Sean Joseph Maurice White May

Sean May graduated from the University of Ottawa law school in 1989. He is from Ottawa and growing up in the city gives him knowledge and experience he is able to use in his trial work. On March 30, 1989, the day after being called to the bar, Sean May opened his law practice working exclusively in the area of criminal law. Starting with just a few clients, he quickly earned a reputation for hard work, attention to detail, and devotion to providing his clients with a first rate defence. As his practice grew he soon became one of the busiest criminal lawyers in the province, defending people charged in every kind of case and achieving great success for his clients.

Sean May is Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Criminal Law. This specialist designation is awarded by the Law Society to criminal defence counsel who have distinguished themselves in practice based upon experience, reputation in the Court system, and dedication to the practice of Criminal Law. Sean May has practiced Criminal Law exclusively since 1989. In over 30 years as a lawyer he has successfully represented his clients by diligence, determined hard work, meticulous preparation and attention to detail. He has represented clients in every level of Court, conducted many Jury trials and often represented people in extremely serious cases. Sean May was part of the legal team for Military Member, Kyle Brown, who was charged with murder in Somalia – a case which led to the Somalia Inquiry. Most recently he successfully worked to achieve the withdrawal of all criminal charges against former Canadian Senator, Mac Harb.

Since 2015, Sean May is proud to have been joined in practice by firm partner Kate Irwin, an exceptional lawyer in her own right.

Parents often play an influential role in shaping their children’s life decisions. I gravitated to law influenced in large part by my father’s life story as a politician, journalist and contrarian. In the late 70s, my father was the Press Secretary to the President of Ghana. On December 31, 1981, the army staged a coup and seized control of the nation and banished the rule of law. The military government became oppressive, and concerned about his safety, my father fled the country accompanied by my mother. They settled in London, England, where I was born. This was a trying time for my family and the experience inspired countle