Markham Litigation Lawyer
Trial-tested commercial, real estate, construction, and cross-border counsel — based in Markham, serving the GTA.
By Paul Starkman & Calvin Zhang | Starkman & Zhang Lawyers | 30+ years of trial experience
Starkman & Zhang Lawyers is a litigation-only firm with its office located in Markham itself — at 510-675 Cochrane Drive, East Tower, just off Highway 7 and Highway 404. We do not do residential real estate closings, wills, or business incorporations. Every billable hour at this firm is litigation. For Markham businesses, landlords, investors, and shareholders facing disputes that need a courtroom outcome, this is the closest dedicated litigation firm to your address.
Founding partner Paul Starkman has 30+ years of advocacy at the Ontario Superior Court, Divisional Court, and Court of Appeal. Partner Calvin Zhang is a fully independent litigator who handles entire files bilingually — Mandarin, Cantonese, and English — without translator hand-offs. Together with the broader team, we represent clients in commercial litigation, real estate disputes (including title fraud), construction lien matters, shareholder oppression, landlord-tenant claims above the LTB cap, and the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.
Why Markham Clients Choose Us
We are physically in Markham
Markham clients reach our office in 5-15 minutes by car. In-person meetings, document signing, and consultation can be scheduled the same day. Free parking on site.
Bilingual courtroom advocacy
Markham’s commercial fabric is heavily Chinese-Canadian — over 45% of Markham residents are of Chinese origin. We handle entire files in Mandarin or Cantonese, then argue in English in court, without information loss in translation hand-offs.
Verifiable trial track record
Search our names on CanLII. Recent Markham-region wins include Wei v. Ye-Hang Canada (2026 ONCA 180) at the Court of Appeal and China Yantai v. Novalex (2024 ONSC 608) CIETAC enforcement.
Boutique pricing for the same work
Our hourly rates are below downtown Toronto Bay Street rates. For a $500K-$5M dispute, this is the difference between economically viable litigation and a write-off.
Disputes We Frequently Handle for Markham Clients
Markham’s commercial dynamics — high-tech corridor along Highway 404, dense Chinese-Canadian SME community, ongoing development at Markham Centre and Cornell, and a large rental property base — produce a recurring pattern of litigation matters:
Shareholder disputes in family-held businesses
A shareholder is being squeezed out, the company is paying excessive compensation to a controlling director, or assets are being moved to a related party. Oppression remedy under the OBCA, derivative actions, and asset preservation orders.
Learn more →Commercial contract disputes
Unpaid invoices, breach of supply agreements, distribution disputes, franchise issues, and joint venture breakdowns common in Markham’s import / export and tech-component businesses.
Learn more →Real estate transaction failures and title fraud
Failed closings, deposit disputes, seller misrepresentation about latent defects, and (increasingly) title fraud schemes targeting Markham homeowners.
Learn more →Construction liens and trial-level disputes
Markham Centre, Cornell, and surrounding subdivisions are under continuous development. We act for owners, contractors, and trades in lien preservation, holdback disputes, and full trials. Recent trial win:
1579959 Ontario Inc. v. Sheikh, 2025 ONSC 185Landlord rent arrears above the LTB cap
Markham landlords with rent arrears exceeding $50,000 (the new LTB monetary cap as of October 2025) need to proceed at the Superior Court. We do this routinely, including by summary judgment.
Learn more →CIETAC and cross-border arbitration enforcement
Markham is home to many Chinese-Canadian importers and distributors. When a CIETAC, HKIAC, or ICC award needs enforcement against an Ontario-based counterparty, we have a verifiable track record under the New York Convention.
Learn more →Local Logistics for Markham Clients
Office address
510-675 Cochrane Drive, East Tower, Markham, ON L3R 0B8. At the corner of Highway 7 and Highway 404. Free parking. Accessible by York Region Transit and the Highway 7 Viva BRT corridor.
Courthouse
Markham civil and commercial matters are filed at the Newmarket Superior Court of Justice (50 Eagle Street West, Newmarket). Complex commercial matters may be transferred to the Toronto Region Commercial List (330 University Avenue) by motion. We appear at both venues regularly.
Limitation periods matter
Ontario’s basic limitation period under the Limitations Act, 2002 is two years from when the claim was discovered. Construction lien preservation is much shorter (60 days). If you suspect a claim, do not delay calling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is your Markham office?
Our office is at 510-675 Cochrane Drive, East Tower, Markham, ON L3R 0B8 — at the Highway 404 / Highway 7 commercial corridor. Markham clients typically reach us in 5-15 minutes by car. Free parking on-site.
Which courthouse handles Markham litigation matters?
Civil and commercial matters originating in Markham are heard at the Newmarket Superior Court of Justice (50 Eagle Street West, Newmarket). Our team appears there regularly. The Toronto Region Commercial List (330 University Avenue) hears complex commercial cases, including those originating from Markham businesses.
Do you handle Mandarin- or Cantonese-language client matters?
Yes. Calvin Zhang is fluent in both Mandarin and Cantonese and handles entire files in Chinese — from initial consultation and document review to court filings and post-trial enforcement. The court itself uses English (or French), but client communications, document review, and strategy can be conducted in Chinese.
What kinds of Markham cases do you typically handle?
Common Markham matters: shareholder disputes in family-held businesses, breach-of-contract claims involving Highway 404 commercial tenants, real estate transaction failures and title fraud, construction lien disputes (Markham is undergoing significant development at Markham Centre and Cornell), and cross-border arbitration enforcement involving Chinese counterparties.
A Markham Dispute? Talk to Local Counsel.
For Markham businesses, landlords, and investors facing a litigation matter, we offer a 60-minute legal posture assessment — a litigation-focused diagnostic of your evidence, the most likely outcomes, and the realistic cost of pursuing or defending the matter.
Call: 905-477-3110
Contact Us