The Criminal Law Team

About The Criminal Law Team

The Criminal Law Team is a small criminal defence firm on Yonge Street in North York. Stephen Hebscher and Bruce Karten built the practice together, and the firm describes the pair as bringing more than 60 years of combined criminal law experience to their cases. Hebscher, the firm's lead counsel, was called to the bar of Ontario in 1985 after graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School and has practiced criminal law exclusively since. Karten, called to the bar in 1970, started out in the Trenton and Belleville area before relocating that practice to the Greater Toronto Area, and is now retired from the firm.

The practice also includes Mikaela Thompson, an associate who articled in Hebscher's office and holds a Master of Laws from the University of Ottawa. The firm takes on a wide range of criminal charges, including assault, sexual assault, drug and driving offences, and property and fraud cases, and it has built up particular experience representing clients whose matters involve mental health issues, addiction, or autism spectrum disorder. On that last point, the firm says it works with mental health professionals to review the evidence and, where it fits the case, put together a tailored plan for the court.