Brahm D. Siegel

Brahm is a senior partner at Nathens, Siegel, LLP, a family law and divorce boutique firm with offices in Toronto and Mississauga.

Brahm received his Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours from McGill University in 1990, his law degree from Queen’s in 1993, and was called to the Bar in 1995.

Certified as a Specialist in Family Law by the Law Society since 2008, Brahm co-authored McLeod’s Ontario Family Law Rules Annotated for ten years and is the consulting editor of the Consolidated Ontario Family Law Statutes and Regulations, published by Thomson Carswell.  He is also the author of the chapters on divorce, procedure and alternative dispute resolution for the Law Society’s Licensing Process and was a Dispute Resolution Officer in the Superior Court of Justice for five years.

Brahm is a certified Family Mediator with the Ontario Association of Family Mediators (OAFM) and a certified arbitrator with Family Dispute Resolution Institute (FDRIO), and has a busy mediation/arbitration practice assisting lawyers and clients resolving divorce disputes. He has also completed a Certificate in International Cross Border Mediation which allows him to service parents whose children have been wrongfully removed from, or wrongfully retained in, Canada.

He enjoys speaking at conferences and seminars, including the Law Society of Upper Canada, Advocates Society, and Ontario Association of Family Mediators. His work has been published in Canadian Family Law Quarterly and Money and Family Law. He is also the proud founder of the Nathens, Siegel Scholarship, which goes to the highest mark in the Family Clinic course at Queen’s University.

He is a member of various organizations including the Family Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario, the Association of Family Conciliation Courts, the Ontario Association of Family Mediators, Collaborative Family Law Association (Toronto), and the International Network of Boutique Law Firms and lives in Toronto with his wife and two children, neither of whom have any aspirations to practise family law (thus far).

CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN PAST FOUR YEARS

• Presenter – “When Good Arbitrations Go Bad” (FDRIO Webinar) (November 28, 2017)
• Participant – “FDRIO Workshop” – Law Society (November 21, 2017)
• Presenter – “A Day In The Life of a Family Lawyer”, Take Our Kids to Work at Osgoode Hall, 2017: Law Society (November 1, 2017)
• Presenter – Med-Arb: Efficiency or Justice Compromised? – Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development (October 12, 2017) (Chairs: Rick Shields and Michael Erdle)
• Participant – Family Law Summit (March 6 & 7, 2017) (Chairs: Daniel Melamed/Mary Jo Maur)
• Presenter – Giving Advice and Taking Instructions From Clients (Family Law Basics – Law Society) (February 21, 2017) (Chair: Jaret Moldaver)
• Participant – Hot Topics in evidence – North York Education Program (January 17, 2017) (Chairs: Hon. Mr. Justice Spence)
• Presenter – Keynote Panel Seminar: Family Law Summit: Law Society (April 11-12, 2016) (Chairs: Daniel Melamed & Mary Jo Maur)
  Presenter – FDRIO – Arbitration Appeals – Caselaw Review (November 26, 2015) (Chair: L. Wolfson & H. Linton)
• Participant – FDRIO – First Annual Conference “All Under One Roof” (November 23, 2015)
• Presenter – “The Compact: A (Proposed) New Way Forward For Cohabitation Agreements and Marriage Contracts” (Family Law Summit: Law Society) (March 2015) (Chairs: Daniel Melamed & Mary Jo Maur)
• Presenter – Giving Advice and Taking Instructions From Clients (Family Law Basics – Law Society) (February 2015) (Chair: Jaret Moldaver)
• Presenter – “Pigs Get Fat, Hogs Get Slaughtered: Attribution of Pre-Tax Corporate Income Under the Child Support Guidelines” (Family Law Summit – April 2014) (Chairs: Daniel Melamed & Mary-Jo Maur)
• Registrant – Moving Beyond Resistance: Practical Strategies From Psychology, Communication and Negotiation Theory – November 1, 2013 – DR5 Conference – (Nina Meierding)
• Registrant – 7th Annual Family Law Summit – May 6 & 7, 2013 – (Chairs: Nicholas Bala & Paul McInnis)
• Presenter – Family Law For Civil Litigators – January 31, 2013 – Law Society (Chair: Dani Frodis)
• Presenter – New Lawyer Series – January 22, 2013 – Law Society (Chair: Jaret Moldaver)
• Presenter – Panel Discussion – Family Law – Family Support Expo – October 21, 2012 (Chair: Kevin Frankish, City TV)
• Registrant – AFCC Annual General Meeting and Conference – The GPS of Family Law – October 19, 2012
• Presenter – Mediation/Arbitration Caselaw – Family Law Summit – May 10 & 11, 2012 (Chairs: Nicholas Bala/Paul McInnis)
• Presenter – Domestic Violence Screening Program – Law Society (Chairs: P. Epstein/A. Mamo) – January 28, 2012 (Topic: Caselaw Update on Mediation/Arbitration)
• Presenter – Family Law Practice Essentials 2012 – Law Society (Chair: J. Moldaver) – January 26, 2012 (Topic: Interviewing and Meeting Clients at Initial Consultations)
• Registrant – The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer 2011 – Law Society (Co-Chairs: M. McCarthy and A. Franks) – December 1, 2011
• Presenter – The Top Ten Mistakes We Make – Academy of Divorce Specialists – October 12, 2011
• Registrant – Mediation Course – Harvard Law School – June 6-10, 2011
• Presenter – Six-Minute Family Lawyer 2010 “RESP ABCs: Find Out What It Means To Thee”, December 1, 2010 (Chairs: H. Niman, G. Sadvari)
• Presenter – Ethical Dilemmas In Family Law – Law Society Teleseminar – November 2, 2010.
• Presenter – Ontario Association of Family Mediators Annual General Meeting – Selected Topics in Family Law – May 28, 2010
• Registrant – The Family Responsibility Office – Law Society Teleseminar– March 23, 2010
• Registrant – The Voice of the Child – Law Society (Co-Chairs: Justice G. Czutrin and M. McCarthy) – March 10, 2010
• Registrant – The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer 2009 – Law Society (Co-Chairs: H. Niman and G. Sadvari) – December 2, 2009
• Presenter – Ontario Association of Family Mediators Annual General Meeting – Mediation/Arbitration Caselaw Update – June 12, 2009
• Registrant – The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer 2008 – Law Society (Co-Chairs: H. Niman and G. Sadvari) – December 3, 2008
• Presenter – Ontario Association of Family Mediators – Mediation/Arbitration Caselaw – June 13, 2008
• Presenter – Law Society – “Ducking for Reasonable Cover: Recent Cases on Extraordinary Expenses” – Annual Family Law Conference for Law Clerks (Chair: G. Gold) – May 29, 2008
• Presenter – Law Society – New Lawyer Practice Series in Family Law – (Co-Chairs: S. Grant and J. Moldaver) – February 20, 2008
• Presenter – Law Society – Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer (Co-Chairs: H. Niman and G. Sadvari) – “Ducking For Reasonable Cover: Recent Cases on Extraordinary Expenses” – December 5, 2007
• Co-Chair – Law Society – “Mediation/Arbitration in Family Law” (Co-Chairs: Brahm D. Siegel, Judith Nicoll) – November 13, 2007
• Registrant – Law Society – “Valuation and Income Determination of Trusts” (Chairs: James A. DeBresser and Steve Z. Ranot) – October 23, 2007
• Registrant – Canadian Bar Association – “Constructive Trusts and Resulting Trusts 2007: Bringing Order to Chaos” – Canadian Bar Association – (Chairs: Howard Feldman and Rachel Baron) – October 19, 2007
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society Teleseminar – “Case Conferences”– September 19, 2007 – (With Dani Z. Frodis and the Honourable Mr. Justice C. Perkins)
• Panelist/Speaker – Canadian Bar Association – “Crime in the Family: Navigating the Intersection between Criminal and Family Law” – May 5, 2007 (Chairs: Peter West and Tami Moscoe)
• Registrant – Law Society – The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer – December 8, 2006 (Chairs: Harold Niman, Gerald Sadvari)
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society – The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer – December 6, 2005 (Chairs: Harold Niman, Gerald Sadvari)
• Registrant – Osgoode Professional Development Center – Negotiating Family Law Disputes – November 10, 2005 (Chair: Hillary Linton)
• Registrant – Law Society – Advanced Family Law Roundtable – October 25, 2005 (Chair: Paul McInnis)
• Registrant – Law Society – Estate Essentials for Family Lawyers – June 15, 2005 (Chair: K. Bales)
• Registrant – Law Society – Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines – March 4, 2005 (Chairs: P. Epstein, R. Davis).
• Registrant – Law Society – The Six Minute Family Court Judge (Co-Chairs: Justice Perkins and Justice Jones) – February 2005.
• Panelist/Speaker – 311 Jarvis Court Open Bar Series – (Chair: Justice Jones) – Panelist with Justice Jones, Ellen Murray and Karin Rinas – January 10, 2005 – Topic: Motions To Change: Not Another Kick At The Can.
• Panelist/Speaker – Canadian Bar Association (Ontario) – (Chair: Jackie Mills) – Panelist with Jackie Mills, Roslyn Zisman, Justice Ellen MacDonald, Mary D’Eon and Stephanie Sroka – October 18, 2004 – Topic: Family Law Rules & Procedures in Court.
• Panelist/Speaker – Toronto Lawyers Association – Guest Speaker – September 21, 2004 – Topic: “The new Family Law Rules: Now Playing Everywhere”.
• Panelist/Speaker – The Advocates’ Society –– Conference and Practice Workshop – September 18, 2004 – Topic: “Survival Skills for Provincial Court” – I chaired a panel with criminal and family lawyers and judges on the differences between Superior Court and Ontario Court, spoke on a second panel about various aspects of court procedure and then gave feedback with Judith Nicoll to registrants doing moot case conferences and motions.
• Panelist/Speaker – Presented seminar to the lawyers of Epstein, Cole on June 18, 2004 – Topic: The Family Law Rules.
• Chair – Law Society – June 10, 2004 – Conference and Practice Workshop: “Opening Your Own Law Practice”.
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society – The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer 2003 – (Co-chairs: H. Niman and G. Sadvari) – December 1, 2003 – Topic & Paper: I Love You Son, Now Give Me My Money: The Treatment of Gifts and Loans.
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society – Pre-Trial Strategies for Family Lawyers: Creating the Right Foundation for Settlement or Trial: (Chair: Suzette M. Blom) – March 28, 2003 – Topic: Jurisdictional Issues and the Creation of Your Case’s Foundation (Presented with Pat Schmidt).
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society –- Conduct of the Family Trial: The Skills You Need When Settlement Fails (Chair: Paul McInnis) – February 18, 2003 – Topic: Differences in trial preparation between Superior Court and Ontario Court (Presented with Cheryl Goldhart).
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society – The Six-Minute Family Law Lawyer 2002 (Co-chairs: H. Niman and G. Sadvari) – December 5, 2002 – Topic & Paper: The Eight Best and Worst Features of Our Family Court System.
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society – Family Law for Law Clerks – (Chair: Elana Waldman) – April 26, 2002 – Topic: Procedure in the family court.
• Panelist/Speaker – Law Society – The Family Law Rules – An Interactive Programme to Examine What Works, What Doesn’t and How to Prepare for Province-Wide Adoption of Standard Track Rules (Chair: Justice Benotto) – October 2, 2002 – Topic: Summary Judgment (Presented with Sarah Boulby).