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About Max

Max litigates complex contract, construction, and procurement disputes. He also has expertise in anti-corruption investigations, class actions, insolvency proceedings, gaming disputes, and domestic and international commercial arbitrations. He has represented clients at all levels of courts in Ontario, the Federal Court, the Court of King's Bench for Saskatchewan, in arbitration proceedings in Ontario, Alberta, and Newfoundland & Labrador, before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, and at the Supreme Court of Canada in the voting rights appeal by expatriate Canadian citizens in Frank v. Canada (A.G.).

Max has successfully completed secondments with the in-house legal teams at Bell Canada and Ontario Power Generation, as well as at the Firm's Calgary office.

Select Experience

Max has acted as counsel to:

Commercial Cases

  • Aircraft lessors in disputes arising from the termination of aircraft lease agreements and re-possession of aircraft

  • Canadian Pacific Railway Company in actions against the governments of Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to recover taxes paid in contravention of a provision of the Railway's 1880 Charter which states that its main line shall "be forever free from taxation"

  • Six Nations of the Grand River Band of Indians in an ongoing large and complex trial against the Canadian and Ontario governments seeking compensation for lost reserve lands and mismanaged monies

  • A global engineering firm in a C$20-million ad hoc arbitration relating to the sale of a railway line

  • Online gaming operators and payment services providers involved in responsible gaming disputes

  • Operators of resort casinos in Ontario for disputes arising from gaming operations

  • United States Steel Corporation in successfully asserting a US$2-billion claim against U.S. Steel Canada in which the court provided a revised test for the distinction between debt and equity

  • A global sports apparel company in a sponsorship dispute with a Canadian sports federation

  • An investment management firm in a lawsuit arising from a "liftout" of a team of investment advisors

Construction and Procurement

  • Infrastructure Ontario in successfully defending an urgent judicial review application arising from the disqualification of a proponent in a high-profile Ontario procurement process

  • A general contractor of gold mining infrastructure in Northern Ontario in a C$30-million ICC arbitration

  • A regional transit agency in a time-sensitive dispute regarding the procurement of railway maintenance services in the Greater Toronto Area

  • A federal Crown corporation in a challenge to a procurement process for the acquisition and implementation of a new technology solution

  • Owners in delay and acceleration disputes relating to the construction of a multi-billion dollar light rail line and the rehabilitation of a highway

  • A power generation company in dealing with procurement and construction disputes relating to ongoing operations and the refurbishment of a nuclear generating station

  • A contractor in a dispute involving delay and disruption claims arising from the construction of a high voltage transmission line in Manitoba

  • A food and beverage company in a procurement dispute relating to a request for proposals associated with a national fulfillment program

  • A global oil and gas producer in a multi-party construction dispute relating to a pipeline failure in Alberta

Awards & Recognition
  • The Best Lawyers in Canada (2027: Alternative Dispute Resolution; 2025–2026: Corporate and Commercial Litigation)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2025–2026: Commercial Arbitration; 2026: Litigation – Corporate Commercial)

  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers – Independently Rated Lawyers – 2025–2026 (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)

  • Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2025

  • Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys 2025 (Litigation Star)

  • Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – 2023–2024 (Future Star)

  • Benchmark Canada's 40 & Under List 2024

  • Lexpert Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers 40 and Under 2024

Professional Activities

Max is a member of The Advocates' Society, the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society, the ICC Canada Arbitration Committee, Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners and the Canadian and Ontario bar associations. He volunteers with various Pro Bono Law Ontario projects and has previously been an adjunct lecturer (mooting adviser) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law.

Max was a member-at-large of the Civil Litigation Practice Group at The Advocates' Society for the 2025-2026 term.

Publications
Professional Appearances
  • Chair : Top Cases in Commercial Litigation 2025
    The Advocates' Society, Commercial Litigation Practice Group, December 9, 2025.
  • Speaker : Multi-Jurisdictional Strategy in Commercial Arbitration
    Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners/International Chamber of Commerce Young Arbitration and ADR Forum 2025 Fall Symposium, October 8, 2025.
  • Speaker : Construction Dispute Resolution Seminar: Recent Trends and Decisions in the Construction Industry
    Blakes Business Class Seminar, September 12, 2024.
  • Speaker : Arbitration Webinar: Trends in Major Projects and Infrastructure Arbitration
    Blakes Business Class Seminar, April 24, 2024.
  • Speaker : Procurement Law Updates for 2024
    Blakes Business Class Seminar, February 27, 2024.
  • Speaker : Business Disputes: Key Canadian Rulings of 2023
    Episode 30, Blakes Sound Business Podcast, December 20, 2023.
  • Speaker : From Court to Contract
    Blakes Business Class Seminar, November 8, 2023.
Education

Executive Certificate in International Arbitration, University of Ottawa – 2013
Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2011
JD (Hon.), University of Toronto – 2010
Exchange Program, University of Hong Kong – Fall 2009
MSc (With Merit), London School of Economics and Political Science – 2006
BA (Hon.), McGill University – 2005

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