OUR LAWYERS

Counsel measured in decades, not files.

Six lawyers, three practice pillars, and one standard of care. Every matter at Hale & Merrow is led by counsel who has done this work before — and expects to be doing it for you again.

A BOUTIQUE BY DESIGN

We keep the roster small on purpose.

A large firm distributes a matter across juniors you'll never meet. We do the opposite. Each file at Hale & Merrow is carried, start to finish, by one of the six lawyers below — the same person who took your first call is the person who signs the closing documents. That continuity is not a courtesy; it is the whole model.

MH

Margaret Hale, K.C.

Founding Partner

Corporate & Commercial

Margaret founded the firm in 1994 after eleven years at a national practice, believing corporate clients were better served by fewer hands and longer memory. She leads the firm's larger M&A and shareholder matters.

Credentials & Admissions

Education

  • LL.B., University of Toronto, 1982
  • B.A. (Hons.) Economics, Queen's University, 1979

Bar Admissions

  • Law Society of Ontario, 1984

Recognition

  • King's Counsel (Ontario), 2003
  • Fellow, American College of Corporate Counsel
EM

Edmund Merrow

Founding Partner

Real Estate

Edmund has closed real estate transactions across the GTA for over thirty years, from single-property acquisitions to multi-site commercial portfolios. He is known among clients for reading every schedule himself.

Credentials & Admissions

Education

  • LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, 1985
  • B.A. Political Science, McGill University, 1982

Bar Admissions

  • Law Society of Ontario, 1987

Affiliations

  • Member, Ontario Bar Association — Real Property Section
  • Past Director, Toronto Real Estate Board Legal Advisory Panel
PN

Priya Nathwani

Partner

Private Client & Estates

Priya advises individuals and families on wills, trusts, and succession, often across multiple jurisdictions and generations. Clients describe her as the person who asks the question no one else thought to raise.

Credentials & Admissions

Education

  • LL.M., Trusts & Estates, University of Toronto, 2011
  • J.D., University of Ottawa, 2007

Bar Admissions

  • Law Society of Ontario, 2008

Recognition

  • TEP, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
JC

Julian Cross

Senior Associate

Corporate & Commercial

Julian works closely with Margaret Hale on financing, reorganizations and commercial contracts, with particular depth in founder shareholder agreements for growth-stage companies.

Credentials & Admissions

Education

  • J.D., York University, 2015
  • B.Com., University of British Columbia, 2011

Bar Admissions

  • Law Society of Ontario, 2016
AB

Aline Beaumont

Senior Associate

Real Estate

Aline manages a substantial share of the firm's residential and small commercial closings, and is bilingual in English and French, regularly assisting clients relocating from Québec.

Credentials & Admissions

Education

  • LL.B., Université de Montréal, 2013
  • National Committee on Accreditation, 2014

Bar Admissions

  • Law Society of Ontario, 2017
  • Barreau du Québec, 2014
TO

Thomas Okafor

Associate

Private Client

Thomas supports Priya Nathwani's estates practice and maintains a growing docket of powers of attorney and estate administration files, with a careful, unhurried manner clients often remark on.

Credentials & Admissions

Education

  • J.D., Western University, 2020
  • B.A. (Hons.) Philosophy, University of Toronto, 2016

Bar Admissions

  • Law Society of Ontario, 2021
GETTING IN TOUCH

Speaking with the right person from the start.

New matters are typically directed to Margaret, Edmund or Priya depending on subject, who will bring in the appropriate associate from the outset. If you are unsure who to contact, our contact page routes every enquiry to the right desk within one business day.

Discuss your matter in confidence.

Contact