ABOUT THE FIRM

Atty. Garvida finished his legal studies at the University of the Philippines, College of Law in 1993 and passed the bar exams the same year. He belongs to the same class as Senators Francis (Chiz) Escudero and Francis (Kiko) Pangilinan. Besides having a BA Degree in Humanities from the University of the Philippine, College of Arts and Letters, in Diliman, Quezon City, he was a UP University Student Council leader. In Canada, he also graduated (with Honours) in the Law Clerk Diploma program at Seneca College, Toronto.

Atty. Garvida started his career as a Counsel and Hearing Officer with the Videogram Regulatory Board (now the Optical Media Board) of the Office of the President of the Philippines and later as a Government Corporate Attorney of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, Department of Justice where he gained significant litigation expertise in the areas of corporate, administrative and criminal law. In between, he was in private practice as well, and has conducted numerous trials, both on behalf of the plaintiff litigants, and as defence counsel.

Atty. Garvida practices law in the areas of immigration, family law, civil litigation, business law, criminal defence and administrative/regulatory law, both in Canada and the Philippines. He has also handled a number of appeals in the immigration and refugee law areas.

Prior to his call to the Ontario Bar, Atty. Garvida was a Court Services Officer of the Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) and was assigned to various Courthouses, particularly in Ottawa, Milton, Orangeville, Hamilton and Barrie. Mr. Garvida has worked with the Immigration Appeals Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). He also was with the Toronto Catholic Children’s Aid Society (TCCAS) and was also assigned to the Crown Prosecutor’s Office of the Ministry of the Attorney General of Ontario.

As a legal professional, Atty. Garvida is a highly experienced practitioner, with extensive knowledge of the inner workings of the justice system. He has appeared before the Immigration and Appeals Division and the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Alcohol and Gaming commission of Ontario, Ontario Provincial Court, Small Claims Court, as well as various courts and quasi-judicial tribunals in the Philippines.

As a family lawyer, Atty. Garvida has drafted numerous prenuptial, separation and divorce agreements. As an immigration practitioner, he gained favourable decisions for humanitarian and refugee applicants.

In addition to his legal experience, Atty. Garvida also had his share of other employment experiences in Canada. From being a Dunkin Donut server and storekeeper, DJ and Kitchen Manager at JOLLIBEE in Manila, he opened three establishments in Toronto, namely; Kalesa, Kalan Chow, and Katipunan – all called “Resto-Bars” (a term he started using since 1995). He also worked as a cook/server at the IKEA Restaurant in North York and as a crew member of Tim Horton’s in Pickering. On weekends and special occasions, he offers sound engineering and DJ services through KMR Muzik for the Filipino-Canadian community.

Atty. Garvida is available to assist clients in their legal concerns in Canada and in the Philippines, through Legalnett Consultants International. He is committed to helping those from the Filipino community that have not traditionally been represented. Towards that end, a free initial thirty minute consultation is offered and Atty. Garvida is also available to meet clients in the evenings upon appointment.

Atty. Garvida is happily married to Sheila Ortega and is father to Ryan, Reanne and Riley.