How to Find Your Niche: Stories from Successful Lawyers

For more than 135 years, the Toronto Lawyers' Association, located within the Courthouse Library, has represented the interests of lawyers practising in the City of Toronto. The association was founded to support its members in three key areas: Knowledge, Advocacy, and Community. To uphold these pillars, the association offers a year-round mix of online and in-person education programs for lawyers, hosts both free and paid events to foster in-person networking, and submits advocacy pieces on behalf of its members to the Ontario bench and bar, all levels of government, and the broader public.

Kristine brings over 20 years of legal experience to Fern Law. Since her first year in law school, she knew she wanted to be in the courtroom advocating for clients. Crafting a solution that empowers her clients is her focus. Kristine deeply understands clients' needs and genuinely cares about every file. Kristine is also a mediator who works with parties to obtain powerful solutions built on respect.

Over 30 years ago, Steve Benmor founded Benmor Family Law Group, gaining unparalleled experience in settling divorce cases for families with significant wealth and assets. Mr. Benmor is proficient in mediating high-net-worth divorces and complex financial cases with his sophisticated financial understanding and in-depth knowledge of divorce law, tax law, real estate law, corporate law and trust law. Driven by a mission to achieve great results for his clients, Mr. Benmor is known for his expertise in negotiation, conflict resolution and domestic violence in order to assist families through the many stages of separation and divorce, with compassion, respect, and urgency. Steve Benmor is one of the only divorce professionals in Canada who is licensed, certified and accredited in all out-of-court divorce options. Recognizing the need to help families avoid conflict and find a better solution for reaching a divorce settlement, Mr. Benmor was designated as a “Certified Family Mediator” by the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario. In addition to Mr. Benmor’s extraordinary commitment to children and families, the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario awarded Mr. Benmor his designation as a “Specialist in Parenting Coordination.” Mr. Benmor is one of Toronto’s 24 Certified Specialists in Family Law, one of Canada’s 56 Fellows of the prestigious International Academy of Family Lawyers and holds a Master of Laws in Family Law.

Daniel Brown specializes in defending both individuals and corporations in criminal and regulatory litigation. His extensive experience includes successfully handling criminal and quasi-criminal trials, regulatory and professional discipline hearings, appeals, advisory work, and witness representation. After graduating from Queen’s University’s Faculty of Law, Daniel began his criminal law practice over two decades ago as a partner at Pinkofskys LLP, Canada’s largest criminal defence firm, before founding Daniel Brown Law in 2008. Daniel has represented clients at every judicial level in Ontario, serving as trial counsel in the Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice, and as appellate counsel at the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2024, Daniel was honoured with induction as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, an invitation-only, peer-selected, and notably diverse honorary society comprised of 3,500 of North America’s best trial lawyers. Daniel is a member of the Litigation Counsel of America’s Trial Law Institute and Diversity Law Institute. Daniel is an Adjunct Professor at Queen’s University’s Faculty of Law, teaching Advanced Criminal Law and overseeing the law school’s Criminal Appellate Externship Program. He has mentored at Ryerson University’s Law Practice Program and lectured at law schools including Dalhousie University, Queen’s University, the University of Toronto, and Osgoode Hall Law School.

Waheeda Ekhlas Smith is an experienced and compassionate Toronto employment lawyer. She has successfully represented both employees and employers in a variety of employment law matters. Waheeda knows that no two cases are the same. She understands the intricacies of each case and aims for the best outcome. While striving for a speedy resolution before her clients’ matters enter the courts, she is ready and willing to advance or defend their interests to the furthest extent necessary to achieve the most favourable outcome. Prior to practicing as a lawyer, Waheeda worked as a legal assistant for many years, beginning at just 18 years old. This unique background has helped Waheeda develop an innate appreciation for the law and how it can help her clients when they need it most. Her clients feel comforted and confident in her direct yet compassionate approach. Waheeda does not hesitate to advocate for her clients and has appeared at various Ontario courts and tribunals including the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Ontario Labour Relations Board, and Small Claims Court. Waheeda has represented clients at numerous examinations for discoveries, mediations, pre-trials, and motions. Her vast courtroom experience gives her an incomparable advantage in employment law. Waheeda earned her law degree at The University of Windsor, where she received academic awards in Civil Procedure and Constitutional Litigation. Prior to that, she earned a B.A. (Hons.) from the University of Western Ontario, where she graduated on the Dean’s Honour List, a distinction reserved for the top 10% of students within the entire program. When not working, Waheeda enjoys spending time with her husband and pets and enjoys visiting new places, having lived in or travelled to five continents. Also, in her travels, she hopes to visit all 30 MLB ballparks in North America, and only has 5 more to go!

I'm Lisa Feldstein, a health and fertility lawyer based in Ontario, Canada. My passion lies at the intersection of law and bioethics, guiding clients through some of life's most personal and complex legal matters. I studied psychology at the University of Guelph. After graduation from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2010, I joined a Toronto health law firm, providing legal counsel to hospitals and health care institutions. My experience includes roles at two teaching hospitals, focusing on research ethics and mental health law. My legal career has taken me to various courts and tribunals. I have advocated for clients before the Consent and Capacity Board, the Health Services Appeal and Review Board, the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board, the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice. I also value alternative dispute resolution and have served as a mediator at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Small Claims Division. Beyond my legal practice, I'm committed to education and mentorship. Since 2016, I've been an Adjunct Professor at York University, teaching Health Care Law. Previously, I taught negotiation at Osgoode Hall Law School for six years. I regularly mentor law students and participate in judging mooting and negotiation competitions. When time permits, I also volunteer. In the past few years, I served as a director of a Toronto charity that assists people with vision impairments, and I sat on the Ontario Bar Association health law executive. I currently act as an advisor to Prenatal Screening Ontario. My contributions to the field have been recognized with several awards, such as the 2015 Precedent Setter Award and a 2014 Clawbie (Canadian Law Blog Award) for best practitioner blog.

Tannis was called to the bar after receiving a B.A. in Law with a concentration in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Carleton University and a J.D. from the University of Ottawa. She practices in the areas of real estate, estates, and corporate/commercial. As a former Trustee for the Toronto Lawyers Association, Tannis has been involved in advocacy and education initiatives, most notably the moderator and presenter of continuing education programs and writer of articles for the TLA journal. She was previously on the education committee which is responsible for producing CPD programs for Toronto lawyers. She is also a member of the Condominium Sub-documents Committee of the Working Group on Lawyers and Real Estate which is responsible for producing province-wide precedent materials for lawyers to be used in condominium transactions. As of 2021, she sits on a mentoring sub-committee of the Working Group on Lawyers and Real Estate. Keeping current with technology is a significant part of the office's workflow. Real estate transactions were mostly paperless prior to COVID-19 and are now fully paperless with accommodations based on a client's specific need. Most meetings are conducted virtually but can be in-person, as required, and subject to availability. As of August 2018, Tannis has been certified as a specialist in real estate law by the Law Society of Ontario and is frequently called upon to provide expert opinions on real estate-related issues, both informally and in the context of litigation.