Does Bariteau Dulysh handle serious charges like murder or sexual assault, or just minor offences?

Both. The firm's practice covers the full range of Criminal Code charges, from summary offences through serious indictable matters such as murder, sexual assault, and drug trafficking, and it takes these cases through trial and appeal.

Does the firm only handle trials, or does it do appeals too?

Both. Bariteau Dulysh has argued cases at the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, including intervening for the Criminal Lawyers Association in R v Lloyd on the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences.

If I'm arrested in the middle of the night, can I actually reach someone at the firm?

Yes. The firm says its phone line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that it accepts collect calls.

I can't afford a lawyer. Does Bariteau Dulysh take Legal Aid certificates?

For serious charges, the firm says that if a client is charged with a serious offence and can't afford a lawyer, it will take the case on legal aid.

What happens at an initial consultation, and does it cost anything?

The firm describes its initial consultations as free, and says it returns calls promptly and will visit clients being held in custody to meet with them in person.

Bariteau Dulysh | LawOnline Directory

About Bariteau Dulysh

Bariteau Dulysh is a Toronto criminal defence firm at 559 College Street, representing clients across the Greater Toronto Area, including Halton, Brampton, Scarborough, Newmarket, Oshawa, and Barrie. The firm practices criminal law only, handling everything from minor offences to serious indictable charges such as murder, drug trafficking, and sexual assault, at trial and on appeal. It's led by partners Tania Bariteau, who trained at the University of Ottawa and practices in both English and French, and Kristen Dulysh, an Osgoode Hall graduate who worked as a case worker at the Innocence Project while in law school, assisting with an application to the Criminal Conviction Review Group for ministerial review.

The firm's own web addresses hint at its history. derstinepenman.com and derstinebariteau.com both now redirect to the current site, tracing a lineage from Derstine Penman through Derstine Bariteau to today's Bariteau Dulysh, all operating out of the same College Street office and phone number.

Beyond the trial courts, the firm has argued before the Supreme Court of Canada, intervening for the Criminal Lawyers Association in R v Lloyd, a case that tested the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences for drug offences.

Practice areas

Criminal Defence

Milestones & recognition

The firm has operated under several names from the same College Street office and phone number over the years. Its earlier web addresses, derstinepenman.com and derstinebariteau.com, now redirect to the current Bariteau Dulysh site.
The firm intervened on behalf of the Criminal Lawyers Association before the Supreme Court of Canada in R v Lloyd (2016 SCC 13), concerning the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences.
Partner Tania Bariteau received the George-Brown Award while a law student at the University of Ottawa.
Partner Kristen Dulysh worked as a case worker at the Innocence Project while in law school at Osgoode Hall, assisting with an application to the Criminal Conviction Review Group for ministerial review.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible A calendar with a checkmark beside a clock

By appointment

Lawyers 13

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar: 2017–2023 · median 5 years in practice 3 of 13 lawyers
Law schools: University of Ottawa (4), Osgoode Hall Law School (3), Queen's University, Université de Montréal, Western University, Windsor Law 11 of 13 lawyers
Languages on the roster: Arabic, English, French

Who handles what

Criminal Defence
Anita Nathan, Caroline Ward, Deepak Vadera, Jacqueline Boutros, Jocelyn Heaton, Kristen Dulysh, Kristianne Anor, Laura Remigio, Musab Abu-Ali, Stefan Peters, Tania Bariteau, Tiffany Phan

The neighbourhood

The firm's office is on College Street in what's known as Toronto's Little Italy, a stretch that grew out of early 20th century Italian immigrant settlement and has become one of the city's denser strips of restaurants, cafes, and bars.

Because the firm's clients end up in courthouses across the region rather than just one, its own list of resources for clients points well beyond Toronto, to duty counsel and court locations in Brampton, Newmarket, and Hamilton, alongside several Toronto courthouses including Old City Hall and College Park.

Frequently asked questions

Does Bariteau Dulysh handle serious charges like murder or sexual assault, or just minor offences?: Both. The firm's practice covers the full range of Criminal Code charges, from summary offences through serious indictable matters such as murder, sexual assault, and drug trafficking, and it takes these cases through trial and appeal.
I live outside Toronto, can Bariteau Dulysh represent me in Brampton, Newmarket, or another GTA courthouse?: Yes. The firm represents clients across the Greater Toronto Area, including Halton, Brampton, Scarborough, Newmarket, Oshawa, and Barrie, not just in Toronto courts.
Does the firm only handle trials, or does it do appeals too?: Both. Bariteau Dulysh has argued cases at the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, including intervening for the Criminal Lawyers Association in R v Lloyd on the constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences.
If I'm arrested in the middle of the night, can I actually reach someone at the firm?: Yes. The firm says its phone line is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and that it accepts collect calls.
I can't afford a lawyer. Does Bariteau Dulysh take Legal Aid certificates?: For serious charges, the firm says that if a client is charged with a serious offence and can't afford a lawyer, it will take the case on legal aid.
What happens at an initial consultation, and does it cost anything?: The firm describes its initial consultations as free, and says it returns calls promptly and will visit clients being held in custody to meet with them in person.

Where to find them

559 College Street, Suite 302, Toronto, Ontario M6G 1A9

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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 ↗