Toronto Commercial Litigation Lawyer

Strategic advocacy for businesses and individuals in complex commercial disputes across Ontario.

Our commercial litigation team has represented clients in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Commercial List, and the Ontario Court of Appeal in disputes ranging from contested loan agreements and share pledge enforcement to cross-border manufacturing claims. In Atlas (Brampton) v. Canada Grace Park, 2021 ONCA 221, Paul Starkman successfully enforced a $1.8 million share pledge foreclosure, with the Court of Appeal dismissing the opposing party’s appeal. In Wei v. Ye-Hang Canada, 2026 ONCA 180, Calvin Zhang defended a summary judgment involving a disputed loan and questions of reverse corporate veil piercing at the appellate level.

Contract Disputes & Business Litigation

Contract disputes are the backbone of commercial litigation. When a business partner fails to honour a signed agreement, when payment obligations go unmet, or when a joint venture unravels, the financial consequences can be devastating. Our firm has litigated hundreds of breach-of-contract actions in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, from straightforward debt recovery claims to multi-million-dollar disputes involving complex commercial arrangements.

We advise on the full lifecycle of a contract dispute: pre-litigation demand strategy, preservation of evidence, interim relief where urgent, and trial or mediation as circumstances require. Our goal is always to achieve the most efficient resolution — whether that means a negotiated settlement on favourable terms or a decisive judgment at trial.

Shareholder Disputes & Corporate Litigation

When shareholders disagree about the direction of a company, the consequences extend far beyond the boardroom. Minority oppression, improper self-dealing, exclusion from management, and disputes over corporate control can paralyze a business and destroy value. Under the Ontario Business Corporations Act and the Canada Business Corporations Act, shareholders have statutory remedies — including oppression actions under s. 248 OBCA — that our team deploys with strategic precision.

We have acted in shareholder disputes ranging from closely held family businesses to complex multi-party corporate structures. Our experience includes applications for compliance orders, winding-up proceedings, and derivative actions on behalf of corporations where directors have breached their fiduciary duties.

Injunctions & Emergency Court Orders

Some commercial disputes require immediate court intervention. When assets are being dissipated, when a former employee or partner is breaching restrictive covenants, or when irreparable harm is imminent, an interlocutory injunction can be the difference between preserving your rights and losing them entirely. Our firm has extensive experience in urgent motion practice before the Ontario Superior Court, including Mareva injunctions to freeze assets, Anton Piller orders for preservation of evidence, and certificates of pending litigation to protect interests in real property.

We understand the strict legal test for injunctive relief — theRJR-MacDonald framework — and we know how to build the evidentiary record that Ontario courts require on these critical motions.

Ontario Courts

Our commercial litigation lawyers appear regularly before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Divisional Court, and theCourt of Appeal for Ontario. We have handled matters at every stage — from initial pleadings and documentary discovery through examinations for discovery, pre-trial conferences, and multi-week trials. Our team has also represented clients in private arbitrations under the Ontario Arbitration Act, 1991 and in mediations that have resolved disputes efficiently and favourably.

Three decades of continuous practice in Ontario commercial litigation means we have seen virtually every type of business dispute, and we bring that institutional knowledge to bear for every client we represent.

The Complete Guide to Commercial Litigation in Ontario

For a comprehensive overview of commercial litigation in Ontario — including the court system, litigation process, available remedies, costs, limitation periods, and strategic considerations — read our detailed 12-part legal guide.

Read the Complete Guide to Commercial Litigation in Ontario

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Facing a Business Dispute? Act Before Limitation Periods Expire

Ontario’s two-year limitation period means early legal advice is critical. Whether you need to enforce a contract, respond to a shareholder oppression claim, or seek an urgent injunction, contact our commercial litigation team to assess your options.

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