Kagan Shastri DeMelo Winer Park LLP
8 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 369 handling Administrative & Regulatory Law.
About Kagan Shastri DeMelo Winer Park LLP
Kagan Shastri DeMelo Winer Park LLP (KSDWP) came together on January 1, 2023, when Kagan Shastri LLP merged with Devine Park LLP. Kagan Shastri LLP had practised in Toronto since 1994; Devine Park LLP was founded in 2015. The merged firm kept a single office at 188 Avenue Road, in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood. It's a small firm: the lawyer and planner listings run to about a dozen names, including a retired Counsel and a retired Associate.
The firm's work centres on municipal and land use planning law: official plans, zoning by-laws, subdivision and site plan approvals, development charges, and appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal, alongside expropriations and aggregate licensing. It also handles civil and commercial litigation, commercial real estate and leasing, employment law, and estate planning. Novae Res Urbis has ranked KSDWP among Greater Toronto Area municipal law firms nearly every year since 2005, when it placed first; the firm placed sixth in 2023.
Founding partner Ira Kagan was called to the Ontario Bar in 1990 and received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025. Kagan has spoken at continuing legal education seminars and published on municipal law topics such as legal non-conforming uses. Founding partner Rahul Shastri, called to the bar in Ontario in 1992, received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. Shastri has taught civil litigation as part of the Law Society's Bar Admission course.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Kagan Shastri LLP was founded in Toronto in 1994. Devine Park LLP was founded in 2015. The two firms merged on January 1, 2023 to form Kagan Shastri DeMelo Winer Park LLP.
- Novae Res Urbis has ranked the firm among Greater Toronto Area municipal law firms nearly every year since 2005, when it placed first. It placed second in 2017 and sixth in 2023.
- Founding partner Ira Kagan was called to the Ontario Bar in 1990 and received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in 2025.
- Founding partner Rahul Shastri received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and was called to the bar in Ontario, Michigan, and Georgia in the early 1990s.
- Ira Kagan served as Vice-Chair of the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation board from 2018 to 2019, and previously sat on the boards of Brampton Distribution Holdco Inc. and Ontario Power Generation.
In the community
- Rahul Shastri has served as a Governor of Holy Trinity School in Richmond Hill and as National Convenor of the Canada India Foundation.
- Paul DeMelo has served as Vice-President and Secretary of the Federation of Canadian Portuguese Business and Professionals, and chaired the Halton District Catholic School Board's Boundary Review Committee.
- Jason Park chairs the board of directors of HF Connecting Health, a nurse practitioner-led clinic, and previously chaired the Ontario Bar Association's Municipal Law Section executive.
- David Winer serves as loan co-chair for a community-based micro-lending charitable organization.
- Kristie Stitt worked as a mediator in a law school dispute resolution clinic and as a caseworker at a community legal services clinic before being called to the bar.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 8
Daniel Angelucci
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawReal Estate Law
David Winer
Partner
Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionConstruction Law
Ira T. Kagan
Founding Partner
Administrative & Regulatory LawReal Estate Law
Jason Park
Co-Managing Partner
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Kristie Stitt
Partner
Civil Litigation & Dispute ResolutionAdministrative & Regulatory Law
Paul M. DeMelo
Co-Managing Partner
Administrative & Regulatory Law
Rahul Shastri
Founding Partner
Real Estate LawConstruction Law
Sarah Kagan
Associate
Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1990–2022 · median 19 years in practice 6 of 8 lawyers
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School, Queen's University, University of Toronto Law School, Western University 4 of 8 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
KSDWP's office is at 188 Avenue Road, in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood. A Toronto building database describes the low-rise structure as looking like a contemporary remake of a row of houses, a design that echoes the residential streets around it even though the building itself is commercial. It makes a fitting base for a firm that spends much of its practice on how buildings and blocks in Ontario get zoned, subdivided, and redeveloped.
Frequently asked questions
- Does KSDWP handle appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal?
- Yes. The firm's municipal and planning lawyers regularly appear before the Ontario Land Tribunal on official plan, zoning, subdivision, site plan, and minor variance matters, along with development charges and Section 37 community benefits issues.
- I'm a developer working through a rezoning or site plan approval in the GTA, can KSDWP help?
- Yes. Municipal and land use planning is a core practice at the firm, covering official plans, zoning by-laws, subdivision and site plan approvals, and related mediation for private developers and public sector clients.
- Can KSDWP represent me in a wrongful dismissal claim?
- Yes. The firm's litigation team handles employment and wrongful dismissal matters as part of its broader civil and commercial litigation practice.
- Does the firm prepare wills and powers of attorney?
- Yes. KSDWP's corporate group prepares wills and powers of attorney alongside its real estate and business work.
- What is aggregate licensing, and does KSDWP handle it?
- Aggregate licensing covers the approvals needed to operate a pit or quarry in Ontario. It's one of the firm's municipal law specialties, alongside expropriations.
- How long has KSDWP been practising in Toronto?
- The firm traces back to 1994, when Kagan Shastri LLP was founded. It merged with Devine Park LLP (founded 2015) on January 1, 2023 to form Kagan Shastri DeMelo Winer Park LLP.
Where to find them
188 Avenue Road, Toronto, ON M5R 2J1 · 416-368-2100
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