About the firm

Lawyers, built for the modern era.

Schachnow Law is a Richmond Hill based practice serving clients across Canada and around the world. Our practice spans Canadian immigration and employment law, with more areas on the way. Every file is run by an Ontario licensed lawyer, powered by software we built ourselves for legal work. See the full range of services we offer, or get in touch.

Meet our founder

Joshua Schachnow

Founder. Immigration lawyer. Legal technology entrepreneur.

Josh is a Toronto-based lawyer who has been practicing immigration law for more than 9 years. More specifically, he's helped thousands of individuals and companies navigate Canadian immigration, from work permits to permanent residence, study permits, citizenship, LMIAs and more. Josh always puts his clients first, and believes quick and thoughtful communication is most important to making the process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Due to his interest in business and tech, he has cofounded a legal tech company and built his LinkedIn profile to over 20,000 followers.

In his spare time, he enjoys reading, exercising and cooking for his wife and daughter.

Called to the Ontario Bar
JD, Western Law

The team

Backed by a team that keeps everything moving.

Alex Ghattas

Chief Technology Officer

Alex is a full-stack developer who runs all things technology at Schachnow Law. Good technology sits at the heart of the firm: it's what keeps communication fast, file preparation smooth, and the client experience seamless from first call to final decision. If it's software, Alex built it or runs it.

Alex brings nearly a decade of experience building software for companies of every size. At BBDO Canada, one of the country's largest advertising agencies, he built web applications for major brands including Mercedes-Benz, Doritos, and Lay's, working on fast-paced teams of 20 or more. From there he joined Uberflip, a Toronto content marketing platform, and along the way mentored the next generation of developers as a teaching assistant at Juno College of Technology.

A childhood friend of Josh, the two have been building together for years, and that partnership now powers Schachnow Law. Alex's focus is technology that quietly handles the busywork, so lawyers spend more time on their clients and clients always know exactly where their file stands.

Full-stack developer
Builds and runs the firm's platform

Danielle Gerber

Legal Assistant

Danielle holds an LLB degree and is an admitted attorney in South Africa. She began her legal career practicing in-house, gaining experience in family law, wills and estates, labour law, and civil litigation. She later transitioned into immigration law, working with a U.S. immigration firm on employment-based visa petitions, primarily for artists and entertainers, before moving into Canadian immigration.

Danielle enjoys helping individuals and families navigate the immigration process with confidence. She combines legal knowledge with practical problem-solving to guide clients through complex matters with clarity, compassion, and attention to detail.

LLB
Admitted attorney, South Africa

What we believe

High stakes, handled by lawyers

Legal matters are high stakes work. Status, jobs, families, careers. The wrong answer can take years to undo. Lawyers carry training, professional regulation, and (when needed) standing before the courts.

Software that does real work

Software can now do the work that used to fill associate evenings. Draft, summarize, compare, classify, and check. That is why we built our own platform, tuned for legal work, and why every file has a licensed Ontario lawyer on top. The software assists. The lawyer decides and files.

Flat fees, plain English

We work on flat fees. We respond within a business day. We explain what is happening in plain English. You get the speed of software and the accountability of a lawyer.