Criminal defence is another pillar of this law practice. Thomas took a keen interest in criminal law during law school, which combines with his deep belief in standing up for individuals against the State. He fiercely represents clients charged with offences ranging from street crime to white collar crime, knowing that pleading guilty is often one of the poorest options to offer a client charged with criminal offences. He represents clients in the Greater Toronto Area, throughout Southern Ontario, and in some cases, Montreal and Quebec. Thomas has taken on and defeated the RCMP in two high-profile criminal cases in Ontario and Quebec.
Thomas also represents clients in quasi-criminal prosecutions, such as those brought by securities regulators like the Ontario Securities Commission or Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF). He also benefits from his experience with the Criminal Matters Branch of Canada’s Competition Bureau, participating in cartel and price-fixing investigations. Thomas plans on building a practice in the fine and grey area that exists between criminal law and business law — likely a growing area of practice in Canada.
Thomas is available for bail hearings and bail reviews in Toronto on short notice. He will use all resources and exercise all options to free his client from custody.
Finally, criminal charges often lead to related proceedings in the civil arena: this is where having a broad practice in civil, commercial, and criminal law pays off. Furthermore, he can act for clients whose property has been seized as the proceeds of crime under provincial Civil Forfeiture legislation.
Areas of Practice:
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Past and Current Cases:
- Successful defence before the Superior Court for a client facing fraud and conspiracy charges laid by the RCMP, alleging a $14 million fraudulent tax scheme ($300 million if you believed the Financial Post’s initial article covering the investigation and charges).
- Obtained the withdrawal of a serious criminal charge, jointly laid by the RCMP and OSC in Quebec, against a notorious client. The client was formerly an undercover agent for the RCMP in a money laundering sting operation targeting the Hells Angels and traditional organized crime. Farther back, he was an undercover agent for the RCMP in an operation targeting corrupt federal politicians in the Montreal area.
- Charges fully withdrawn against a client allegedly possessing over 130 grams of marijuana, seized by police from the trunk of the car.
- Client acquitted of two counts of assault after a two-day trial. The previous lawyer for the client had advised him to plead guilty and not risk a trial.
- Obtaining bail for a client on four separate occasions. The client was arrested repeatedly on separate charges over the span of a few months, requiring bail after each arrest.
Testimonials:
“I was introduced to Thomas Mathews through my original criminal lawyer. Initially Thomas represented me at multiple court dates on behalf of my counsel. I was impressed with his honesty, easygoing interactions with numerous crown attorneys, and professionalism. During this process, I decided to hired Thomas. He successfully defended me before the Superior Court; I was facing fraud and conspiracy charges laid by the RCMP. The charges alleged a $14 million fraudulent tax scheme ($300 million if you believed the Financial Post’s initial article covering the investigation and charges). Thank you for your excellent work, a very happy client.” – Client who wishes to remain anonymous
“I received excellent service from Thomas Mathews from initial phone call to the very end. I was charged with assault after getting into a fight on a Friday night and was referred by a friend to contact him. As I am a professional and my career would be greatly harmed with a criminal record, I knew that I needed to get the charge dropped. Mr. Mathews was able to get me off on a peace bond and had the assault charge dropped after negotiations with the prosecutor. This allowed me to keep a clean record. I can say that I was very happy with the result obtained.” – Client A.A.
“Thomas’ expertise was an invaluable resource as I faced 20 counts of mischief, one count of assault with a weapon, and one count of theft under $5000. It was essential to the future of my career at the time that I not be burdened with a criminal record. Thomas’ diligence in preparing for court appearances and skillful negotiation resulted in conditional discharges being granted for 19 mischief charges and the assault with a weapon charge. The other mischief charge was withdrawn. Due to Thomas’ counsel, as well as his concern for my personal and professional success, I avoided a criminal record and was granted the opportunity to move beyond circumstances in my life that would have permanently impaired it.” – Client who wishes to remain anonymous