Patel Kairys Law

About Patel Kairys Law

Patel Kairys Law is a two-lawyer firm in downtown Toronto, built around two specific practices: charity and not-for-profit law, and mental health law. Shanil Patel and Katrina Kairys co-founded the firm after working elsewhere first. Patel began a career at a plaintiff-side litigation firm before spending a year as in-house counsel for an insurance company, and Kairys spent several years practicing charity and not-for-profit law at a national firm. Both were called to the Ontario Bar in 2020: Patel holds a J.D. from Queen's University and studied philosophy at McGill University, while Kairys holds a J.D. from the University of Toronto and an Honours B.A. from McGill.

Patel represents clients before Ontario's Consent and Capacity Board, the Ontario Review Board, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the firm accepts legal aid certificates for Consent and Capacity Board, guardianship, and Ontario Review Board matters. Kairys works with charities and non-profits on incorporation, charitable registration, governance, and regulatory compliance, and has written for the Estates, Trusts and Pensions Journal, the Canadian Tax Foundation, and a Muttart Foundation collection on Canada's voluntary sector. The firm also keeps a running blog of short commentaries on capacity and guardianship cases.