Biographical Summaries of Presenters
[Presented in alphabetical order]
May 13, 2017
CRIMINAL LAW
Practice Basics 2017
Patrice Band is a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton. He obtained his
LL.B. in 1997 from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. After a clerkship at the
Ontario Court of Appeal, Patrice practised as an Assistant Crown Attorney in downtown
Toronto. He completed his LL.M. at New York University, School of Law, and then
acted as counsel to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. In 2006, Patrice
entered private practice consisting predominantly of criminal defence work and
professional regulation, including prosecution work on behalf of provincial regulators.
He was designated by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Certified Specialist in
criminal law. He is a past Director of the Criminal Lawyers Association (Toronto
Region) and Alternate Chair of the Ontario Review Board.
Daniel Brown is lead counsel at Daniel Brown Law LLP in Toronto where he has a trial and appellate practice devoted to criminal, constitutional and regulatory law. He is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in criminal law and sits as a Toronto Director of the Criminal Lawyers Association. Daniel is also a co-author of a forthcoming textbook on prosecuting and defending sexual offences cases. Outside the courtroom, Daniel mentors young lawyers and has lectured at conferences hosted by the Crown and defence bar, The Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association, The Advocates Society and local high schools.
1
Paul started his own practice in 1992 specializing in criminal and constitutional litigation. He
has argued appeals before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal and the
Federal Court of Appeal. He has been involved in notable cases at both trial and on appeal.
From 1995-2012, Paul served as one of a handful of lawyers acting as amicus to the Ontario
Court of Appeal for mentally disordered offenders. Paul has appeared before Parliamentary
Committees dealing with various criminal legislative proposals, including the proposed bill to
decriminalize the personal possession of cannabis. For 8 years, Paul served as the Director of
Osgoode Hall Law School’s Intensive Program in Criminal Law. For more almost 20 years,
Paul has been involved with the Trial Advocacy courses offered by the Law School to both
students and practitioners. Paul was as an adjunct professor at Queens Law School from 2006 to
2013 teaching both trial and appellate advocacy. After serving as a Director for 13 years, Paul
became President of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association in November, 2009 and is now a Past
President. While aspiring for its presidency, Paul continues to diligently toil as treasurer and
secretary of his family of eight.
Paul Calarco studied history and law at the University of Toronto, receiving
his B.A. in 1980 and LL.B. in 1982. In 1999, he received an LL.M. specializing in
constitutional law from Osgoode Hall Law School. He articled with the
Department of Justice, being called to the Bar in 1984. Mr. Calarco has practised
as a defence counsel since 1984 and has appeared at all levels of court in
Ontario. He was granted an Order In Council as a Part time Assistant Crown
Attorney in 1987 and from 1989 to 1995 was a Standing Agent for the Attorney
General of Canada.
Mr. Calarco has been an instructor in numerous educational programmes in
Ontario. He has also written many submissions to the Governments of Canada and
Ontario on criminal law reform and the practice of law, as well as articles on
specific issues in criminal law and appeared before Parliamentary Committees. He
is involved in the provision of legal aid services through committees of Legal Aid
Ontario and has been a commentator on legal issues for various Canadian media.
He was a member of four Canadian delegations to the People's Republic of China
teaching advocacy and law reform to defence counsel in that country as well as a
speaker at the China-Canada Symposium on the Reform of Criminal Justice in
Beijing and is the editor of the Canadian Sentencing Digest.
Karen Erlick
Assistant Crown Attorney – Downtown Toronto
Karen Erlick received her B.Comm (Honours) degree from Queen’s University in 1997
and her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2000. Karen articled at the law firm of
Greenspan, Humphrey, Lavine, and, upon being called to the Ontario bar in 2002, she
continued on with them as an associate. Karen’s practice was focused primarily on
criminal and quasi-criminal trials and appeals. She was also involved in some regulatory
and extradition matters. In 2004, Karen joined the Downtown Toronto Crown Attorney’s
office. Her practice now involves the prosecution of Criminal Code offences in both the
Ontario Court of Justice and the Superior Court of Justice.
David M. Humphrey
David Humphrey is a partner in Greenspan Humphrey Weinstein,
with an advocacy practice focused on criminal trials and appeals,
regulatory offences and professional discipline matters. He has
been named in The Best Lawyers in Canada in the practice area of
criminal defence from 2007 – 2016. In 2007 he was inducted as a
Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Mr. Humphrey
was counsel to the Honourable Patrick T. Galligan, Q.C. on his
Inquiry into the Karla Homolka plea resolution. He served on the
Board of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association from 1993 - 2009 (as
director, secretary and vice-president), as a director of LINK – The
Lawyers Assistance Program from 1995 - 2006, and as a director of
The Advocates’ Society from 2006 - 2009. He is currently a member
of the Ontario Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee,
appointed by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Nadia Liva
Throughout the past 25 years, Nadia’s practice has evolved from a mix of criminal and
refugee work in the early years, to a strictly criminal practice only to have morphed into a
mix of criminal and regulatory defence work. Her passion for defending people has
transformed into a passion for advocating on behalf of professionals, most specifically
lawyers and paralegals, facing regulatory and disciplinary proceedings. Always having
appreciated the interplay of mental health with the criminal justice system, as well as
within the regulatory world she now frequents, Nadia’s practice has always embraced a
holistic approach, blending advocacy with sensitivity to mental health issues; making
cross-referrals to treatment and counselling supports. When not defending the
wrongfully accused, Nadia mentors young lawyers, appears as a lecturer at various
organizations including the Advocates Society, the Law Society of Upper Canada and the
Criminal Lawyers’ Association. Nadia is about to enter a new phase of her career as she
joins a talented group of lawyers in a soon to be opened regulatory chambers. Stay tuned
for more on that!
Anthony Moustacalis
Called 1984 Assistant Crown Attorney Toronto for five years
Private practice since 1989 SCC two times
Ontario Court of Appeal over 100 indictable appeals Over 50 jury trials
Over 1000 summary conviction trials
President of CLA, second two year term Treasurer and Board member CLA ten years
Danielle Robitaille
HeneinHutchisonLLP235KingStreetEast1stFloorToronto,OntarioM5A1J9T:416.368.5000E:[email protected]
Biography
Ms.Robitaille isapartneratHeneinHutchison,whereherpractice focusesoncriminal, regulatoryanddisciplinary litigation at both the trial andappellate levels.Ms.Robitaille defendsboth individuals andcorporationschargedwithregulatoryorcriminaloffences.ShehasappearedbeforealllevelsofcourtandisanactivememberoftheInmateAppealDutyCounselProgramfortheCourtofAppealforOntario.Ms. Robitaille has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and an LL.B. from DalhousieUniversity,whereshewontheMurielDuckworthAwardfor“raisingconsciousnessofwomen’sissuesandfeminisminthelegalcommunity.”Ms.RobitaillehaslecturedextensivelyincludingatTheLawSocietyofUpper Canada, Osgoode Professional Development, The Advocates’ Society, the Office of the ChiefCoronerofOntarioandtheOntarioCourtof Justice.Additionally,Ms.Robitaille isan instructor fortheUniversityofToronto’sTrialAdvocacycourseandcurrentlyservesonTheAdvocates’Society’sStandingCommitteeonAdvocacyandPractice.Ms.Robitaillewasnameda“LitigatortoWatch”inLexpert’s2015GuidetotheLeadingUS/CanadaCrossBorderLitigationLawyersinCanada.
Biography – Jaime Stephenson
Jaime graduated from Queen’s University Law School in 2005 and was called to the bar
and began practising criminal law in 2006, always practising exclusively in criminal law.
In 2012, Jaime founded the firm of Jaime L. Stephenson and Associate. Jaime has
always focused her practice on Criminal Law and deals with a wide range of cases that
include Shoplifting to Murder. Jaime has a special interest in dealing with Criminal
Organization and drug cases as well as Indigenous criminal law and the battle against
cruelty to animals. In addition to law, Jaime judges local equestrian competitions. Jaime
is the current President of the Hamilton Criminal Lawyer’s Association, member or the
Women in Criminal Law Sub-Committee with the CLA and has presented on a wide range
of topics to colleagues during various seminars and Continuing Legal Education Events.
Over the past 2 years Jaime has incorporated real estate law into her criminal practice.
DIMITRA TSAGARIS
DEPUTY CROWN ATTORNEY
Graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1997
Called to the Ontario Bar in 1999
Deputy Crown Attorney:
Scarborough Crown Attorney’s Office (July 1999 – present):
Conducted trials of all types of Criminal Code offences including sexual assaults, domestic assaults, frauds, driving offences and homicides
Participated in case management duties (screening, counsel and judicial pretrials)
Represented the Crown in Ontario Review Board Hearings
Appellate counsel at the Summary Conviction Appeals Office (6 months of which as Acting Lead) – January 2007 - 2010
Crown Lead on the Case Management Team from November 2012 – January 2015
Since January 2016 have taken the role as Deputy Crown Attorney
Office of Strategic Initiatives, Ministry of the Attorney General (February 2015 – December 2015):
Part of a team that investigated and implemented Court and Crown work enhancement projects across Ontario
Director of the Crown Summer School Course: Family and Domestic Violence (and its predecessor courses since 2006)
Speaker at the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners training seminars (bi-annually since 2006)
Educationally, have presented at various Crown, Lawyer and Police conferences (OCAA, OBA, police training seminars)
Seth Weinstein is a partner at Greenspan Humphrey Weinstein with an advocacy
practice focused on criminal trials, regulatory offences and professional discipline
matters. He is a director of the Criminal Lawyers Association (“CLA”). For seven years
prior to becoming a director, Seth was the co-editor of the CLA publication, For The
Defence. Seth is an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and a frequent
presenter at continuing legal education programs. He is the author of a number of papers
on criminal law issues and the co-author of "Corporate Criminal Liability: Principals and
Principles" in The Controlling Mind – Exercising Legal Control: Its Obligations and
Liabilities, ed. Barry Lipson (2012, Carswell) and “Prosecuting and Defending
Extradition Cases: A Practitioner’s Handbook” (2017, Emond).