In Sydney’s competitive criminal law environment, criminal defence lawyer Daniel Wakim has developed a reputation built on a distinctive and increasingly influential philosophy. His approach, which he calls holistic criminal defence, treats every case as part of a larger human story rather than a narrow legal problem. Instead of viewing clients through the limited lens of charges and evidence, Wakim insists that genuine criminal defence must acknowledge the full reality of a client’s life, including their past, their family responsibilities, their work, their health, and their hopes for the future, and the wider consequences that flow from every legal choice they make.
Daniel Wakim’s law firm explains that the “right” criminal advice must consider the complete picture of a client’s life. This means looking beyond statutes and technical legal argument in order to understand what outcome truly protects the person involved. In his public comments, Wakim often says that his practice is guided by his commitment to fairness, equality and justice. These are the values that motivate him each day in his pursuit of procedural fairness for the people he represents.
A Person-First Model of Criminal Defence
Traditional criminal defence typically focuses on legal elements such as evidentiary disputes, statutory interpretation or courtroom tactics. Wakim argues that these factors, although essential, do not tell the whole story. In his view, a lawyer cannot fully protect a client unless the lawyer understands who the client is as a person.
For this reason, his team explores multiple aspects of a client’s life. These include mental health, family support, cultural background, immigration status, employment stability, personal goals and any challenges that may have contributed to the alleged offending. Wakim believes that understanding these factors leads to smarter and more sustainable outcomes. A defence strategy that focuses only on the charges may win a short-term legal point, but a defence strategy that takes account of the person can protect their long-term wellbeing.
His goal is not simply to achieve an acquittal. His goal is to create a pathway that allows clients to recover, rebuild and move forward with dignity.
How Wakim’s Holistic Methods Operate in Practice
Wakim’s holistic philosophy is not a marketing slogan. It is a practice structure that his team applies to every case from start to finish. Several features define this model.
1. Comprehensive Intake and Client Understanding
The first meeting between Wakim’s team and a client is detailed and personal. Instead of limiting the conversation to the alleged conduct, the team asks about work, family dynamics, mental health concerns, financial pressure, stress levels, past trauma and support networks. This information becomes part of the strategic planning process, not an afterthought.
2. Multiple Strategy Options
Clients are presented with several possible approaches. These may include trial, negotiation, diversion, rehabilitation programs, early pleas or a combination of these. Each option is explained in plain language. Clients learn the advantages, risks and long-term implications of each path. This empowers them to make informed decisions that match their values and priorities.
3. Integration of Non-Legal Support
When necessary, Wakim’s team connects clients with psychologists, addiction specialists, counsellors or social services. This support helps address underlying issues that may have contributed to the alleged offence. It also strengthens the legal case by demonstrating proactive steps toward rehabilitation.
4. Long-Term Planning
Wakim places significant emphasis on outcomes that protect a person’s life beyond the courtroom. His strategies consider how a conviction, a plea, a sentence or a particular court order might affect a client’s job, their family environment, their ability to travel, their reputation or their future plans. This approach seeks not only a legal result but a stable personal future.
Why Clients Benefit From a Holistic Defence
Wakim’s firm identifies several practical benefits that clients experience through a holistic model of representation.
Clarity
Clients develop a complete understanding of both the legal process and the wider consequences of their decisions. This reduces confusion and fear, especially for people facing the criminal justice system for the first time.
Empowerment
Because strategies are explained openly and respectfully, clients feel included in the decision-making process. They are able to make choices that reflect their goals and values.
Reduced Harm
By planning ahead, the firm works to limit collateral damage. This can include preventing unnecessary job loss, reducing stress on families, minimising stigma or negotiating outcomes that avoid harsh long-term consequences.
Better Long-Term Outcomes
The holistic model often leads to resolutions that protect clients’ futures. These may include diversion, tailored rehabilitation plans or negotiated outcomes that preserve employment and family stability even when an acquittal is not possible.
An Approach That Stands Apart
Wakim’s philosophy contrasts with traditional defence models that focus primarily on courtroom tactics. His press materials state that two people charged with the same offence may require completely different approaches. A young person with strong family support may be directed toward rehabilitation or diversion. Someone with a history of disadvantage or prior convictions may require a more robust trial strategy. For Wakim, there is no single formula for justice. Everything depends on the human context.
This focus on human factors has contributed to Wakim’s reputation as an innovative and principled defence lawyer within the Sydney legal community.
Experience and Reputation: A Career Built on Principle
Daniel Wakim was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia in 2012. In 2018, he obtained admission to the High Court of New Zealand, a reflection of his wide expertise. During his career, which spans more than fifteen years, he has appeared in courts across Australia’s east coast and has been involved in many complex and high-profile cases.
Other solicitors and barristers regularly consult him as Special Counsel, seeking his advice on strategy or legal argument in difficult matters. Professional directories describe him as an expert criminal lawyer who consistently aims for the most just and optimal result.
Wakim frequently speaks about his commitment to honesty, integrity and trust. These values form the foundation of his holistic model. His press materials also emphasise that his team operates with credibility, authority and strong respect for human rights and human dignity.
Notable Cases and Public Profile
Wakim has represented clients in matters involving domestic violence, drug offences, fraud, robbery, sexual offences and homicide.
In 2014, he represented Adam Brewer in a well-publicised Sydney murder case and signalled that he would explore a mental health defence.
Daniel Wakim also represented businessman Titus Day in his dispute with singer Guy Sebastian.
In 2025, he represented the former partner of politician Mark Latham in an AVO matter that attracted considerable media attention. He told reporters that the parties would “wait for all the evidence to come out”, a statement that reflected his measured and principled approach. In a separate hearing, he informed the court that the parties were likely to resolve the matter entirely.
These high-profile engagements have strengthened his standing in the legal profession. Colleagues note that his holistic methods challenge traditional approaches and encourage a more thoughtful and humane form of advocacy.
Looking Forward: A Changing Future for Criminal Defence
Wakim’s holistic philosophy aligns with a broader shift in criminal law. Courts and lawyers increasingly recognise that modern criminal matters are rarely simple. Many involve mental health issues, substance use, complex family dynamics or social disadvantage. As these issues become more prominent, many legal professionals believe that technical legal argument by itself is insufficient.
Wakim’s team suggests that the future of criminal defence will rely more heavily on client-focused strategies that take into account the whole person. For Wakim, the true measure of success is not only an acquittal. The deeper question is whether a client can move forward with dignity and stability after their case concludes.
His career so far indicates that this balanced, human-centred approach is capable of producing better outcomes and reshaping expectations about what criminal defence can and should be. It points toward a more humane justice system built on compassion, skill and long-term thinking, one client at a time.