Newman Barristers
2 lawyers · Established 2022 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 455 handling Criminal Defence.
Free consultationFree consultationAbout Newman Barristers
Newman Barristers is a small criminal defence firm in downtown Toronto that handles criminal and quasi-criminal matters exclusively, from minor offences through to murder charges. It doesn't take on civil, corporate, commercial, contract, or real estate work; its two lawyers focus only on defending people charged under the Criminal Code and related provincial statutes. The office is at 55 University Avenue, Suite 1100, in the city's financial core.
The firm took its current name in 2022, when Adam Newman continued the practice after former partner Justice Stephen R. Bernstein was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice bench. The two had worked together for seventeen years as Bernstein, Newman & Associates. Newman was called to the bar in 1998 after earning a law degree at Osgoode Hall Law School, and one of the firm's lawyers is listed by the Law Society of Ontario as a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law. Associate counsel Allison Cormie-Bowins, also an Osgoode Hall graduate, articled at a Toronto criminal defence firm and was called to the bar in 2015, then ran a solo practice and worked at a firm focused on drinking-and-driving cases before living and teaching English in South Korea; Cormie-Bowins joined Newman Barristers in 2019 upon returning to Toronto.
The firm's lawyers regularly bring Charter applications and challenge search warrants and wiretap authorizations, and they take on complex matters involving organized crime and homicide allegations.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Adam Newman was called to the bar in 1998 and spent five years as an associate, then partner, at Robbins, Bernstein & Associates before co-founding Bernstein, Newman & Associates in 2005.
- The firm was renamed Newman Barristers in 2022, after Justice Stephen R. Bernstein's appointment to the Ontario Court of Justice bench.
- One of the firm's lawyers is listed as a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law by the Law Society of Ontario.
Fees & payment
Free consultationLawyers 2
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1998–2015 · median 19 years in practice 2 of 2 lawyers
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School (2) 2 of 2 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Newman Barristers' office sits at University Avenue and Wellington Street, on the northeast corner of Toronto's financial core, with direct underground PATH access to St. Andrew subway station. It's a stretch of the city built up with bank towers and corporate offices, an unglamorous backdrop for a two-lawyer firm that takes on nothing but criminal defence.
The address puts the firm on the same avenue as the Superior Court of Justice courthouse at 361 University, a short distance north, where Toronto's criminal and family matters are heard. For a firm whose practice is built entirely around trial work, being on University Avenue keeps it close to where its cases actually get decided.
Frequently asked questions
- What kinds of criminal charges does Newman Barristers handle?
- The firm handles the full range of offences prosecuted under the Criminal Code, from theft, assault, and fraud through to firearms, drug, and murder charges, plus quasi-criminal charges under provincial statutes like the Highway Traffic Act. It doesn't take on civil, family, or corporate matters.
- Can Newman Barristers help with a bail hearing?
- Yes. The firm handles initial bail hearings, bail reviews, ninety day detention reviews, and applications to vary existing bail conditions.
- Does the firm challenge how the police handled my arrest or search?
- Newman Barristers regularly brings Charter applications over issues like unlawful search and seizure, denial of the right to counsel, and illegal detention, and it challenges search warrants and wiretap authorizations directly.
- How long has Newman Barristers been practising criminal law in Toronto?
- The firm took its current name in 2022, but its roots go back further, to Bernstein, Newman & Associates, a partnership between Adam Newman and Justice Stephen R. Bernstein that ran for seventeen years before Bernstein's appointment to the bench.
- Where is Newman Barristers located, and is it easy to get to?
- The firm is at 55 University Avenue, Suite 1100, in downtown Toronto, with direct underground PATH access to St. Andrew subway station.
- Does Newman Barristers handle civil lawsuits or business law?
- No. The firm says plainly that it doesn't prosecute or sue for damages and doesn't take on corporate, commercial, civil, contract, or real estate work; its practice is limited to defending criminal and quasi-criminal charges.
Where to find them
55 University Avenue, Suite 1100, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2H7 · 416-944-8900
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