Adam has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and regulatory tribunals on a variety of matters including corporate and securities litigation, real estate and construction litigation, bankruptcy and insolvency litigation, competition and consumer protection litigation, business torts, commercial tenancies litigation, professional negligence and quasi-criminal proceedings.
Peter is a partner at Wagner Sidlofsky LLP. Prior to joining the firm, Peter spent the first years of his litigation career representing class members in class actions regarding alleged breaches of the Securities Act and Competition Act. He has also been involved in files dealing with oppression remedies, derivative actions, and breach of contract disputes.
Sarah is a Partner at Epstein Cole LLP. Since her call to the Bar in 2013, Sarah has practiced exclusively family law. Her practice covers all areas of family law, through both the alternative dispute resolution (mediation and arbitration) and litigation processes. Sarah has confidently acted as counsel in matters before all levels of court in Ontario, including the Court of Appeal for Ontario, as well as interprovincial matters. Sarah completed the Screening for Power Imbalances Including Intimate Partner Violence training and the Certificate program in Family Mediation from York University School of Continuing Studies. For select files, Sarah acts as parenting coordinator, mediator, or arbitrator to help families resolve disputes in a cost-effective and thoughtful way. Sarah is actively involved in the legal community, sitting on the Ontario Bar Association Family Law Executive since 2020 (including as Secretary for the 2020/2021 and 2022/2023 terms). Sarah has also co-authored various papers for various professional development programs and has been published in the Canadian Family Law Quarterly, and has chaired such programs offered by the OBA. Sarah is committed to advancing access to justice and acts as a Pro Bono Lawyer Supervisor with the Family Justice Centre (an initiative with Legal Aid Ontario, Pro Bono Students Canada and Epstein Cole LLP) and a Volunteer Lawyer for Luke’s Place Virtual Legal Clinic. Sarah was the 2022 inaugural recipient of The Patrick D. Schmidt Future of Family Law Award (The Advocates’ Society) and has been recognized by her peers, including as part of the 2024 Best Lawyers Ones to Watch.
David practices exclusively in commercial and estate litigation. He appears regularly on behalf of clients in shareholder disputes, oppression remedies, contractual disputes and torts. In the context of estate litigation fights, David routinely is involved in Will Challenges, executor and accounting disputes.
Aaron has a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from the University of British Columbia. He graduated from the Joint M.B.A./LL.B Program at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Shulich School of Business in 1996 and was called to the bar in 1998. Since his call to the bar, he has practiced exclusively in the areas of family law (and related areas) and in the defense of solicitor’s negligence claims.
He is an Adjunct Professor (Family Law) at the University of Toronto Law School and was previously an Adjunct at Osgoode Hall Law School. He was formerly an instructor with the Family Law Section of the Bar Admission Course, and he is a Dispute Resolution Officer for the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto.
He has co-authored “This Week in Family Law” (Carswell) since January 2020. He is presently the Editor-in-Chief of the Reports of Family Law (Carswell) and was Associate Editor since 2005.
Aaron is a regular contributor/speaker at continuing legal education programs, and he has authored papers and chapters in several publications on family law issues. He is regularly retained to mediation and/or arbitrate family law matters.
Aaron is listed in the Lexpert (“most frequently recommended”) and Best Lawyers directories, ranked in Chambers & Partners Global High Net Worth Guide in Family/Matrimonial: High Net Worth (Canada), and is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and American College of Trial Lawyers. He is a member of the Planning Committee for the bi-annual National Family Law Program run by the Federation of Canadian Law Societies, and was previously Co-Chair of the Six Minute Family Lawyer for 8 years and on the Board of the Advocates’ Society.
He is the proud owner of Oliver, the Bernese Mountain Dog.
Craig is certified as a Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law. His practice includes all aspects of estate, trust, capacity, fiduciary and power of attorney disputes and litigation for clients consisting of individuals, trust companies, government agencies and other organizations.
* Legal services provided through Craig Vander Zee Professional Corporation
An associate in the firm’s Family Law Group, Meaghan advises clients on a wide range of matters, including parenting issues, child and spousal support, contracts and agreements, property and all other financial matters resulting from the breakdown of a relationship.
Prior to joining Torkin Manes, Meaghan was an associate at a prominent family law firm in downtown Toronto, and has extensive experience working specifically in child protection. Her diverse background provides a unique approach to family law matters with an emphasis on efficient and effective conflict resolution.
David brings an approach to resolving his clients’ legal issues that is rooted in a deep understanding of the law but is very pragmatic. He is happy to work with clients on simple and complex matters and within the confines of a client’s resources.
James is a partner at Wagner Sidlofsky LLP. He practices exclusively in the areas of estate litigation, where he is certified as a Trust and Estate Practitioner, and commercial litigation. As a former criminal defence lawyer, James is well accustomed to high conflict, high stakes litigation. James is an assertive, knowledgeable advocate for his clients.
Bradley Phillips is an experienced litigation lawyer with a diverse practice history which enables him to provide a breadth of knowledge and experience to his clients. His practice includes commercial, estate and insurance litigation.
Erin Betts is a partner at Epstein Cole LLP, where she specializes in family law matters.
She is a panel member of the Office of the Children’s Lawyer in Ontario, representing children in custody and access disputes as well as child protection matters.
Erin is a dispute resolution officer with the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto and a contributor to continuing legal education programs throughout Ontario. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor.
Erin is a public member of the Council of the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario, where she sits on various committees and is a former Chair of the discipline committee.
She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, the Family Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts – Ontario Chapter, and the Advocates’ Society.
Known for her ability to hone in on the small but critical details without losing sight of the big picture, Alyssa takes a strategic and considered approach to resolving her clients’ family law issues. She applies a high degree of focus, organization, and integrity to ensure all parties remain on the most efficient path toward a results-oriented outcome.
Alyssa is a partner at Epstein Cole. Her family law practice involves a broad range of issues including parenting and financial matters. She regularly advises clients on child support, spousal support, property issues, separation agreements, cohabitation arrangements, and marriage contracts. With a background in business, she brings additional insight to sophisticated corporate, trust, tax, business, and investment structures as they relate to family law.
She represents clients through negotiation, litigation, mediation, and arbitration. She regularly appears in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.
Alyssa handles each case with empathy for the financial and emotional consequences her clients face, with a focus on protecting the family’s best interests and well-being. She is honest and direct with her clients. You will find Alyssa to be responsive, passionate, and professional at all times – no question, concern, or issue is too small to warrant her full attention.
Gregory Sidlofsky is an experienced litigation lawyer certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Civil Litigation. Greg aggressively and successfully advocates for his clients. He appears regularly before all levels of court in Ontario and before various administrative tribunals. Greg has also represented clients in proceedings before the Supreme Court of Canada.
Hilary is a family law lawyer at Epstein Cole LLP. Following her graduation from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Hilary articled with the firm before returning as an associate. Hilary’s practice encompasses all areas of family law, including complex financial issues relating to both property and support, domestic contracts, and parenting matters. She has successfully represented clients in all levels of court in Ontario. In parallel with her private practice, Hilary has worked with various pro bono initiatives to assist underserved and marginalized populations.
Kristy is the Knowledge Management & Practice Support lawyer at Epstein Cole LLP and practises exclusively in the area of family law. Kristy graduated from the University of Toronto Law School and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2016.
In her role, Kristy provides guidance and support to the firm’s lawyers in their practices, and strategic input into complex and novel legal issues for trial and appeal advocacy. She is a valuable resource to the firm, facilitating efficient exchange of knowledge and lawyer development to the benefit of the firm’s clients, as the firm maintains its reputation as the leading family law firm in the country.
Kristy is an Associate Editor of the Reports of Family Law and assists with “Franks & Zalev, This Week in Family Law”, a weekly family law newsletter published in FamilySource by WestlawNext Canada.
Raquel is a partner at Wolfson Law Professional Corporation. For over 15 years, she has worked with families on their estate planning, including Wills, probate, succession strategies, risk mitigation and related real estate matters. She frequently advises business owners on their corporate affairs such as incorporation, the sale of a business or getting contracts in place.
Raquel has been extensively involved Toronto Metropolitan University’s Law Practice Program, developing portions of its curriculum, teaching and mentoring students.
Raquel received her JD from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a bachelor of commerce from McGill University.
Howard Zerker is a Consultant in the Audit & Advisory Group at Crowe Soberman. Not a stranger to the firm, Howard re-joined the firm in 2010, 26 years after beginning his chartered accountancy career at Crowe Soberman in 1984. He has since attained many years of experience having formed and managed his own practice for more than 17 years. Most recently, Howard was at a smaller independent firm, where he was a partner for five years.
Howard consults with clients ranging from small to mid-sized family-owned businesses to multi-million dollar corporations. While he provides his expertise in a wide range of industries, his areas of specialty are in the information technology (IT), entertainment, sports and media (television and film productions), and privately-held business sectors.
Howard also has extensive experience in and works closely with not-for-profit organizations, professionals and commercial real estate leasing companies.
Denise Batac joined Crowe Soberman in 2012 and is a Partner in the firm’s Tax Group. Denise has more than 15 years’ experience in accounting. Prior to joining Crowe Soberman, Denise worked at a small accounting firm in Toronto where she gained a broad range of experience with private companies, assisting small owner-managed business and individuals with their tax and audit needs.
Since joining Crowe Soberman, Denise has developed in-depth expertise in personal and corporate tax planning as well as compliance. In her position, Denise enjoys the exposure to the different areas in the firm’s tax practice including estate and succession planning, corporate reorganizations and structuring, as well as dealing with cross-border issues.
Denise is well-versed in matters relating to many different sectors and industries; her client portfolio includes, but is not limited to owner-managed businesses, professionals, service organizations as well as real estate and construction.
Clare Burns is an experienced litigator who acts in complex and highly sensitive matters. Her practice focuses on trusts, estates and capacity litigation. In 2014, Clare received the Lexpert Zenith Award for her demonstrated excellence and thought leadership in trusts and estates.
She served as the Children’s Lawyer for the Province of Ontario from 2003 to 2008 pursuant to an Order-in-Council appointment.
As the Children’s Lawyer, Clare’s office was responsible to investigate, advocate, protect and represent persons under the age of 18 in proceedings before the courts and tribunals of Ontario. In this role, she supervised more than 11,000 cases including variations of trust, will challenges, passings of accounts, guardianships and all kinds of dependant’s relief matters. She also developed expertise in personal injury matters.
Jonah Waxman is a Partner in the Wills, Trusts & Estates Practice Group at WeirFoulds LLP.
Before joining WeirFoulds LLP, Jonah practised at a reputable law firm serving clients throughout Peel, Southern Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area. During this time, he was responsible for carriage over a variety of diverse litigation matters, including but not limited to guardianship and estate disputes, oppression claims, aborted real estate transactions, and solicitor-client assessments.
Jonah has appeared on contentious motions and applications before the Ontario Court of Appeal, Ontario Divisional Court of Justice and Ontario Superior Court of Justice. He has also conducted multi-week trials before both judges and juries, as well as before various administrative tribunals.
Known for her razor-sharp judgement and deep sense of fairness, Ilana successfully resolves seemingly impossible and complex family law disputes in pragmatic, creative and cost-effective ways. Her ultimate goal is for families to resolve their conflicts with dignity and respect for one another. Ilana adapts her advocacy style and legal approach to best meet the specific needs and goals of her clients, through negotiation, mediation, arbitration or in the court room.
Ilana’s tenacious pursuit of justice, her probing cross-examinations and her command of the facts and the law have led her to work on ground-breaking and precedent setting cases at both trial and appellate levels, including appearing before the Supreme Court of Canada. Her work has set the standard for domestic contract negotiations across the country.
Ilana is regularly sought out for her expertise in advising multigenerational family businesses and home offices on the interplay between family law and corporate and trust structures. Her areas of focus include complex valuations of private businesses, professional corporations, executive compensation and pension plans, complex trust and tax structures, as well as cross-border issues. Ilana also has extensive experience dealing with parenting issues and managing complicated family dynamics.
She is an Associate Editor of the Reports of Family Law and has authored papers and lectured before the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Ontario Bar Association. Ilana taught family law at the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Bar Admission course. She was appointed as a Dispute Resolution Officer (“DRO”) for the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. As a DRO, Ilana conducts family law conferences, providing litigants in family proceedings with an early evaluation of their case, assists them in reaching their own settlements and ensures their case is ready to go before a judge.
Clients appreciate Ilana’s analytical, measured, and pragmatic approach to assessing their unique circumstances and minimizing their family law risks moving forward. Her candid and personable nature lets you know what to expect at each stage of the process.
