Donovan Kochman LLP
11 lawyers · Established 2018 · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 679 handling Wills, Estates & Trusts.
Virtual appointments
Virtual appointmentsAbout Donovan Kochman LLP
Donovan Kochman LLP is a small litigation firm in Toronto, founded in 2018 by Brendan Donovan and Noah Kochman. The firm's office is at 2 St. Clair Avenue West in the city's Deer Park area, and it takes on estates and trust disputes, estate planning and administration, mediation, and civil and commercial litigation for clients across Ontario. Its estates litigation work covers will challenges, power of attorney and guardianship disputes, executor removal applications, dependant's support claims, and elder abuse matters, while its commercial side handles contract, shareholder, and partnership disputes, professional negligence claims, and defamation.
The team includes partners, counsel, associate lawyers, and law clerks, totalling roughly 18 people. One lawyer at the firm practises in immigration law alongside estates and civil litigation, and another is fluent in Mandarin Chinese in addition to English. Several of the firm's lawyers are listed in Best Lawyers in Canada and ranked by Lexpert, and Best Law Firms named the firm to its 2025 Trusts and Estates rankings for Toronto and nationally. A lawyer at the firm has also chaired the Advocates' Society's estates litigation practice group.
Milestones & recognition
- Founded in 2018 by Brendan Donovan and Noah Kochman as a small Toronto firm focused on estates and commercial litigation.
- Named to Best Law Firms' 2025 Trusts and Estates rankings for Toronto and nationally.
- Several of the firm's lawyers are listed in Best Lawyers in Canada, and multiple are ranked by Lexpert.
- A lawyer at the firm has chaired the Advocates' Society's estates litigation practice group and has been ranked in Chambers and Partners' High Net Worth Guide for private wealth disputes.
In the community
- One of the firm's counsel serves as Vice-Chair of Jewish Immigrant Aid Services, a settlement agency for refugees and immigrants.
- One of the firm's counsel is a member of the Refugee Lawyers Association.
- Firm lawyers regularly speak at continuing education programs for the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association, and the Estate Planners' Council of Halton, covering topics such as powers of attorney, will drafting, litigation guardians, and elder law.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
Virtual appointments
In-person servicesLawyers 11
Adam Hummel
Counsel
Wills, Estates & TrustsImmigration Law
Ava Naraghi
Lawyer
Wills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Brendan Donovan
Partner
Wills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Diana K. L. McBey
Lawyer
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Jacob Kaufman
Counsel
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Karen Chen
Lawyer
Wills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Noah Kochman
Partner
Wills, Estates & TrustsCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Raquel Kaplan Goldberg
Counsel
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Rebecca Betel
Lawyer
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Sharon Goldberg
Counsel
Wills, Estates & Trusts
Tyler Lin
Lawyer
Wills, Estates & Trusts
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School (2), University of Toronto (2), University of Windsor (2), Dalhousie University, Queen's Law School 8 of 11 lawyers
- Languages on the roster
- Cantonese, Mandarin, Mandarin Chinese
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Donovan Kochman LLP's office sits in Toronto's Deer Park area, with the suite giving direct access to the St. Clair subway station. It's a walkable location, useful for a litigation firm whose estates and commercial disputes bring clients in from across the city and, in many cases, from across Ontario.
Because much of the firm's estates litigation work is subject to Ontario's mandatory mediation rules in Toronto, Ottawa, and Windsor before a dispute can proceed to court, the firm runs full day mediations from this office rather than relying solely on courthouse scheduling, a workflow suited to a midtown base rather than one tied to a single courthouse address.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Donovan Kochman LLP handle will disputes and estate litigation in Toronto?
- Yes. The firm's estates litigation practice covers will and codicil challenges, executor and trustee removal applications, disputes over powers of attorney and guardianship, dependant's support claims, and elder abuse matters, and it represents clients through mediation, trial, and appeal.
- A family member's power of attorney may have been misused. Can Donovan Kochman LLP help?
- The firm handles power of attorney and guardianship disputes, including cases involving a loss of mental capacity, and its estates litigation practice also addresses elder abuse matters.
- Does Donovan Kochman LLP offer mediation for estate and trust disputes, and what does it cost?
- The firm's lawyers mediate estate, trust, and capacity disputes across Ontario, meeting with each side separately over a single day session to work toward settlement. A full day mediation is priced at $3,600 plus HST, including preparation time and pre mediation calls with counsel. Contested estate and trust disputes in Toronto, Ottawa, and Windsor require mediation before they can proceed to court.
- Can Donovan Kochman LLP prepare a will, powers of attorney, or a trust?
- Yes. The firm's estate planning and administration work includes wills, powers of attorney, and trust documents such as alter ego and inter vivos trusts, along with high net worth planning and strategies to reduce probate fees.
- Does the firm handle commercial disputes, like shareholder or partnership disagreements?
- Yes. Donovan Kochman LLP's civil and commercial litigation practice covers contract disputes, shareholder and partnership conflicts, professional negligence claims, defamation, civil fraud, and joint ownership disputes, in addition to its estates work.
- Is there a lawyer at Donovan Kochman LLP who speaks Mandarin?
- Yes. One of the firm's lawyers, who joined in 2023, is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese and previously practised international corporate law at a large national firm in China.
Where to find them
2 St. Clair West, Suite 1703, Toronto, ON, M4V 1L5 · 416-800-1062
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