Polak, McKay & Hawkshaw

About Polak, McKay & Hawkshaw

Polak, McKay & Hawkshaw is a general practice law firm in Ajax, Ontario, that has provided legal services to Durham Region for more than 65 years, with its roots reaching back to the 1950s. The firm's current work covers real estate, wills and estates, corporate and commercial matters, and municipal and land use planning, along with notary and commissioning services that don't require an appointment.

Real estate work spans residential and commercial transactions across Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area, from new build condominiums to cottages and other recreational properties. The estates practice covers wills and powers of attorney through to estate administration in non-conflictual matters. On the municipal side, the firm handles zoning disputes, minor variance applications, and building and fire code matters, a specialty it describes as uncommon among Durham Region firms.

Ronald Hawkshaw, called to the Ontario bar in 1980, leads the land use planning and municipal work and has appeared before the Ontario Municipal Board. David McKay, whose name remains part of the firm, retired in 2023 after practicing business law, real estate, and wills and estates. A second lawyer at the firm, called to the bar in 2014 after a J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School, brings Spanish and conversational French to the practice and has served as vice-president of the Canadian Hispanic Bar Association.