About DWA Law

DWA Law, also known as Dickson Wynperle Associates, is a Hamilton personal injury firm for people hurt in car crashes, falls, assaults and medical mistakes, and for those whose disability benefits have been denied, delayed or cut off. It also takes on life and critical illness insurance claims, and it serves clients in the Hamilton, Guelph and Niagara regions.

Founder Allen Wynperle is certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Civil Litigation. Allen leads the firm with fellow principal Laura Dickson, who once trained with Allen Wynperle and rejoined the founder to form Dickson Wynperle Associates in 2024.

They're joined by Brent McQuestion, who spent close to ten years as a Family Service Worker with the Children's Aid Society of Hamilton, and Jacob Sazio, a Hamilton native called to the Ontario Bar in 2019 who practises in association with DWA Law. Brent McQuestion's practice centres on serious injuries and the loss of a loved one through someone else's negligence, while Jacob Sazio represents individuals and families after serious accidents in personal injury and civil litigation.

Its offices are on Main Street West in Hamilton, Charlotte Street in Brantford and Woolwich Street in Guelph. The first consultation is free, and injury clients pay no fees unless DWA Law recovers money for them.

History

The practice began with Allen Wynperle, who started out in personal injury litigation in the spring of 1994 and was called to the Bar in 1996. Allen founded Wynperle Law in 2002, and by 2008 the firm was practising under the name Allen J. Wynperle as a law office devoted to justice and compensation for injury victims.

Laura Dickson's path into law began overseas. Raised in Scotland, Laura earned a Scots law degree from the University of Glasgow in 2007, moved to Canada in 2008, trained with Allen Wynperle in 2011/12 and was called to the Bar in 2012. In 2024 the two partnered again to create Dickson Wynperle Associates.

Practice areas

Personal Injury Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Insurance Law Employment & Labour Law Wills, Estates & Trusts

Vehicle and transport accidents

DWA Law acts on car, bicycle and pedestrian collisions, and on less common crashes too, from ATV and boating accidents to bus and aircraft cases and claims over vehicle defects. Its car accident work centres on understanding every change Ontario has made to auto insurance law since 1990.

Serious injury, malpractice and assault

Injury files run from dog bites and burns to spinal cord damage and other catastrophic harm. The firm also reviews medical negligence from nursing and surgical errors, including birth injuries and misdiagnoses, and brings civil claims after domestic abuse and sexual assault.

Disability, life and critical illness claims

The firm steps in when short or long term disability benefits are refused, held up or ended early, and it takes on insurers over life and critical illness policies. Laura Dickson's practice also covers statutory accident benefit disputes and critical illness denials.

Dismissal and severance

DWA Law advises both employees and employers on terminations, from negotiating severance to constructive dismissal. Laura Dickson handles wrongful and constructive dismissal claims as part of a plaintiff civil litigation practice.

Estate litigation

DWA Law litigates challenges to a will's validity and disputes over unclear wording in estate documents, asks the court for direction on how an estate is distributed, protects dependant relief claims and handles unjust enrichment claims.

Good to know

A person using a wheelchairWheelchair accessibleA calendar with a checkmark beside a clockBy appointment

Fees & payment

A shield with gold coins, a dollar sign and a checkmark sealContingencyA clipboard with a speech bubble and a no-charge dollar coinFree consultation

How DWA Law works

For most cases, DWA Law asks for no money up front, so clients can put their energy into recovering. The firm's policy is not to steer files toward an early settlement: it prepares each case to go as far as needed for a full resolution and fair compensation.

Help extends past the lawsuit itself. The firm often refers clients to outside resources for rehabilitation and accident benefits advice, vocational help, and financial and structured settlement counselling.

Milestones & recognition

  • Allen Wynperle was called to the Bar in 1996 and has held the Law Society of Ontario's Specialist in Civil Litigation certification since 2006.
  • Allen Wynperle served as president of the Hamilton Law Association in 2005-06 and of the Hamilton Medical-Legal Society in 2010-11.
  • With the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association, Allen Wynperle was an elected director from 2010 to 2015, then treasurer, vice-president, and President-Elect for 2018-19.
  • Laura Dickson was appointed a Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court in September 2023, sitting in Hamilton, Simcoe, Welland, St. Catharines and Brantford.
  • Laura Dickson spent five years, 2012 to 2017, on the Hamilton Law Association's New Lawyers' Subcommittee and is now the association's past president.
  • DWA Law appears in Best Law Firms in Canada 2026, ranked by Best Lawyers, and its lawyers have been recognized for Personal Injury Litigation since 2023.
  • From 2003 to 2014 the firm gave presentations on topics such as accident benefits reform, arguing catastrophic claims, long term disability claims management and the occupational therapist's role in catastrophic claims.

In the community

  • DWA Law gives a share of every case's profits to charity, and sometimes directs the profits of a particular case to a cause that matters to the firm and its client. It also gives through volunteering and pro bono legal work.
  • DWA Law was a sponsor of SCI Ontario's Peer Support Program, and that support funded meetings between peer volunteers and people recently injured, along with the annual volunteer dinner, volunteer awards and recruitment. Allen Wynperle was the founding chair of the Canadian Paraplegic Association's Hamilton chapter and sat on SCI Ontario's board for eight years.
  • DWA Law sponsored SCI Ontario's 2019 Hamilton Wheelchair Relay, an event Allen Wynperle has backed since its start.
  • With 102.9 K-Lite FM, 1150 CKOC and 820 CHAM, DWA Law hosted the Christmas Miracle, a yearly toy and food drive handed out through local agencies with the East Hamilton Optimist Club.
  • Allen Wynperle volunteered on the community campaign team for the Niagara West YMCA.
  • Allen Wynperle speaks at and chairs legal education events for groups including the Hamilton Law Association, and has guest lectured at Mohawk College in Hamilton. Laura Dickson volunteers with organizations in Brantford, Hamilton and nearby communities.

Affiliations & connections

Lawyers 4

Allen Wynperle Founder and Principal Brent McQuestion Lawyer Personal Injury Jacob Sazio Lawyer Personal InjuryCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Laura Dickson Lawyer and Principal

Certified Specialists

A designation granted by the Law Society of Ontario, not a self-declared area of focus.

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar
1996–2019 · median 18 years in practice 2 of 4 lawyers
Law schools
Osgoode Hall Law School, University of Ottawa, University of Western Ontario 3 of 4 lawyers

Who handles what

Offices 3

Hamilton905-777-0300

25 Main Street West, Suite 1700, Hamilton, ON L8P 1H1

Brantford

63 Charlotte St, Brantford, ON N3T 2W6

Guelph

329 Woolwich Street, Suite B, Guelph, ON N1H 3W4

The neighbourhood

The Hamilton office sits in a 22-storey office tower at 25 Main Street West, close to City Hall and the courthouses. Bus stops and the Hamilton GO Centre are close by, and the building offers underground parking with more spaces right next door.

Outside Hamilton, the firm keeps an office at 63 Charlotte Street in Brantford, the community Laura Dickson calls home, and another at 329 Woolwich Street in Guelph.

Frequently asked questions

What does DWA Law charge on a medical negligence claim compared with a car accident case?
DWA Law works on contingency, and outside medical negligence its fee tops out at 30% plus HST. Medical negligence files carry a fee of 33% to 35% plus HST because they're more intricate, and the percentage can come in lower depending on the case. The firm also covers the disbursements needed to pursue the claim. (Fees as of October 2026.)
Will DWA Law show me my net amount before I accept a settlement offer?
DWA Law explains every settlement offer in full before a client decides, including the fees charged, the disbursements paid and the net amount the client would receive. The firm also meets with the client to walk through the offer and answer questions.
I'm a lawyer referring an injured client to DWA Law. Will the client's other legal work come back to me?
DWA Law sends any non-injury legal matters a referred client needs back to the referring lawyer, since its own practice is personal injury. The referring lawyer can hand the file over completely or keep working on it alongside the firm.
Does DWA Law appear before the Licensing Appeal Tribunal?
DWA Law founder Allen Wynperle regularly appears before the Licensing Appeal Tribunal, the Courts of Ontario and other administrative tribunals.
How fast will DWA Law reply if I email about an accident in the middle of the night?
DWA Law accepts emails at any hour and aims to answer within two hours. Staff take phone calls 24/7.

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This listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on the firm’s own website. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗

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