THE LAWYERS at GIESBRECHT, GRIFFIN, FUNK & IRVINE
Theodore G. Giesbrecht
B.A., LL.B., Adoption Licensee
Ted is the senior partner in the law firm which he founded in April of 1981 upon his call to the bar. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Waterloo and University of Mannheim in West Germany. Ted obtained his law degree from Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, in 1979.
Ted enjoys practising in the areas of adoption, wills, estates, residential real estate, and elder law. He has an international clientele and can conduct business in the German language. Ted is a frequent speaker at seminars on issues relating to legal matters. Ted has served and continues to serve on many Boards of Directors generally dealing with social justice and affordable housing issues. Ted was presented with the Ontario Adoption Award by the Adoption Council of Ontario and the Outstanding Volunteer Award of the Province of Ontario. Ted published the adoption chapter in Canadian Child Welfare Law in 2004. This text is used across Canada to teach law students and social work students about legal issues affecting children.
Since 1999, Ted has been appointed by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to serve as a Director. In his role as a Director, he has adjudicated hearings between the Children’s Aid Society and foster families regarding the placement of children into prospective adoptive families.
Ted has been called upon by the Province of Ontario to assist in drafting legislation relating to Adoption Law and with respect to establishing Provincial standard and guidelines used to regulate and improve adoption practices in Ontario.
In July and October 2009 Ted travelled to Ethiopia and volunteered to complete adoptions and permanent resident Visa applications for forty-seven children stranded in Addis Ababa.
Ted, his wife and two children are residents of Waterloo.
