Real Estate Lawyers & Professional Staff
Our lawyers and law clerks have a wealth of knowledge and experience in all areas of commercial property law including: commercial leasing, property management, real estate litigation, landlord and tenant, telecommunications access, financing and conveyance and all other areas of commercial real estate law.
Managing Director
 |
Jim Knafo is our Managing Director and is responsible
for developing and implementing sound business practices and strategy,
including managing all administrative functions of the firm.
If you are interested in working at our firm or in becoming a supplier to
our firm, then Jim should be your first point of contact. >>Read more about Jim Knafo |
Our Lawyers
 |
Francine Baker-Sigal is a leading lawyer in
Canada in the area of commercial leasing transactions. Following
her call to the Ontario bar in 1983, Francine practised law with
a large Toronto law firm in the area of real estate development,
with particular emphasis on commercial leasing transactions; her
move to Daoust Vukovich in 1996 solidified her reputation in this
area of the law. >>Read more about Francine Baker-Sigal |
 |
Jeanne Banka practises exclusively in the area of commercial leasing on behalf
of both landlords and tenants in retail, office and industrial
properties, including sale/leaseback arrangements. She is listed by Lexpert, the national lawyer rating service, as a practitioner
consistently recommended in the area of Property Leasing. She is also
listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada, a U.S. based national
lawyer rating
service. >>Read more about Jeanne Banka |
 |
Joanna
Board practises in the area of commercial litigation. She appears before
both trial and appellate courts in Ontario. Her litigation practice is
varied and she has considerable experience with commercial landlord and
tenant matters including lease default remedies, collections,
injunctions, lease interpretations and construction liens. Joanna’s
emphasis is on resolving landlord-tenant disputes in the most efficient
manner possible. >>Read More about Joanna Board |
 |
Melissa
Brockley practises commercial leasing and real estate law and joins the
firm as an associate after working with Daoust Vukovich LLP as both
an articling student and a summer student. Melissa was called to the
Bar of Ontario in 2008. >>Read more about Melissa Brockley |
 |
Dennis Daoust has been listed in the “Most Frequently
Recommended” category of Leading Practioners in Toronto in the
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and has also been included in the
American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, in
each year that they have been published. He is also included in the
inaugural 2006 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada. He has
been qualified in court as an expert in commercial landlord and tenant
law. >>Read more about Dennis Daoust |
 |
Gasper Galati is an associate in our litigation
department. Gasper’s practice focuses on a broad range of complex
matters, including both commercial and civil disputes. He has particular
experience with commercial lease disputes, contractual disputes,
construction law disputes, as well as debt collection matters. Gasper has
appeared as counsel before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice; various
administrative tribunals and both private mediations and arbitrations. >>Read more about Gasper Galati |
 |
S. Ronald Haber practises in the area of commercial real
estate law. He joined Daoust Vukovich LLP in June, 2001. Ron's practice
focuses on real estate development, construction, financing, acquisitions
and sales.
>>Read more about S. Ronald Haber |
 |
Wolfgang Kaufmann is a senior trial lawyer and arbitrator. Since
joining Daoust Vukovich in 1997, Wolfgang’s practice has focused on
litigation and arbitration relating to commercial leasing, real
estate, franchising, construction liens and bankruptcy
re-organizations.
Wolfgang has extensive experience before the courts, conducting
trials or arguing motions, applications and appeals. He has acted on
many legal matters which have been reported in legal periodicals as
having an impact on the law. >>Read more about Wolfgang Kaufmann |
 |
Dawn Michaeloff is a partner of the firm and practises
exclusive in the area of commercial leasing. With over 20 years
experience in office, retail and industrial leasing, she is fully
familiar with key issues and all types of lease transactions. Having come
from an in-house background with two major Canadian real estate
companies, she has a practical, results-oriented approach and understands
business practicalities and corporate expectations from external counsel.
She has extensive risk management experience and wrote “Insurance and
Risk Management in Commercial Leasing”, a practical guide on insurance
and related topics in the context of commercial leasing that was
published by Canada Law Book in 2009. >>Read more about Dawn Michaeloff |
 |
Jamie Paquin was called to the Ontario Bar in 2005 and
joined Daoust Vukovich LLP in January, 2006. Jamie’s versatile real
estate practice includes acting for commercial retail, office and
industrial landlords and tenants in a variety of leasing and financing
matters and facilitating purchases, sales and the financing of commercial
property. >>Read more about Jamie Paquin |
 |
Natalie Vukovich is a leader in the Canadian field of
commercial leasing lawyers. In January, 1995 Natalie co-founded the firm
of Daoust Vukovich LLP. She has been named in Lexpert's Guide to the Leading 500
Lawyers in Canada every year since it was first published. Natalie
practises exclusively in the area of commercial leasing. She is fully
conversant with all types of commercial property lease transactions as
well as with all types of arrangements for use of building-related
telecommunication facilities and services. >>Read more about Natalie Vukovich |
 |
Deborah A. Watkins is a leading lawyer in Canada in the
area of commercial leasing transactions. She joined Daoust Vukovich LLP
in July, 2000 as a partner. Deborah began her legal career in 1986 as
legal counsel at The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited. She left
Cadillac Fairview to join a major Toronto law firm and later became a
partner there. >>Read more about Deborah Watkins |
Our Law Clerks
 |
Mary Ann Badon joined Daoust Vukovich LLP in 2000 as a legal assistant with
primary responsibilities of assisting lawyers and law clerks in
commercial leasing. >>Read more about Mary Ann Badon |
 |
Bitali Fu joined the firm in August, 2003 as a Senior Law Clerk, with
primary responsibilities in commercial leasing. Her most recent position
was as Manager, Legal Services of CREIT Management Limited, where her
responsibilities encompassed negotiation and administration of documents
for office buildings, industrial properties and strip plazas in Ontario
as well as operational support and consulting services to the Ontario
Region team in all aspects of commercial lease matters. >>Read more about Bitali Fu |
 |
Lynn Larman joined Daoust Vukovich LLP in 1998 as a law clerk with primary
responsibilities in commercial leasing.
Lynn began her career in the commercial leasing field in 1982. She
has tremendous experience in all areas of commercial leasing, having
worked on behalf of vendors and purchasers in the due diligence
process, negotiated, drafted and administered leases, for both
retail and office. >>Read more about Lynn Larman |
 |
Mimi Lin joined Daoust Vukovich LLP in 1999 as a Law
Clerk with primary responsibilities in commercial leasing. Mimi began
her career in the legal profession in 1989 as a member of the Legal
Department at The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited, Canada's
largest commercial real estate developer. >>Read more about Mimi Lin |
 |
Portia Pang joined Daoust Vukovich LLP in 2000. Her primary focus is
commercial real estate transactions. Portia graduated from Hong Kong
Polytechnic and completed the law clerk associate level courses at Seneca
College, with Honours in corporate, estates and litigation. In 2004 she
received the LexisNexis Canada Award for Excellence in Estates. Portia is
an Associate Member of the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario. >>Read more about Portia Pang |
 |
Alice Peralta joined Daoust Vukovich LLP in 1998 as a Senior Law Clerk, with
primary responsibilities in commercial leasing. Alice began her career in
the legal profession in 1988. She supported legal counsel to the
Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto in presentations to Metro
Council and the Ontario Municipal Board. In 1989, she joined The
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited and was promoted to a Law
Clerk position in 1991. >>Read more about Alice Peralta |
Assistants
Lisa-Marie Belby
Legal
Assistant to Joanna Board and Gasper Galati
lbelby@dv-law.com
(416) 597-1547
Angela Carpenter
Legal Assistant to Deborah Watkins, Alice Peralta and Jakki
Warkentin
acarpenter@dv-law.com
(416) 542-5406
Anne Leimic
Legal
Assistant to Dennis Daoust, Lynn Larman and Mary Ann Badon
aleimic@dv-law.com
(416) 597-6647
Barbara Longmore
Legal
Assistant to Jeanne Banka and Bitali Fu
blongmore@dv-law.com
(416) 591-3046
Anna Mauro
Legal
Assistant to Wolfgang Kaufmann
amauro@dv-law.com
(416) 591-3036
Molly Monterio
Legal
Assistant to Dawn Michaeloff
mmonteiro@dv-law.com
(416) 591-3039
Laura Pitre
Legal
Assistant to S. Ronald Haber and Portia Pang
Real Estate Assistant to Jamie Paquin and Melissa Brockley
lpitre@dv-law.com
(416) 597-8489
Luisa Sabadello
Legal
Assistant to Natalie Vukovich, Francine Baker-Sigal and Mimi Lin
luisas@dv-law.com
(416) 597-6779
Cynthia Stasinski
Legal
Assistant to Jamie Paquin and Melissa Brockley
cstasinski@dv-law.com
(416) 598-7054
ADMINISTRATION
Tanya Dayes
Filing Clerk
tdayes@dv-law.com
(416) 598-7044
Paula Logan
Financial Administrator
plogan@dv-law.com
(416) 591-7103
Sandra Palmer
Receptionist
spalmer@dv-law.com
(416) 597-6888
Dawn Pruner
Accounts Receivable Clerk
dpruner@dv-law.com
(416) 598-7055
Gloria Roloson
Administrative Clerk
Assistant to Jim Knafo
groloson@dv-law.com
(416) 597-0949
Norman Squire
Accounting Clerk
nsquire@dv-law.com
(416) 542-5463
Contact InformationDaoust Vukovich LLP |
Find Out More about our legal services |
Find out about our
Areas of Expertise