About Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc

Steinecke Maciura LeBlanc (SML) is a Toronto law firm that has practiced exclusively in professional regulation since it was founded in 1997 by Richard Steinecke and Julie Maciura. The firm's clients are the regulators themselves, the colleges, boards and associations that license and discipline professionals across Ontario, rather than the practitioners those bodies oversee. SML's office is in the Simpson Tower at 401 Bay Street in downtown Toronto.

The firm has grown to about 15 lawyers who work as general counsel, prosecutors and independent legal counsel for regulators, and who also provide education, training and governance advice. Partner Bernard LeBlanc and founder Julie Maciura both hold Law Society of Ontario certified specialist designations, and the firm's lawyers have co-authored reference texts used across the field, including A Complete Guide to the Regulated Health Professions Act and The Annotated Statutory Powers Procedure Act. SML has also published Grey Areas, a newsletter tracking regulatory law developments, since July 1992. It now goes out ten to twelve times a year to more than 1,500 subscribers.

Practice areas

Administrative & Regulatory Law

Milestones & recognition

  • SML was founded in 1997 by Richard Steinecke and Julie Maciura, building a practice devoted entirely to representing professional and industry regulators rather than the professionals they license.
  • Richard Steinecke received the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation's Regulatory Excellence Award in 2015 and the Ontario Bar Association's Tom Marshall Award of Excellence for the Public Sector in 2019, before retiring from practice in 2022.
  • Julie Maciura received the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation's Consumer Protection Award in 2019 and holds a Law Society of Ontario specialist certification in health law.
  • Partner Bernard LeBlanc holds Law Society of Ontario certified specialist designations in both civil litigation and health law.
  • The firm's lawyers have co-authored standard regulatory law texts, including A Complete Guide to the Regulated Health Professions Act and The Annotated Statutory Powers Procedure Act.
  • Grey Areas, the firm's newsletter on professional regulation, has been published since July 1992 and now reaches more than 1,500 subscribers ten to twelve times a year.

In the community

  • SML lawyers regularly teach and speak at national regulatory education events, including the Canadian Network of Agencies for Regulation and the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation.
  • Partner Bernard LeBlanc co-chairs the Osgoode Certificate in Professional Regulation and Discipline in the Health Care Sector.
  • A partner at the firm serves as an elected Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario and as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.
  • The firm maintains the Regulation Pro Blog, publishing one or two posts a week on court decisions and other developments affecting regulated professions.

Good to know

A person using a wheelchairWheelchair accessibleA calendar with a checkmark beside a clockBy appointment

Lawyers 15

Ahmad Mozaffari Partner Administrative & Regulatory LawClass Actions Alexandra (Sandra) Matushenko Counsel Administrative & Regulatory LawBusiness & Corporate Law Anastasia-Maria Hountalas Partner Administrative & Regulatory Law Bernard C. LeBlanc Partner Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Carly Waisglass Associate Administrative & Regulatory Law Elizabeth Urso Associate Administrative & Regulatory Law Emily Graham Partner Administrative & Regulatory Law Enniael Stair Associate Administrative & Regulatory Law Erica Richler Co-Managing Partner Administrative & Regulatory Law Julie Maciura Partner Administrative & Regulatory Law Karen Heath Counsel Administrative & Regulatory LawCriminal Defence Natasha Danson Partner Administrative & Regulatory LawEmployment & Labour Law Rachel Hung Associate Administrative & Regulatory LawCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution Rebecca Durcan Co-Managing Partner Administrative & Regulatory Law Sean Ovas Associate Administrative & Regulatory Law

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Law schools
Queen's University (3), Osgoode Hall Law School (2), University of Ottawa (2), University of Windsor (2), Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, University of New Brunswick and 2 more 13 of 15 lawyers
Languages on the roster
French

Who handles what

The neighbourhood

SML's office is in the Simpson Tower at 401 Bay Street, a highrise completed in 1968 in downtown Toronto. A short walk leads to Osgoode Hall, home to the Law Society of Ontario, the Court of Appeal for Ontario and part of the Superior Court of Justice, fitting neighbours for a firm built around representing the regulators who oversee licensed professions rather than the professionals themselves.

Frequently asked questions

Does SML represent an individual professional facing a licensing or discipline complaint?
No. SML acts for the regulatory bodies, colleges and associations that license and discipline professionals in Ontario, providing general counsel, prosecution and independent legal counsel services. The firm doesn't represent or defend individual practitioners.
What kinds of organizations does SML work with?
SML works with professional, trade and industry regulators across Ontario, including health profession colleges. Its lawyers co-authored A Complete Guide to the Regulated Health Professions Act, a reference used across the sector.
What is the Grey Areas newsletter?
It's SML's newsletter on developments in professional regulation, published since July 1992. It now goes out ten to twelve times a year to more than 1,500 subscribers and can be signed up for free on the firm's site.
How long has SML been practicing regulatory law, and how big is the firm?
SML was founded in 1997 by Richard Steinecke and Julie Maciura and has grown to about 15 lawyers, all focused on professional regulation.
Does SML provide education and training for regulators?
Yes. Education and training is one of the firm's core services, and its lawyers teach at national events such as CNAR and CLEAR conferences and at Osgoode Professional Development, including the Certificate in Professional Regulation and Discipline in the Health Care Sector.
Is SML's office at 401 Bay Street accessible?
SML's accessibility policy commits to serving clients who use assistive devices or service animals, to welcoming support persons, and to providing alternate formats and communication methods on request, consistent with Ontario's accessibility standards.

Where to find them

401 Bay Street, Suite 2308, Toronto, Ontario M5H 2Y4 · 416-599-2200

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Listing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗