Sabsay Lawyers
3 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 455 handling Criminal Defence.
About Sabsay Lawyers
Sabsay Lawyers is a small Toronto firm that combines criminal defence, civil litigation, and tribunal advocacy under one roof. The team takes on charges across the board, from assault, fraud, and drug offences to impaired driving and white collar crime, and it also handles the civil suits and professional discipline complaints that can follow from a criminal allegation. The firm works out of the Fashion Building at 130 Spadina Avenue, an eight storey heritage building put up in 1926 and 1927 for the Fashion Cloak Company Limited and added to Toronto's heritage register in 1989, and it takes clients from across Ontario.
Principal Lorne Sabsay was called to the Ontario bar in 1987 and is certified as a Specialist in Criminal Law by the Law Society of Ontario. Sabsay's practice grew into civil litigation in 2001, with a focus on lawsuits that arise out of criminal allegations. Associate Patrick Colquhoun, called to the bar in 2023, and Roselyn Kelada-Sedra, called in 2016 after an earlier career in journalism, round out the legal team. The firm also represents students facing academic misconduct hearings and professionals in regulated fields such as teaching, nursing, and engineering who are facing discipline complaints.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Lorne Sabsay was called to the Ontario bar in 1987 and later became certified as a Specialist in Criminal Law by the Law Society of Ontario.
- The firm's practice expanded into civil litigation in 2001, taking on lawsuits that grow out of criminal allegations alongside the defence work.
- Roselyn Kelada-Sedra was called to the bar in 2016 and Patrick Colquhoun in 2023, building out the litigation team.
- Lorne Sabsay has been quoted or cited on criminal law and drug treatment courts by outlets including the Globe and Mail, Global News, CityNews, Law Times, the Toronto Star, and the Hamilton Spectator over more than a decade of coverage.
In the community
- Lorne Sabsay serves as National Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals and is a member of Innocence Canada.
- Lorne Sabsay teaches advocacy and legal skills through the Advocates Society, Osgoode Hall Law School, the Criminal Lawyers' Association, and the Ontario Bar Association, including course sessions on provincial offences court practice and summary conviction offences.
- Roselyn Kelada-Sedra sits on the board of The Theatre Centre and served on the executive of the Ontario Bar Association's Entertainment, Media and Communication Law Section from 2016 to 2018.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
By appointmentLawyers 3
Certified Specialists
A designation granted by the Law Society of Ontario, not a self-declared area of focus.
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1987–2023 · median 10 years in practice 3 of 3 lawyers
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School (2) 2 of 3 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
The firm's office sits inside the Fashion Building at 130 Spadina Avenue, an eight storey warehouse style building put up between 1926 and 1927 for the Fashion Cloak Company Limited and added to Toronto's heritage register in 1989. It's one of a run of garment trade buildings that gave this stretch of Spadina its name, and it now holds office space rather than manufacturing floors. A firm working out of a converted garment building on Spadina is a small reminder of how much of downtown Toronto's working history sits behind ordinary office doors.
Frequently asked questions
- What kinds of criminal charges does Sabsay Lawyers handle?
- The firm defends a wide range of charges, including assault, fraud and theft, drug offences, impaired driving, sexual assault, weapons offences, white collar crime, and money laundering, along with criminal appeals.
- I'm a student facing an academic misconduct hearing, can Sabsay Lawyers help?
- Yes. The firm represents students in academic tribunal matters involving allegations such as cheating, plagiarism, a forged application, or grade manipulation, and works to keep damaging findings out of a student's record where possible.
- Can Sabsay Lawyers represent me in a professional discipline complaint?
- The firm represents regulated professionals, including teachers, nurses, physicians, dentists, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, engineers, accountants, and lawyers, through complaints, investigations, discipline hearings, and appeals, including cases where a discipline complaint overlaps with criminal allegations.
- Does the firm handle wrongful dismissal and other employment disputes?
- Civil litigation at the firm covers wrongful dismissal and contract disputes, among other commercial matters.
- Can a criminal charge also lead to a civil lawsuit, and does Sabsay Lawyers handle both?
- Yes, this is one of the firm's areas of focus. Lorne Sabsay and Roselyn Kelada-Sedra have written on how criminal charges can lead to civil liability, and the firm represents clients in civil litigation that arises out of a criminal conviction or allegation.
- Where is Sabsay Lawyers located and how do I reach the firm?
- The office is at 606, 130 Spadina Avenue in Toronto, in the Fashion District. The firm can be reached by phone, email, or its online contact form, and it serves clients from across Ontario, including by phone and video consultation.
Where to find them
606-130 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2L4 · 416-361-9609
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