Paul H. Starkman

Paul began his litigation career at two of Canada’s most respected national and mid-sized firms — Torkin Manes LLP and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP — handling complex civil and commercial disputes from the trenches of motion practice through trial preparation. He subsequently practised at Stevensons LLP, where he built a broad litigation portfolio and regularly appeared in court on contested matters.

Drawing on the litigation discipline learned at those firms, Paul founded his own practice and grew it into Starkman Barristers, ultimately serving as Senior Litigator there before establishing the present-day Starkman & Zhang Lawyers in partnership with Calvin Zhang. The firm operates as a focused, trial-oriented boutique — not a general-service firm.

A litigation practice is judged not only by the cases its principal wins, but by the lawyers it produces. Paul has invested deliberately in mentoring junior counsel from intake through independent partnership.

The clearest example is partner Calvin Zhang, who joined the firm initially as a summer student and articled and trained directly under Paul. Calvin worked alongside Paul on examinations for discovery, contested motions, and contested commercial files in his early years at the bar after his 2020 call. He was given real responsibility from the start — drafting pleadings, preparing facta, attending discoveries — under close supervision rather than the standard "shadow the partner" model.

Today Calvin runs trial and appellate matters in his own name. In the past 24 months alone he has been counsel of record on three reported appellate decisions — including Wei v. Ye-Hang, 2026 ONCA 180 at the Ontario Court of Appeal — alongside trials and contested motions across commercial, construction, real estate, and landlord-tenant disputes. Paul remains involved as senior counsel on complex strategic decisions, but the lawyer arguing the motion in front of the bench, examining the witness, or standing at the appellate podium is, in each instance, Calvin himself.

For clients, this means two practical benefits. First, the firm offers continuity of judgment: 30+ years of senior-counsel perspective is on tap when the matter genuinely needs it. Second, the firm offers efficiency: a fully capable partner runs the file day to day without senior-counsel overhead at every step.

A hallmark of Paul’s practice is sound litigation judgment — knowing when to advance matters decisively and when restraint better serves the client’s interests. He is particularly experienced in disputes where credibility conflicts, contractual interpretation, and procedural complexity require careful issue framing and strategic discipline.

Paul’s advocacy style is focused and measured. He prepares detailed evidentiary records, advances clear legal positions, and remains attentive to proportionality and risk at every stage of the litigation process. Judges and opposing counsel recognize him as a lawyer who is well prepared, principled in his submissions, and focused on the issues that actually matter to the disposition.

Paul continues to take on cases personally — particularly large or strategically complex disputes in which 30+ years of seasoned judgment is the deciding factor. On most files, however, he serves as senior counsel and sounding board: reviewing strategic decisions at intake, on motions, and pre-trial, while Calvin runs the day-to-day advocacy.

This division of labour reflects a deliberate firm choice, not a transition or wind-down. The goal is to give clients the full benefit of senior counsel judgment and the responsiveness, energy, and bilingual capability of an active partner running their file. It is a model designed for clients who want both depth and access.

Paul H. Starkman is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and adheres to the Rules of Professional Conduct. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994. He is also a member of the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) and The Advocates’ Society. His reported decisions are independently searchable on CanLII.