Ryan Venables

Criminal Defence Lawyer

Ryan was called to the bar in 2013, and joined Kruse Law in 2024. Prior to joining Kruse Law, he was a partner at another firm and has practiced exclusively in criminal defence and quasi-criminal defence for nearly 12 years, including focusing on Criminal Code driving offences.

Ryan graduated from the University of Western Ontario in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology. Following this Ryan worked for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as a civilian employee working with “O” Division Headquarters on complex organized crime investigations. He subsequently was hired by York Regional Police and attended at the Ontario Police College before becoming a police officer.

While with York Regional Police, Ryan specialized in organized crime investigations and received many accolades and recognition awards by his superior officers. He was also a certified Domestic Violence investigator. In his time as a police officer, he was able to obtain a real world and practical understanding regarding how regular people can make mistakes which result in criminal charges. The opportunity presented itself for Ryan to pursue his real passion of becoming a lawyer he subsequently left policing.

Ryan attended law school at the University of Western Ontario commencing in 2009 and focused his courses on a path to becoming a criminal lawyer. Ryan was accepted into a distinguished intensive program where he was able to work with and for the Ontario Court of Justice judges in a program designed to bring real world experience to aspiring criminal lawyers. While Ryan was in his first year of law school he was able to summer with a local defence counsel and assist on a preliminary hearing for a client charged with first degree murder. He was also published in Carswell RegQuest for his case comment on R v Gomboc. Ryan regularly attended advocacy skills competitions and moots and was selected to work with Community Legal Services assisting clients charged with criminal charges while he was in his third year of law school. He was also a finalist of the BLG LLP Client Counselling Competition in 2011. Upon graduating law school Ryan articled at Ross & McBride LLP in Hamilton focusing his time working alongside well known defence counsel.

Since being called to the bar, Ryan has worked extensively in defending clients charged with all criminal offences but has also focused on defending clients charged with Criminal Code driving offences such as DUI, dangerous driving, and driving while disqualified. In the last 10 years, he has defended over 3,000 DUI clients. He is often called by other defence lawyers to clarify questions and provide assistance on complicated DUI files. Ryan has also appeared at the Superior Court of Justice in various appeals, and he has also worked as a per diem Crown Attorney prosecuting tobacco offences.

Ryan understands and has experience with the entirety of the criminal justice system. He approaches each client with an empathetic and understanding knowledge of the stressors his client’s face and further understands the patience required to allow for results to be obtained. Ryan has developed strong working relationships wherever he appears and is well respected within the Ontario legal community.

Ryan also has an interest in administrative law/defence and defence of regulatory professionals such as doctors, dentists, police officers who have been charged by their regulatory bodies.

When Ryan is not assisting clients he enjoys travelling and spending time with his Belgian Malinois dogs participating in the sport of French Ring. He is also a certified PADI Dive Master. Ryan also speaks French and can assist clients in French.