What does the name GGFI Law stand for?

It comes from the firm's longer name. GGFI practised for years as Giesbrecht, Griffin, Funk and Irvine LLP, after the surnames Giesbrecht, Griffin, Funk and Irvine, and the shorter name keeps those four initials.

Can GGFI Law help my church or charity with its CRA compliance?

Yes. The firm has a charity law practice that works with churches, charities, and not-for-profits on matters like charitable status and Canada Revenue Agency rules.

Does GGFI Law handle adoptions?

Yes. Adoption law is one of its practice areas, and the firm's work has included international adoptions.

I'm buying my first home near Kitchener, can GGFI Law help?

Yes. Real estate is one of the firm's main areas, and it acts on home purchases and sales out of its Kitchener, New Hamburg, and Waterdown offices.

Where are GGFI Law's offices?

The head office is at 515 Riverbend Drive, Suite 200, in Kitchener. There are two more offices, at 82 Huron Street in New Hamburg and 95 Hamilton Street North in Waterdown.

Can GGFI Law help with an immigration or refugee matter?

Yes. The firm opened an immigration and refugee law department in 2024, alongside longer-standing areas like real estate, family, and estates.

GGFI Law LLP | LawOnline Directory

About GGFI Law LLP

Clients rate this firm highly on Google.

GGFI Law LLP is a general practice firm based in Kitchener, Ontario, with smaller offices in New Hamburg and Waterdown. Ted Giesbrecht founded it on April 15, 1981. For years it practised as Giesbrecht, Griffin, Funk and Irvine LLP, a name built from the surnames of four of its lawyers, and the short GGFI Law name keeps those four initials. The firm marked its fortieth anniversary in 2021 and now has around twenty lawyers who act for both individuals and businesses.

Its main work covers corporate and commercial law, real estate, wills and estates, estate administration, family law, and civil litigation. Two areas are a bit less common for a general firm. GGFI runs a charity law practice that helps churches, charities, and not-for-profits with charitable status and Canada Revenue Agency compliance, and it handles adoptions, including international adoptions. In 2024 it added an immigration and refugee law department. The firm has also grown by taking in nearby practices: Amy, Appleby and Brennan joined in January 2023, and the practice of Colleen J. Winn joined in 2022.

Practice areas

Business & Corporate Law

Real Estate Law

Wills, Estates & Trusts

Family Law

Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Employment & Labour Law

Construction Law

Immigration Law

Milestones & recognition

Ted Giesbrecht founded the firm on April 15, 1981. It practised for years as Giesbrecht, Griffin, Funk and Irvine LLP, a name drawn from the surnames of four of its lawyers, before shortening that to GGFI Law.
The firm marked forty years in business in 2021.
Amy, Appleby and Brennan joined GGFI in January 2023, and the practice of Colleen J. Winn joined in 2022, adding lawyers and clients.
GGFI opened an immigration and refugee law department in 2024.
FCT recognized GGFI as a Top Commercial Law Partner for 2023, an award title given by FCT, which the firm announced in March 2024.
GGFI has been named in Readers' Choice awards, including in 2020 and 2023.
The firm's founder built up an adoption practice that took on international adoptions, working with families adopting from countries such as Guatemala, Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Haiti.

In the community

GGFI runs a Thanksgiving food drive most years for the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. In 2022 its staff collected 520 items, about 456 pounds of food, and a staff silent auction added another $264.25 for the food bank.
The firm's staff have taken part in St. Mary's General Hospital Foundation's Red Day, wearing red to support the Kitchener hospital's foundation.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible A rainbow pride heart

LGBTQ+ friendly A gold parking sign with a green checkmark

Free parking A calendar with a checkmark beside a clock

By appointment

Lawyers 21

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar: 1983–2022 · median 7 years in practice 9 of 21 lawyers
Law schools: University of Western Ontario (5), Osgoode Hall Law School (2), Queen's University (2), University of Ottawa (2), Lincoln Alexander School of Law, University of Aberdeen and 6 more 19 of 21 lawyers
Languages on the roster: German, Spanish

Who handles what

Offices 3

Kitchener (Head Office)519-579-4300

515 Riverbend Drive, Suite 200, Kitchener, ON N2K 3S3

New Hamburg519-662-2000

82 Huron Street, Unit B, New Hamburg, ON N3A 1J3

Waterdown905-689-6869

95 Hamilton Street North, Unit 5, Waterdown, ON L0R 2H6

The neighbourhood

GGFI's head office is on Riverbend Drive, a strip of newer office buildings near the Grand River on the north side of Kitchener. The Grand runs the length of Waterloo Region, from Waterloo and Kitchener down through Cambridge, so the firm sits close to the water that shaped the whole area.

The two smaller offices sit in older communities beyond the city. The New Hamburg office is at 82 Huron Street, in a town that grew up around mills on the Nith River in the 1830s. The river still winds through the downtown, past a large waterwheel, and the core is a designated heritage conservation district. The Waterdown office is on Hamilton Street North, in a village built around mills on Grindstone Creek that's now part of the City of Hamilton, in the former Flamborough township. Both offices keep the firm close to clients in Wilmot Township and the countryside around Kitchener.

Frequently asked questions

What does the name GGFI Law stand for?: It comes from the firm's longer name. GGFI practised for years as Giesbrecht, Griffin, Funk and Irvine LLP, after the surnames Giesbrecht, Griffin, Funk and Irvine, and the shorter name keeps those four initials.
Can GGFI Law help my church or charity with its CRA compliance?: Yes. The firm has a charity law practice that works with churches, charities, and not-for-profits on matters like charitable status and Canada Revenue Agency rules.
Does GGFI Law handle adoptions?: Yes. Adoption law is one of its practice areas, and the firm's work has included international adoptions.
I'm buying my first home near Kitchener, can GGFI Law help?: Yes. Real estate is one of the firm's main areas, and it acts on home purchases and sales out of its Kitchener, New Hamburg, and Waterdown offices.
Where are GGFI Law's offices?: The head office is at 515 Riverbend Drive, Suite 200, in Kitchener. There are two more offices, at 82 Huron Street in New Hamburg and 95 Hamilton Street North in Waterdown.
Can GGFI Law help with an immigration or refugee matter?: Yes. The firm opened an immigration and refugee law department in 2024, alongside longer-standing areas like real estate, family, and estates.

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