Daniel Rechtshaffen Criminal Defence
1 lawyer · Established 2003 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 455 handling Criminal Defence.
About Daniel Rechtshaffen Criminal Defence
Daniel Rechtshaffen Criminal Defence is a small Toronto criminal law firm founded in 2003 and devoted exclusively to criminal and regulatory law since it opened. Founder Daniel Rechtshaffen graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2002, placing first in that year's Toronto moot court competition and second nationally, and was one of ten students in a class of 258 to receive the Student Honour Award. The practice takes on matters across the spectrum of criminal law, from impaired driving and drug or gun charges to white collar fraud, organized crime prosecutions, and serious personal injury offences such as murder and sexual assault.
The firm runs as an intentionally low volume practice, a structure meant to leave room for thorough preparation on each file rather than a high caseload, with a particular focus on cases involving allegations of police misconduct or racial profiling. When a criminal matter touches on other areas of law, the firm works alongside practitioners in corporate, tax, family, immigration, and entertainment law rather than trying to cover every specialty in house. Outside the practice, the founder is active in Toronto's contemporary art scene and wrote a public legal guide on graffiti and the law for the city's street art community.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Founded in 2003, the firm has been devoted exclusively to criminal and regulatory law since it opened.
- Founder Daniel Rechtshaffen graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2002, placing first in that year's Toronto moot court competition and second nationally, and received the Student Honour Award as one of ten recipients from a class of 258.
- The founder has been a guest instructor in Osgoode Hall Law School's Criminal Intensive Program and a continuing legal education presenter for the Criminal Lawyers Association.
In the community
- Coaches and judges high school mock trials for the Ontario Justice Education Network and the LAWS mock trial program, and judges university moot competitions including the Lerners Cup and Osgoode Cup at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Oxford Price Media Law Moot.
- Has twice co-chaired the Art Toronto Opening Night fundraiser, which the firm's site says has raised more than $2,000,000 for the Art Gallery of Ontario, and sits on the gala committee for the Canadian Art Foundation.
- Wrote a public legal guide on graffiti and the law aimed at Toronto's street art community, describing a longstanding interest in contemporary and street art alongside the criminal law practice.
Good to know
By appointmentLawyers 1
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
The office is at 439 University Avenue, on the stretch of University Avenue that runs through the middle of Toronto's legal district. Osgoode Hall, seat of the Law Society of Ontario and the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and the Toronto Courthouse that houses the Superior Court of Justice, sit further along the same street, a fitting address for a firm that works exclusively in criminal law. Further north, University Avenue runs into a cluster of hospitals known locally as Hospital Row, including Toronto General, Mount Sinai, and The Hospital for Sick Children.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of cases does Daniel Rechtshaffen Criminal Defence handle?
- The firm practises exclusively in criminal and regulatory law, covering matters from impaired driving and drug or gun charges to white collar fraud, organized crime prosecutions, and serious personal injury offences such as murder and sexual assault.
- I've been charged with impaired driving. Can this firm represent me?
- Yes. Impaired driving is one of the offence types the firm's criminal defence practice covers.
- I think I was targeted by police because of my race. Can the firm help?
- The firm has a particular focus on cases involving allegations of racial profiling and police misconduct, and its site links to news coverage of matters where courts found fault with police conduct.
- How long has the firm been practising criminal law in Toronto?
- Daniel Rechtshaffen Criminal Defence was founded in 2003 and has worked exclusively in criminal and regulatory law since then.
- Does the firm take on complex white collar or fraud cases?
- Yes, white collar offences and fraud are listed among its practice areas, alongside organized crime prosecutions and other complex criminal matters.
- Where is the office and how do I reach it?
- The firm is at 439 University Avenue, Suite 1900, in downtown Toronto. It can be reached by phone at 416-777-2245 or by email at criminal_law@danielr.ca.
Where to find them
439 University Avenue, Suite 1900, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1Y8 · 416-777-2245
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Administrative & Regulatory LawListing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗