Dale & Lessmann LLP
33 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 794 handling Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
About Dale & Lessmann LLP
Dale & Lessmann LLP is a full service business law firm based in Toronto's Financial District, with about 33 lawyers working out of the DBRS Tower at 181 University Avenue. The firm covers corporate and commercial law, real estate and development, advocacy and dispute resolution, mergers and acquisitions, employment, tax and intellectual property, alongside more specialized practices in franchising, cannabis, renewable energy, and the regulatory side of the funeral and cremation industry.
The firm runs a European Practice Group that has supported European companies and individuals expanding into Canada for more than 100 years, with lawyers and staff who work with clients in German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Polish as well as English. A separate China Practice serves Chinese businesses entering the Canadian market and draws on relationships with law firms in several Chinese provinces, and the firm's website is also published in French and Mandarin. In 2026, Chambers Canada placed the firm's franchising practice in Band 2 nationally.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Chambers Canada ranked the firm's franchising practice in Band 2 nationally in its 2026 rankings.
- The firm's European Practice Group says it has supported European companies expanding into Canada for more than 100 years.
- Lawyers at the firm have received individual recognition from Lexpert and The Best Lawyers in Canada, alongside the firm's Chambers Canada ranking.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
LGBTQ+ friendly
By appointmentLawyers 33
Andrew Mingay
Partner
Business & Corporate LawEmployment & Labour Law
Cassandra Da Re
Partner
Real Estate LawBusiness & Corporate Law
Chad Finkelstein
Partner
Business & Corporate LawIntellectual Property
Christian Hodge
Associate
Real Estate Law
Clark Harrop
Partner
Business & Corporate Law
Daniel Katzin
Partner
Business & Corporate Law
Daniel So
Partner
Business & Corporate LawIntellectual Property
David Shaw
Partner
Business & Corporate Law
Dean Psarras
Partner
Business & Corporate Law
Emilie Attia
Associate
Business & Corporate LawReal Estate Law
Geoff Janoscik
Partner
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Jaimini Shah
Partner
Real Estate Law
Jazz Li
Partner
Business & Corporate LawWills, Estates & Trusts
Jeffrey P. Hoffman
Partner
Employment & Labour LawBusiness & Corporate Law
Jenny Pho
Partner
Business & Corporate LawWills, Estates & Trusts
John F. R. Moher
Partner
Real Estate LawConstruction Law
John G. Richardson
Of Counsel
Real Estate LawAdministrative & Regulatory Law
John Singer
Of Counsel
Real Estate Law
Julia Bezerra
Associate
Real Estate LawBusiness & Corporate Law
Julia Sergerie
Associate
Business & Corporate LawIntellectual Property
Kimberley Graham
Associate
Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionBusiness & Corporate Law
Mark Uster
Partner
Real Estate Law
Melannie Freza
Associate
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Monika Drobnicki
Partner
Real Estate Law
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1976–2025 · median 11 years in practice 23 of 33 lawyers
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School (13), Queen's University (4), University of Ottawa (3), University of Western Ontario (3), University of Toronto (2), University of Victoria (2) and 2 more 29 of 33 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- Bulgarian, Chinese, English, French, Greek (Conversational), Gujarati, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish
Who handles what
-
Business & Corporate Law
Andrew Mingay, Cassandra Da Re, Chad Finkelstein, Clark Harrop, Daniel Katzin, Daniel So, David Shaw, Dean Psarras, Emilie Attia, Jazz Li, Jeffrey P. Hoffman, Jenny Pho, Julia Bezerra, Julia Sergerie, Kimberley Graham, Nedko Petkov, Nikolas Sopow, Paul Sadler, Peter H. Baek, Sean X. Zhang, Sven Walker -
Real Estate Law
-
Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
-
Employment & Labour Law
-
Intellectual Property
-
Wills, Estates & Trusts
-
Administrative & Regulatory Law
-
Construction Law
-
Tax Law
-
Technology & Startups
The neighbourhood
The firm's office is in the DBRS Tower at 181 University Avenue, a 22 storey building that forms part of the Adelaide Place complex in Toronto's Financial District. The tower connects directly into the underground PATH network, putting the office within walking distance of Union Station and St. Andrew subway station without going outside.
University Avenue is one of Toronto's widest and most ceremonial streets, and the stretch north of the Financial District runs past Osgoode Hall and the Toronto Courthouse before reaching the hospital district further up. For a firm with an advocacy and dispute resolution practice, that puts the office within a short distance of the city's main civil courts.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Dale & Lessmann handle franchise disputes and franchise agreements?
- Yes. The firm's franchising practice covers agreement drafting, disclosure documents, and disputes for franchisors, franchisees and distributors, and Chambers Canada ranked it in Band 2 nationally in 2026.
- Can Dale & Lessmann help a European company set up a business in Canada?
- Yes. Its European Practice Group has worked with European companies and individuals expanding into Canada for more than 100 years, and lawyers and staff in the group work with clients in German, Dutch, French, Spanish and Polish as well as English.
- Does the firm work with businesses expanding between Canada and China?
- Yes. Dale & Lessmann's China Practice serves Chinese businesses entering the Canadian market and Canadian businesses operating in China, drawing on relationships with law firms in several Chinese provinces.
- I'm buying or starting a funeral home or crematorium in Ontario, can Dale & Lessmann help?
- Yes. The firm advises on the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, acquisitions of funeral homes and crematoriums, and matters before the Bereavement Authority of Ontario.
- Does Dale & Lessmann do real estate financing work, not just purchases and sales?
- Yes. Its real estate and development practice includes secured lending for conventional, syndicated and construction financing, acting for institutional and private lenders as well as borrowers.
- How big is Dale & Lessmann and where is it located?
- The firm has about 33 lawyers and is based in downtown Toronto's Financial District, at 181 University Avenue.
Where to find them
2100 - 181 University Ave. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 3M7 · 416-863-1010
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Technology & StartupsListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗