (LL.B.). He received multiple academic awards from Queen’s University and Upper Canada College. He was the recipient of the 2008 Gavel Award from the University of Windsor for the best-written judgment of a student judge presiding over the Law 1 moots. He also participated in the Laskin Moot competition, where he presented his arguments in French. Marty spent several summers working at Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) and articled with the firm from 2009-2010. As an articling student, Marty was involved with many Small Claims and Superior Court matters. He has attended at examinations for discovery, settlement conferences and trials. Marty has also appeared before masters and Superior Court judges on various motions and other matters and has also attended at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Marty was called to the bar in 2010 and currently practises in the areas of commercial litigation, employment law and human rights law. While attending law school, Marty volunteered at Community Legal Aid at the University of Windsor and Pro Bono Students Canada. He is an avid tennis player, enjoys watching and umpiring baseball, and has travelled extensively in Europe. TESTIMONIALS “Marty R and Stuart C. were able to help us with a challenging personal and business crisis. We are grateful for their professionalism and kindness (and that of their support staff). I would recommend their services to anyone facing an analogous situation. Thank you, gentlemen”.— Jonathan S. “We have worked with Marty R. regarding several different employment matters over the years. His work is thorough and he has guided us through difficult business decisions. We have also worked with Justin W. and Florendo L. and are pleased with the service they provide us. Highly recommended!”. — Raj Suppiah. “I work with Marty often and he is always very quick to get back to me and is excellent at taking the time to fully detail all scenarios and suggestions. The level of professionalism is exceptional and if Marty is unavailable, there is always another team member willing to assist.” — Brandilee Maxwell REPORTED DECISIONS: Appellant v. TDSB Chatoor v. Xerox Global Services, 2011 HRTO 2232 (CanLII), which addressed an employer’s objection to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario’s jurisdiction to adjudicate a complaint; Ruremesha v. Travelers Guarantee Company of Canada et al, 2012 HRTO 1044 (CanLii) in which the Tribunal decided that a full hearing would be required to address all issues raised in the Application, and Koenig v. University of Toronto, 2012 HRTO 1098 (CanLII), which was a reconsideration decision of the Tribunal with respect to allegations of discrimination based on citizenship. By Justin DominicMay 28, 2020January 8, 2021 No comments yet
Michael E. Reed Michael Reed has practiced in Barrie since 1972, building a large clientele base consisting of second and third-generation individuals. An extensive portion of his practice involves residential real estate covering new homes, condominiums, re-sales and refinancing, as well as commercial real estate and leasing. Michael also practices in the area of wills, powers of attorney, estate planning for disabled individuals (Henson Trusts), and the utilization of trusts, estate planning, and administration of estates. The corporate portion of Michael’s practice consists of some 400 companies, including some of Simcoe County’s largest private corporations and farming enterprises. Included in this area of law are acquisitions, mergers, re-organizations, amalgamations of businesses, purchase and sale of businesses by way of asset transactions and/or sale share transactions, and partnership agreements. Other projects include subdivision development and severances for corporate and individual clients. Having obtained his Master of Laws in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School, Michael has conducted several mediation sessions to resolve commercial disputes. Michael has been a highly active member of the community through his involvement with Simcoe Community Services, Junior Achievement, masons, Shriners, Minor Baseball Association, and Barrie Integrated Baseball Association. By Justin DominicMay 28, 2020November 11, 2020 No comments yet
Nicholas Reinkeluers Commercial litigation lawyer Nicholas Reinkeluers is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (B.A. and J.D.). Nicholas was called to the bar in 2013. Prior to joining Devry Smith Frank LLP in 2019, Nicholas practiced at a leading litigation firm in downtown Toronto. Nicholas has been involved in a broad range of commercial litigation matters, including contract disputes, shareholder and partnership disputes, professional negligence claims and disciplinary proceedings, mortgage enforcement litigation, employment disputes, injunctions, claims against directors and officers, appeals, construction litigation, and commercial arbitrations. He also has experience representing employers and employees in a wide variety of employment law matters, including reviewing and negotiating employment contracts and termination packages, wrongful dismissal actions, workplace bullying and harassment, and human rights disputes. Nicholas has represented clients in proceedings before the Ontario Small Claims Court, Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, Court of Appeal, and various administrative tribunals. Nicholas takes a pragmatic approach to litigation. He believes in resolving disputes in the most efficient, timely, and cost-effective manner possible. Outside the office, Nicholas enjoys cycling, snowboarding, travelling, and playing the piano. By Justin DominicMay 28, 2020January 4, 2021 No comments yet
