About Collett Read LLP

One of the highest-rated law firms in Waterloo, going by its Google reviews.

Collett Read LLP is a criminal defence firm based in Hamilton, with a Waterloo office at 180 Northfield Drive West and other locations across southern Ontario, including Burlington, Brampton, Mississauga, St. Catharines, and Oshawa. The head office sits beside the John Sopinka Courthouse in downtown Hamilton. The firm practises criminal law, regulatory offences, and Highway Traffic Act matters, and it also handles family law. Its cases run from summary offences through the most serious charges.

The firm was formed in 2018 by Dean Collett and Jessica Read, who met as classmates in the Criminal Intensive Program at Osgoode Hall Law School. Dean Collett came to law as a second career, after two decades as an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry, while Jessica Read had worked as an assistant Crown Attorney before the two set up practice together. The firm answers its phones 24 hours a day, offers free initial consultations, and reviews its active files as a team, which includes practising witness questioning before trial.

Practice areas

Criminal Defence Family Law

Milestones & recognition

  • Formed in 2018 by Dean Collett and Jessica Read, who met as classmates in the Criminal Intensive Program at Osgoode Hall Law School.
  • Co-founder Jessica Read previously worked as an assistant Crown Attorney and was trained by the Ministry of the Attorney General to prosecute impaired driving charges.
  • Operates seven offices across southern Ontario, with its head office beside the John Sopinka Courthouse in downtown Hamilton.

In the community

  • A partner has guest lectured first-year Criminal Law at Osgoode Hall Law School.
  • A partner presented at the 2024 Central West Judicial Education Conference.

Good to know

A person using a wheelchairWheelchair accessibleA rainbow pride heartLGBTQ+ friendlyA laptop showing a video callVirtual appointmentsA calendar with a checkmark beside a clockBy appointmentAn office interior with a desk and chairsIn-person services

Fees & payment

A clipboard with a speech bubble and a no-charge dollar coinFree consultationScales of justice and a gavel above a Legal Aid bannerLegal aid

Lawyers 9

Alessandra Muia Family Lawyer Family Law Brennan L'Estrange Associate Lawyer Criminal Defence Dean Collett Partner Criminal Defence Jason Alsbergas Associate Lawyer Criminal Defence Jessica Read Partner Criminal Defence Jordan Peach Associate Lawyer Criminal Defence Natalia Pawlowski Associate Lawyer Criminal Defence Nicole Arski Associate Lawyer Criminal Defence Zoey Morris Associate Lawyer Criminal Defence

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar
2019–2023 · median 5 years in practice 2 of 9 lawyers
Law schools
Osgoode Hall Law School (4), Queen's University Faculty of Law (2), Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, University of Windsor 8 of 9 lawyers
Languages on the roster
English, Polish

Who handles what

Offices 7

Hamilton (Head Office)905-541-2228

25 Main Street West, Suite 2200, Hamilton, ON L8P 1H6

Burlington905-541-2228

4145 N Service Rd, 2nd Floor, Burlington, ON L7L 6A3

Brampton905-541-2228

2 County Ct Blvd, Suite 400, Brampton, ON L6W 3W8

Mississauga905-541-2228

2 Robert Speck Pkwy, Suite 750, Mississauga, ON L4Z 1H8

Waterloo905-541-2228

180 Northfield Dr W, Unit 4, 1st Floor, Waterloo, ON N2L 0C7

St. Catharines905-541-2228

39 Queen St, 3rd Floor, St. Catharines, ON L2R 5G6

Oshawa905-541-2228

111 Simcoe St N, Suite 206, Oshawa, ON L1G 4S4

The neighbourhood

The Waterloo office is at 180 Northfield Drive West, in the north end of the city. Waterloo is a university town, and the firm's own Waterloo page notes that the large post-secondary population there has come with more RIDE spot-checks and traffic stops for suspected impaired driving. Criminal charges laid in Waterloo Region are heard a short drive south at the Waterloo Region courthouse on Frederick Street in downtown Kitchener, home to the Ontario Court of Justice, and that's where much of the firm's local criminal and impaired-driving work is answered.

Frequently asked questions

Does Collett Read LLP have a Waterloo office?
Yes. The firm is based in Hamilton and keeps a Waterloo office at 180 Northfield Drive West, one of its seven locations across southern Ontario.
I've been charged with impaired driving in Waterloo, can the firm help?
Criminal law, including impaired driving and other Highway Traffic Act matters, is the firm's main focus, and it takes on cases in the Waterloo Region.
What kinds of criminal charges does the firm take on?
Its work runs from summary offences through serious matters such as assault, drug offences, and sexual assault, along with regulatory and Highway Traffic Act offences.
Does the firm offer free consultations, and when can I reach it?
It offers free initial consultations with no obligation, and it answers its phones 24 hours a day.
Does Collett Read LLP handle family law too?
Alongside its criminal defence focus, the firm also handles family law matters.
When was the firm founded and who runs it?
It was formed in 2018 by partners Dean Collett and Jessica Read, who met in the Criminal Intensive Program at Osgoode Hall Law School.

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Listing compiled from the firm’s public website in July 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗