Nicholas A. Xynnis
Admitted to the Law Society of Ontario (1989)
EDUCATION
LL.B., Faculty of Law, Western University (1987)
Honours Bachelor of Journalism, Carleton University (1983)
Nicholas graduated from the University of Western Ontario Law School in 1987 and was called to the bar in 1989. He has spent his more than 30 years as a lawyer exclusively practising criminal defence law. He is one of a few lawyers who has always maintained a robust trial and appellate practice. He has appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada twice (won once and lost once) and has argued more than 100 cases before the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He has also represented well more than 1,500 clients before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice.
Nicholas has a reputation for thoughtful, careful, diligent and effective representation of his clients. He is recognized by the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review with a Notable High Peer Review Rating and a “High Rating in both Legal Ability and Ethical Standards”. Nicholas also served four years as a member of the Toronto executive for the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. He regularly acts as a judge and coach in local Toronto high school moot court competitions. He is also fluent in the Greek language.
Nicholas’ practice includes all types of criminal litigation and appeals to all levels of Canadian courts. In addition to defending individuals, corporations and professional organizations charged with criminal, quasi-criminal and regulatory offences, he frequently provides legal advice and assistance to other lawyers. He also assists clients with cross-border and international issues relating to criminal and regulatory matters.
While Nicholas has successfully defended clients in more than 1,500 cases of many different types, he considers those where he has convinced the authorities not to prosecute, or to discontinue prosecution, to be among his most successful results.
Nicholas does not believe in trying his cases in the media, and attempts to minimize all types of exposure for his clients unless specifically instructed otherwise. He believes that solving the problem with the least amount of publicity, cost, and harm to the individual or business’s reputation is in the best interests of his clients. Winning means not only at trial, but also in managing the stress, publicity and reputational effects of being accused of wrongdoing.