“I was looking for an organization that was going to nurture and nourish the business side of me a bit more. There’s no shortage of organizations I can join – and have joined – for law, but it’s uncommon to find genuine camaraderie with other lawyers who are strictly looking to understand a business from the inside out.” – Sam Presvelos, Managing Partner & Founder at Presvelos Law LLP and TEC member

SAM IN 100 WORDS

Sam Presvelos is a passionate civil litigation lawyer in constant pursuit of legal innovation and achieving the best outcome possible for his clients. Based in Toronto, ON, Sam purposefully leads his firm – Presvelos Law LLP – with exceptional client service and dedication to high-quality legal work at a reasonable price.

Outside of his success with a variety of civil litigation matters before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal, Sam served as a Director with the Hellenic Canadian Lawyers’ Association and is a member of both the Advocates’ Society and the Toronto Lawyers’ Association. As a testament to his compassion, ability to listen, and perseverance, Sam was also recently selected by his peers as one of Toronto’s Top Lawyers for 2021. With an unwavering candor, Sam is becoming one of Canada’s most esteemed jurists and continues to forge a stronger and more inclusive justice system that serves diverse communities across Canada.

COMPANY PROFILE

Established in 2017 by Sam Presvelos, Presvelos Law LLP is a civil litigation firm that provides professional and reliable litigation services in Toronto, ON. For every client, Presvelos Law demonstrates a relentless commitment to solving their legal problems while providing professional and innovative client service – always at an accessible price.

While many law firms are consumed with meeting targets for billable hours and practicing law through traditional methods, Presvelos Law’s modern approach, technological developments, and client-oriented culture represent a paradigm shift in the landscape of conventional firms.

WITH TEC

Upon graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School, Sam articled at a prominent law firm in downtown Toronto but felt disheartened with the conventional bureaucracy and the absence of business development for his position. “At my core, I’m a business person. I have the instinct to want to be self-employed, the instinct to have autonomy over my time and decisions, as well as the willingness and appetite to take risks and build something from scratch,” said Sam.

In 2017, Sam launched Presvelos Law to fortify his spirit of entrepreneurship and provide differentiated, efficient, and cost-effective civil litigation services in the process. After a few years of exponential growth, Sam’s firm entered a comfortable maintenance phase, causing him to think about his next move and discover TEC as a result. Sam recalled, “I was looking for an organization that was going to nurture and nourish the business side of me a bit more. There’s no shortage of organizations I can join – and have joined – for law, but it’s uncommon to find genuine camaraderie with other lawyers who are strictly looking to understand a business from the inside out.”

When asked about the moment he knew joining TEC was the right decision, Sam continued, “I was invited as a guest to a TEC meeting and saw the issue-processing component in action. A member brought an issue forward and then received multiple perspectives and solutions from fellow members – all from different industries and backgrounds. Everything was done at a very practical level, it wasn’t just lip service. For me, that sealed the deal.”

TEC’S IMPACT

In the day-to-day of business and life, Sam understands that it’s easy to become critical – especially for those in the legal profession. However, since joining a TEC Small Business group with access to diverse perspectives from a trusted group of peers and his executive coach (TEC Chair, Eileen Terry), it continues to help cultivate newfound inspiration:

“Every TEC meeting – and even the phone calls in between meetings – are an opportunity to be inspired by people. Some TEC members are running pretty big companies, that are doing very important and interesting things. They’re the types of companies where you wouldn’t expect to be talking to their owners at such an intimate level. It’s inspiring because you read about success stories in magazines and books of business owners – but to truly know that it can be done, and people you know are doing it, and they’re as real as you and me? For me, TEC is a constant reminder that anything can be done with patience, the willingness to take some risks, and being comfortable to lean on people when you need help.” – Sam Presvelos, Managing Partner & Founder at Presvelos Law LLP and TEC member

While recognizing that lawyers aren’t the most common profession among TEC membership as a collective, Sam notes that it’s a potentially under-utilized opportunity. “By becoming a TEC member, you get to understand the root of business issues and the day-to-day headaches experienced by business owners, which can then become opportunities for litigation lawyers and corporate lawyers alike. There are lots of learning opportunities for lawyers, and even possible professional opportunities. I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be a positive thing to do,” said Sam.

Now approaching his second year as a TEC member, we asked what continues to keep him invested in his TEC membership? “I have never left a TEC meeting not being inspired by the same people who just inspired me the month before,” Sam concluded.