Alawi Law
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.1 lawyer · City of Toronto
One of 2,273 law firms listed in Toronto.
Accepts Legal Aid
Virtual appointmentsAccepts Legal AidVirtual appointmentsAbout Alawi Law
Alawi Law is a Toronto firm that works only in criminal defence. Founder Ayderus Alawi has spent more than 13 years in Ontario courtrooms on serious and complex criminal cases, defending people accused of impaired driving, assault, conspiracy, firearms offences and homicide in every tier of Ontario's trial courts. The firm appears in both the Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto, Brampton, Newmarket and nearby regions, and it takes serious criminal matters anywhere in Ontario.
Ayderus Alawi studied political science at York University, earning an honours BA, then completed a JD and an LLM at Osgoode Hall Law School. As principal, Alawi manages the firm's criminal files day to day and mentors students and junior associates, and has also taught criminal law to first-year students at Toronto Metropolitan University's Lincoln Alexander School of Law. Leanna, the office manager, is a licensed paralegal who previously ran a transitional housing program for seven years.
Much of Ayderus Alawi's busy practice is devoted to clients from marginalized communities. Legal Aid Ontario lists Alawi for criminal work, including youth and mental health matters and extremely serious cases, and the firm accepts legal aid certificates for select serious or lengthy files such as murder, attempted murder and sexual assault.
The office is in Suite 2500 at 1 Dundas Street West in Toronto. A first consultation costs $300 plus HST, which is credited toward the retainer if the client goes ahead, and a case review can be started through a secure online intake form. (Fees as of October 2026.)
Practice areas
Homicide, conspiracy and other serious charges
Alawi Law defends people accused of first or second degree murder, manslaughter, attempted murder and being an accessory to murder. It takes on files with several co-accused and cases that draw media attention, along with conspiracy charges, project cases and organized crime prosecutions.
Firearms and weapons offences
Firearm charges the firm handles range from unauthorized possession and unsafe storage to possession in breach of a court order and trafficking. Its defence looks closely at how police found the weapon and tests the warrants and seizures behind the evidence.
Bail hearings, reviews and variations
Beyond first bail hearings, Alawi Law brings bail reviews when release has been denied or revoked and applies to loosen or remove conditions that have become too restrictive. Its release plans can propose a surety, electronic monitoring or reporting conditions in place of custody.
Drug charges
The firm defends possession, trafficking, production and importation charges, from small cannabis cases up to fentanyl trafficking prosecutions, drawing on Charter litigation and search and seizure law.
Assault and domestic assault
Assault files run from simple assault and assault causing bodily harm to aggravated assault and assault of a peace officer. Alawi Law also defends domestic assault charges in Toronto, Brampton and Newmarket.
Fraud, theft and property crime
On the financial side, the firm defends white-collar allegations such as fraud, breach of trust and money laundering. It also acts on robbery, break and enter and high-end vehicle theft charges.
Impaired driving
Impaired driving work covers over-the-limit charges, refusals to give a breath sample and the aggravated form of the offence.
Youth criminal defence
For young people charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, Alawi Law handles bail, diversion and trials, and works with schools and community agencies so a young client's education and well-being stay on track.
Sentencing, Gladue and EPSR advocacy
At sentencing, the firm gathers character references and expert reports and also brings sentence appeals. It coordinates with qualified writers on Gladue reports and on Enhanced Pre-Sentence Reports, which are prepared for Black offenders, and Ayderus Alawi's research and advocacy on sentencing disparities includes the Morris factors in cases with Black accused.
Good to know
Accessible parking
Virtual appointments
By appointment
In-person servicesFees & payment
Legal aidHow Alawi Law works
Preparation at Alawi Law starts with an intensive review of disclosure, including surveillance and video, plus targeted investigation. From there the firm brings Charter challenges to unlawful searches, detentions, statements and delay, and calls on forensic, digital, financial or other opinion evidence when a case needs it. Where it suits the client, it negotiates for withdrawals, diversion or a favourable agreement.
Every fee is confirmed in writing before work begins, and privately retained clients deal directly with their lawyer for advice and updates. The firm offers flexible payment plans and commits to being available around the clock, 24/7.
Milestones & recognition
- Ayderus Alawi articled with Rusonik, O'Connor, Robbins, Ross, Gorham and Angelini, the successor firm to Pinkofskys, and then joined David G. Bayliss Professional Corporation.
- Ayderus Alawi spent the final semester of law school in the Criminal Intensive Programme and went on to complete a Master of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School concentrating on criminal law and procedure.
- Alawi Law developed Legal Connect, a platform for criminal defence lawyers across Ontario that helps with court appearance coverage, calendar syncing, filing deadlines and tracking how agents perform.
In the community
- Ayderus Alawi leads Know Your Rights workshops around Toronto on dealing with police and security authorities, and volunteers time through the year giving summary legal advice to people overrepresented in the criminal justice system.
- Ayderus Alawi has sat on the Anti-Racism Advisory Panel to the Toronto Police Services Board, and has represented the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association as an intervener at a coroner's inquest.
- Ayderus Alawi co-founded Beyond the Lyrics Youth Resource Centre, a youth-led grassroots group working on access to resources, education and justice for young people.
- Before law, Ayderus Alawi worked as a youth worker in a Toronto District School Board suspension program, and during law school served as Youth and Education Division Leader at C.L.A.S.P., Osgoode's legal aid clinic.
- Ayderus Alawi hosts the Court Vision Podcast, where episodes unpack criminal law topics, current reforms and courtroom challenges in plain terms.
Affiliations & connections
- Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Toronto Metropolitan University: Ayderus Alawi taught criminal law to first-year students at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
- Legal Aid Ontario: Alawi Law accepts select Legal Aid Ontario certificates for serious or lengthy criminal matters.
Lawyers 1
The neighbourhood
Alawi Law works from 1 Dundas Street West, a high-rise office tower completed in 1977 to a design by Zeidler Partnership Architects. It stands in the Yonge-Bay Corridor and is also known as York University's Osgoode Professional Development Centre. Along the same street, Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers MBA program, which Ayderus Alawi chose as preparation for growing the practice, has its address at 55 Dundas Street West.
For bail, the firm's Toronto clients are heard at the Toronto Remand Bail Centre at 2201 Finch Avenue West for adults and at the Ontario Court of Justice on Armoury Street for youth, with jury trials and serious indictable cases going to the Superior Court of Justice at 361 University Avenue.
Frequently asked questions
- Will Alawi Law take a Legal Aid certificate if my trial is expected to run past 15 court dates?
- Alawi Law accepts select Legal Aid Ontario files, and trials extending beyond 15 court dates are among them, alongside serious charges such as murder, attempted murder, firearm offences and sexual assault.
- Does Alawi Law act on Legal Aid Mid Case Management and Big Case Management files?
- Alawi Law defends clients who qualify for Legal Aid in Mid Case Management (MCM) and Big Case Management (BCM) matters, and it helps them with the Legal Aid application to fund their defence.
- I live in Quebec and was charged with a luxury car theft in Toronto. Can Alawi Law defend me?
- Alawi Law represents Quebec residents charged with luxury vehicle theft in Toronto, Brampton and Newmarket. The firm works mainly in English but acts for French-speaking clients with the help of interpreters, and in some cases remote representation is possible, depending on what the court requires.
- What does an Alawi Law private retainer cover before a trial date is set?
- An Alawi Law private retainer covers the work needed before a trial or preliminary hearing is scheduled, including resolution discussions with the Crown and the judicial pre-trial. If the case then goes to trial or a preliminary hearing, a new retainer is set for that stage.
Where to find them
2500-1 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z3 · 416-551-4449
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Real Estate LawThis 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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