Maxine established her sole legal practice in the Town of Newmarket, Ontario, in November of 2003. Prior to that time, she was a partner in Toronto of the law firm, Smith Lyons LLP (“Smith Lyons”), and then of the national firm with which Smith Lyons merged in 2001, Gowling, Lafleur Henderson LLP (consisting of approximately 700 lawyers nationally). While at Smith Lyons, Maxine was heavily involved in student recruiting, mentoring and professional development. The focus of Maxine’s practice is family law and wills and estates, areas of the law in which she has considerable experience. Maxine has been qualified to practise law in the Province of Ontario since 1992.

Maxine obtained a bilingual B.A. degree in Political Science from the Glendon College campus of York University in 1987, with first class standing. She then attended law school at the University of Toronto, from which she graduated in 1990. Maxine obtained her legal training at Smith Lyons, then a firm of approximately 120 lawyers, initially as an articling student and subsequently as an associate lawyer. While an active partner of Smith Lyons, Maxine returned to the University of Toronto to earn her M.B.A degree in 2001.

Maxine has substantial experience in a wide range of matters involving the family, both simple and complex, often involving sophisticated financial issues and high net worth concerns. She is quite familiar with the issues associated with acting for or against clients who have an interest in a family or a privately owned business. Maxine appears in a variety of Courts, both in the Greater Toronto Area and Toronto.

Maxine lives in King Township, with her husband, John. Maxine will be an executive member of the Family Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association in the 2004-2005 year.