In the widely publicized case of R v. Hoang, heard in September 2012, the accused, John Hoang, faced charges of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and possession of a dangerous weapon. The media dubbed him the road rage stabber, and his prospects looked grim.
Hoang has said he consulted two lawyers who both told him his case was hopeless and advised him to plead guilty to a three-year penitentiary sentence. Facing that advice, he retained Robb MacDonald just one week before his trial was set to begin.
Robb won the trial, and Hoang was acquitted on all counts. In a testimonial, Hoang described the toll the charges had taken on his life and credited Robb's preparation and a powerful cross-examination of his accuser with turning the case around, calling him nothing short of a life-saver.