With over three decades of experience, our firm is adept at providing high-quality, serious representation for criminal charges, including a specialization in sexual assault and domestic-related offences.
Contact Our Firm
The criminal justice system can be daunting, but you don’t need to go through it alone. Our Criminal Lawyers are here to guide you every step of the way.
Led by our founder, Joseph Neuberger, our team of criminal lawyers and legal professionals has built a solid reputation with colleagues and clients. We are a criminal defence law firm with mastery in devising comprehensive, creative and effective defence strategies.
Our approach has been crafted over years of dedicated practice and continuous enhancement of our knowledge base and skills. We apply incisive factual analysis, deep legal insight, the support of complementary experts and an in-house team approach to generating customized, high-quality solutions for criminal cases of all kinds — with particular specialization in defending against sexual and domestic assault-related allegations.
Founded in 1993, Neuberger & Partners LLP is a high profile Toronto law firm with exclusive focus on criminal law. Our lawyers have represented clients in simple, complex and high-profile cases throughout the Greater Toronto Area and across Ontario.
Neuberger & Partners LLP has been named an Excellence Awardee at the 2026 Canadian Law Awards, presented by Lexpert — recognizing our firm’s dedication to outstanding criminal defence advocacy across Ontario.
Sexual assault cases are as varied on issues as there are cases in the system. These cases can be based on historical allegations, allegations arising from domestic or intrapersonal relations (dating, office, etc.), or can arise from misidentification…
Violent crimes defence, particularly for crimes involving assault, demands the attention of experienced and highly capable lawyers who understand how to fully prepare a case for trial. With potential penalties that can include fines, court-ordered…
Within our practice, we defend a significant number of cases of impaired driving and over 80 charges. At Neuberger & Partners LLP, we have a very high success rate.* When charged with a driving-related offence, it is crucial to obtain prompt…
Drug Charges range from less serious ones like marijuana possession to much more serious drug charges, such as possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking, importing and exporting drugs, marijuana grow ops, and trafficking drugs…
Offences involving theft, possession of stolen property, proceeds of crimes, fraud, breach of trust, mischief to property and data, and other related offences demand meticulous and detailed analysis of evidence and available defences…
At Neuberger & Partners LLP, we are experienced in working alongside corporate and civil lawyers in protecting the interests of business clients accused of fraud, breach of trust and theft. As an experienced and highly-skilled criminal…
In 2018, more than 2.2 million crimes and violations were committed across Canada. The types of crimes committed varied, as there are seemingly countless crimes an individual could be charged with. In addition to the Criminal Code…
Neuberger & Partners LLP is a highly-skilled criminal law firm serving the Greater Toronto Area and nearby Ontario communities with experience with high-profile extradition cases. Our Toronto extradition lawyers have the experience…
Individuals in regulated occupations invest significant resources into qualifying and practising their profession. Society rightly holds them to a high standard of conduct. Any allegation of misconduct could lead to…
Internet-based offences, such as luring, communicating to obtain sexual services for consideration, human trafficking, cyberstalking, child pornography, and criminal harassment, are becoming far more prevalent as the use of…
When it comes to the trial, it is our general position that clients must testify at trial. This is particularly important when facing allegations of domestic assault, or sexual assault. The evidence of the client at trial is vital to laying out the defence narrative and giving the court the opportunity to hear and see the client give his or her evidence and refute the allegations. Because of case law there is a very structured framework for judges and juries to assess the evidence of the accused. Reported cases like R. v. W.(D.) and articles such as “Doubt about Doubt” by respected jurists, there is a very structured framework for judges and juries to assess the evidence of the accused. If the client does not testify, then the judge or jury will only have one version of events and cross-examination to raise inconsistencies or implausible aspects of the prosecution case; this may not always be sufficient to raise a reasonable doubt. A court needs to carefully assess the evidence.
If the client does not testify, then the judge or jury will only have one version of events and cross-examination to raise inconsistencies or implausible aspects of the prosecution case, it not always sufficient. We strongly recommend clients to testify and have been extremely successful in winning cases, including clients being found factually innocent at trial.
No. In Canada, as a general proposition an accused person has an absolute right not to testify. Section 11(c) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects you from being compelled to be a witness against yourself, and the presumption of innocence (section 11(d)) means the Crown must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt whether or not you say a word. The Crown cannot call you as a witness, and in a jury trial, neither the judge nor the prosecutor may suggest to the jury that your silence points to guilt (section 4(6) of the Canada Evidence Act).
Even though the burden of proof always rests on the Crown, there are situations where we strongly advise that your own testimony can be the most important evidence in the case:
It depends — and this is a critical point. Testifying carries real risks, and experienced defence lawyers sometimes advise clients not to testify, particularly when the Crown’s case is weak. Reasons an accused might stay silent include:
The decision belongs to you, the accused. It is one of the few fundamental decisions in a criminal case (along with how to plead and the mode of trial) that counsel cannot make for you. Your lawyer’s role is to give you frank advice about the strength of the Crown’s case, the risks of cross-examination, and whether your defence realistically requires your evidence. Generally speaking though, we recommend that our clients testify so that a judge has a complete picture of the defence.
Typically the defence decides after the Crown closes its case. At that point, your lawyer can assess how strong the prosecution’s evidence actually turned out to be. If the Crown’s case is weak, the defence may call no evidence at all. If a defence needs your account to get off the ground, testifying may be essential. We will typically proceed on the basis that you will be testifying and, as result, spend considerable time preparing you for this. If for some reason, the Crown’s case “falls apart” before the defence is called, we will assess the pros and cons of having you testify.
The judge and Crown are prohibited from commenting to the jury on your failure to testify. That said, as a practical reality, in cases that hinge on competing accounts, a trier of fact hears only one side of the story if you remain silent. This practical dynamic — rather than any legal inference — is a large part of why testifying can matter so much in certain cases.
Our many years of experience will guide you to make your decision. The right choice depends entirely on the specifics: the nature of the charge, the strength of the Crown’s evidence, whether your defence requires your account, your criminal record, and how you are likely to hold up under cross-examination.
If you or a loved one need a strong legal defence, please give us a call at 416-364-3111.
Joseph Neuberger, along with Neuberger & Partners LLP, is pleased to announce their hosting of the 10th annual Billiards with the Bar – 2026. Proceeds will go towards the Toronto Lawyers Feed the Hungry Program in achieving its mandate of providing meals to those in need. The fundraiser will take place on November 26th, 2026 – 6:30 pm, at the VIP Billiards Club, 842 College Street, Toronto, ON M6H 1A2.
.
Joseph Neuberger has acted as defence counsel in many notable criminal law cases. He is a published author and is often sought by local and national newspapers, television and radio for his insights and perspectives into criminal law. Mr. Neuberger is also a published author, public speaker, instructor and active participant in advancing the legal profession and criminal justice system.
Joseph Neuberger also authored “Assessing Dangerousness: Guide to the Dangerous Offender Application Process” and “Sexual Assault Law Update Newsletter”
Nunc eget urna non ex viverraeget urna maximus.
July 15th, 2026
Why Do Judges Invent Imaginary Offenders to Test Real Laws? Joseph A. Neuberger, Michael P. Bury, and Diana Davison,...
Read MoreJuly 13th, 2026
Sexual assault charges in Ontario are among the most serious in the Criminal Code, but they are not uncontestable. The Crown...
Read MoreJuly 10th, 2026
Sexual assault under Canadian law is defined in the Criminal Code and covers a broad range of non-consensual sexual contact....
Read MoreJuly 6th, 2026
A false sexual assault allegation sets off a legal process that is immediate, serious, and unforgiving. From the moment a...
Read More
Our legal team provides multilingual service in Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Farsi, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, Hindi, and Punjabi.
Our legal team provides multilingual service in Cantonese, Mandarin, French, Farsi, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish, Hindi, and Punjabi.
At Neuberger & Partners LLP, we value both your personal security and the security of the digital data you provide us with.
Our offices are protected by state of the art security systems which provide 24/7 protection to you and our staff when you visit us for in person meetings.
Our data and any digital evidence you provide us is protected behind robust firewall-protected servers. Additionally, our technology team provides offsite remote back-up for all digital files which can be accessed 24/7 in the event of an emergency.
All our data can also be safely accessed from any Courthouse by our lawyers with multiple layers of security and authentication requirements.
