Top Criminal Lawyers in Ottawa
DAVIES McMAHON LAWYERS
Michael Davies
Michael Davies is a partner at Davies McMahon LLP. He has been practicing criminal law since his call to the bar in 1995. He does trials and appeals in every area of criminal law, including murder, dangerous and long-term offenders, drug cases, sexual assaults, frauds and all weapons offences. He has successfully argued cases before every level of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He also appears for clients before Coroner’s Inquests, the Ontario Review Board and the Consent and Capacity Board.
Michael has been appointed as amicus curiae many times by the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice. He teaches Advanced Criminal Procedure and Appellate Advocacy at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. He has been part of the National Criminal Law Program Faculty since 2013 and is a frequent speaker at educational events for judges, defence lawyers and Crown attorneys.
Michael is currently on the Executive for the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Ontario). He is a co-author of A Guide to Mental Disorder Law in Canadian Criminal Justice (LexisNexis 2020)
Meaghan McMahon
Meaghan is a partner at Davies McMahon LLP. Since being called to the bar in 2015, Meaghan has practiced exclusively in criminal law. She represents clients charged with all types of criminal offences, including assault, sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, break and enter, fraud, impaired operation of a motor vehicle, and drug-related offences. Meaghan assists clients from the initial call at the police station through to the end of their criminal trial or appeal. She has been appointed as amicus curiae by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.
Meaghan also has extensive experience representing clients with matters in Mental Health Court. Meaghan’s practice includes representing clients who have been found unfit to stand trial or not criminally responsible who appear annually before the Ontario Review Board. She also represents clients before the Consent and Capacity Board on matters of involuntary detention, treatment capacity, and capacity with respect to property.
After graduating magna cum laude from the University of Ottawa in 2010 with an Honour’s Degree in Social Sciences, Meaghan studied law and completed her Juris Doctor in 2014 at the University of Ottawa. Throughout law school, Meaghan worked at an Ottawa criminal defence firm, the Ottawa Crown Attorney’s office, and the University of Ottawa Community Legal Clinic.
After graduating law school magna cum laude, Meaghan completed her articles at an Ottawa criminal defence firm and was called to the bar in 2015. Meaghan was on the Executive the Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa for six years, first as a Junior Director and then as the Secretary. She has also held positions on the Board of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. She is the 2024 recipient of the County of Carleton Law Association’s Regional Senior Justice Award, and is a co-author of the textbook A Guide to Mental Disorder Law in Canadian Criminal Justice. Meaghan also has experience acting on behalf of interveners before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Supreme Court of Canada.
Lauren Konarowski
Lauren is an associate trial lawyer at Davies McMahon LLP, specializing in criminal and mental health law. Lauren has experience representing clients in a variety of criminal matters, including assault, break and enter, arson, impaired operation of a motor vehicle and robbery. She regularly appears before the Ontario Court of Justice, and Superior Court of Justice.
Lauren graduated from Carleton University in 2017, earning a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Law with High Distinction. She then went on to complete her studies at the University of Ottawa Common Law program, graduating in 2020. Lauren was called to the bar in Ontario in 2021.
Lauren has experience and particular interest in assisting clients who struggle with mental health challenges. She frequently appears in the mental health courts of Ottawa, as well as assists clients who have been found Not Criminally Responsible or unfit at the Ontario Review Board. In addition to her criminal practice, Lauren represents clients before the Consent and Capacity Board on issues of involuntary detention or capacity with respect to treatment and finances.
Prior to her time at Davies McMahon, Lauren served as the Executive Editor of the Ottawa Law Review. An accomplished mooter, she was awarded 1st Place Individual and 1st Place Team at the Walsh Negotiation Competition at Osgoode Hall in 2020. Lauren continues to coach mooting students at the University of Ottawa.
Lauren is on the Executive of the Defence Counsel Association of Ontario, she is a member of the Criminal Lawyers Association of Ontario, and she sits as a defence counsel representative on the Mental Health Court Committee of Ottawa.
Florence Beaubien
Florence graduated from Ottawa University in 2022, earning a Licentiate in Law Degree (LL.L.) from the Faculty of Civil Law. She then completed her Juris Doctor (J.D.) in the Faculty of Common Law’s National Program in 2023. Throughout law school, Florence worked at the Supreme Court of Canada as a Research Assistant and at the Victim Witness Assistance Program as Program Administrative Assistant.
After graduating law school, Florence articled with Legal Aid Ontario in the Pembroke Duty Counsel Office. She worked with a team of lawyers offering legal services to unrepresented accused in criminal and family law courts. She quickly developed a keen interest in criminal law, leading her to join the Davies McMahon LLP team. Florence was called to the bar in Ontario in 2024. She can assist clients with all criminal matters, as well as clients with matters before the Ontario Review Board and the Consent and Capacity Board. Florence represents clients in both English and French.
