Law Offices of George M. Garvida

About Law Offices of George M. Garvida

The Law Offices of George M. Garvida is a sole Toronto practice serving the Filipino Canadian community. Atty. George M. Garvida handles immigration, family law, civil litigation, business and commercial law, criminal defence, notarial services, small claims, and wills, drawing on experience in both the Canadian and Philippine legal systems. The firm says its aim is to represent Filipino community members who have not traditionally had access to legal representation, and it offers a free 15 minute consultation to new clients.

Garvida earned a BA in Humanities and an Ll.B. from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1993, then worked in the Philippines as Counsel and Hearing Officer with the Videogram Regulatory Board and later as a Government Corporate Attorney with the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel. After moving to Canada, Garvida completed a Law Clerk Diploma with Honours at Seneca College in Toronto in 2008 and, in 2014, received a Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the credential that lets internationally trained lawyers requalify to practise here.

Before opening the practice, Garvida held a range of jobs, including freelance DJ, server at Dunkin' Donuts, kitchen manager at Jollibee in Manila, cook at the IKEA restaurant in North York, and crew member at a Tim Hortons in Pickering. Garvida later opened three Toronto resto-bars, Kalesa, Kalan Chow, and Katipunan, and still offers DJ and sound engineering services through KMR Muzik.