DAVID SHELLNUTT
Dave is a dedicated advocate for individuals who have suffered injuries and injustice. Dave has 10 years of personal injury and human rights law experience. Before founding the Biking Lawyer LLP, Dave worked at a premier Bay Street litigation and personal injury firm. He then worked with one of Canada’s leading disability and human rights lawyers.
Aside from being a passionate and accomplished lawyer, Dave is also a survivor of violence and a bike crash victim. He knows all too well what it means to personally go through recovery and navigate sometimes unforgiving systems. Dave is uniquely qualified to represent survivors of violence and other injured people as a result of this shared experience.
“I am blessed and thankful for my recovery. My experiences have made me determined to use what I have learned to help my clients.”
As a fierce litigator, Dave advocates on all fronts for his clients. In the courts, in the press, with insurers, treatment providers, and government, including the city and police, where necessary.
HISHAM IMTIAZ
Hisham is a lawyer at the Biking Lawyer LLP. Prior to joining, Hisham worked at a prominent insurance defence firm in Toronto and acted as in-house counsel for one of the largest insurance companies in Canada.
Thanks to his past experience, Hisham has a keen understanding on how insurance companies evaluate risk and litigate claims. This unique insight allows Hisham to effectively advocate for his clients and ensure that a just result is obtained.
A relentless advocate, both in and outside of work, Hisham is committed to supporting the injured and the marginalized in any way he can.
Outside of work, Hisham can be found roaming the streets of Toronto with his camera in hand. Whether it be a protest or a bed of flowers, Hisham does his best to capture the essence of the city through his lens.
JOEL ZANATTA
Joel Zanatta is a committed cycling enthusiast and experienced bike lawyer. He has been practicing personal injury law for over 20 years. Joel is the founder of The Cycling Lawyer and a partner of The Biking Lawyer LLP. His passion for cycling started at a young age. Since his youth he has been riding on and off road, enjoying the diverse variety of terrain that British Columbia has to offer. Joel is committed to the wellbeing of cyclists. He founded The Cycling Lawyer in the hope of improving cycling safety and safe streets advocacy.
DESIRAY CHAVANESS
Desiray is an articling student at the Biking Lawyer LLP. She received her LLB from the University of Leicester in the UK in June 2020.
Desiray enjoys spending her time travelling and has had the opportunity to visit over a dozen countries around the world. Her passion for community has taken her to remote areas of Canada to mentor Indigenous children throughout Nunavut as a camp counsellor over the summer months. Her compassion and commitment to learning from others, drives her passion for law and human rights.
In her spare time, Desiray is a keen lover of music and spends her days listening to albums from a variety of artists.
She is presently undergoing her licensing process with the Law Society of Ontario. Anticipated year of call is 2024.
REBECCA MURRAY
Rebecca is a lawyer at the Biking Lawyer LLP. Previously she worked as a staff lawyer at a Community Legal Clinic in the Niagara Region and as a programing coordinator and bicycle mechanic at a cycling education charity in Hamilton.
Her experience has provided her a deep understanding of the unique social, structural, and legal issues that cyclists and other vulnerable populations face in our society. In combining her work and personal experience Rebecca is a tireless advocate for her clients, access to justice, and the greater accessibility of cycling and the outdoors to groups traditionally excluded from those spaces (she is also a fair mechanic and pretty ok cyclist).
Foundationally Rebecca is a self-proclaimed bike nerd who can frequently be found riding her bike or hiking with her dog, Ron, on the many gravel and single-track trails of the Escarpment and Valley. She also dabbles in music, and you may recognize her from a local show near you.
MEET THE TEAM
The Biking Lawyer LLP team is in part made up of 3 lawyers with several decades of experience in personal injury and human rights law. We are cyclists, advocates, and lawyers.
Our focus is top tier client service. Our lawyers are compassionate and caring, but we are also fierce, strategic and effective. We achieve great results for our clients, while ensuring their dignity is respected as well.
Getting you on the road to recovery and securing the compensation you deserve to live a full and meaningful life drives our every move. Our clients are our priority.
We take a progressive approach to litigation. We help individuals and aim to secure systemic changes. Our team is here for you.