Ruderman Shaw is an exceptional small law firm located at Yonge and Eglinton in mid-town Toronto. Ruderman Shaw has been providing high quality sophisticated legal services to individuals and businesses since 1993, when John Ruderman and Hugh Shaw joined forces to create Ruderman, Shaw. For over 30 years Ruderman Shaw has delivered personal, practical, and cost effective solutions for our clients.
Ruderman Shaw provides a wide range of legal services, including commercial and residential real estate, corporate and business law, wills, trusts, estate planning and administration and related litigation. John Ruderman and Hugh Shaw's decades of experience in these practice areas have satisfied our business and individual clients’ most demanding legal needs.
Our clients tell us that because we are a “boutique” they are able to work directly with a principal on all aspects of most matters, and they avoid excessive involvement of junior lawyers, and the related expense often encountered by clients of large firms. We believe that our team’s strengths deliver superior client service at reasonable cost. It is our shared goal to remain accessible and responsive to our clients' needs, involved in their problems, and ready to find direct and cost effective solutions for them.
Ruderman Shaw has a large referral network for specialized legal services (such as family law, criminal law, immigration law, and environmental litigation). This allows us to focus on our core practice areas, and to provide efficient and effective legal services, while ensuring that all of your legal needs are expertly handled.
View our Practice Areas to see what we can do for you.
Contact Us
Practice Areas
Real Estate
Ruderman Shaw has decades of experience in all areas of Real Estate Law, acting for individuals, corporations, and financial institutions. Our services include:
- Purchase and Sale of residential, commercial, industrial and investment properties
- Mortgage financing
- Commercial and residential leases
- Co-ownership and development agreements
- Mortgage enforcement, including power of sale and foreclosure
- Subdivision
- Condominium law
Business and Corporate
Ruderman Shaw acts for small, medium, and large business of all sorts. Whether your business has hundreds of employees or is a small home based enterprise Ruderman Shaw can give you the services you need, tailored to your specific type and size of business, including:
- Incorporation of for-profit and not-for-profit corporations
- Acquisitions and sales of businesses, both share and asset transactions
- Business financing transactions, acting for both lenders and borrowers
- Amalgamations, mergers, re-organizations, transition planning, and estate freezes
- Business restructuring and insolvency
- Shareholders Agreements and Partnership Agreements
- Business contracts, including distribution agreements, franchise agreements
- Shareholder and partnership disputes
- General operational support for your businesses, including employment issues, receivables, collection, equipment purchases and leases, leasing premises
- Corporate record keeping
Wills, Trusts and Estates
Ruderman Shaw provides a variety of will, trust, and estate planning and administration services, from complex estate planning for business owners to simple Wills for small estates. Our services include:
- Preparation of Wills
- Trust Agreements for business and personal planning
- Estate planning and business succession planning
- Powers of Attorney for Property and for Personal Care
- Estate Administration, including obtaining Certificates of Appointment of Estate Trustee, distribution of estates, and passing estate accounts
- Estate disputes and related court applications
Our People
John Ruderman
Lawyer
Tel: 416-484-8558 ext. 1
Direct: 416-484-6597
John graduated from University of Toronto Law School in 1977 and was called to the Ontario bar in 1979. John's main areas of practice are commercial and residential real estate transactions for institutional and private clients, business transactions, corporate law and related estate planning. John has acted for individuals, corporations, financial institutions, and investment groups in large and small real estate matters, including purchase and sale, leasing, and mortgage financing and enforcement. John's real estate experience includes a wide range of properties, including gas stations, golf courses, shopping centres, contaminated lands, and apartment buildings, as well simple purchases of homes, cottages and farms. John has provided advice and completed business transactions for a wide variety of large and small businesses, including advertising agencies, professional practices, car dealerships, consulting businesses, hotels and restaurants.
Hugh Shaw
Lawyer
Tel: 416-484-8558 ext. 2
Direct: 416-485-6446
Hugh graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1984, and was called to the Ontario bar in 1986. Hugh's main areas of practice are commercial and residential real estate, wills and estates, and commercial litigation with an emphasis on collection in secured and unsecured transactions. Hugh has completed numerous foreclosures and sales under power of sale for various financial institutions including insurance companies, finance companies, credit unions, and banks. Hugh has advised on realizations in various jurisdictions and has successfully pursued fraudulent conveyance and guarantee claims. Hugh also has 30 years of experience in personal property collection matters, realizing on equipment leases, and chattel mortgage security for numerous large and small lenders.
Darlene Michelin
Senior Law Clerk
Tel: 416-484-8558 ext. 3
Direct: 416-484-4513
Member of the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario.
Kristy Garland
Senior Legal Assistant
Tel: 416-484-8558 ext. 4
Direct: 416-484-4492
I. Website Terms of Use and Disclaimer
Terms and Conditions
All use of this website (www.rudermanshaw.com) is subject to the following Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree with these Terms and Conditions, please do not access or use this website. These terms may be changed by Ruderman Shaw at any time without notice. Your use of the website constitutes your agreement to be bound by these terms.
No Legal Advice, No Lawyer-Client Relationship
The materials and information provided on this website are for general information purposes only. The use of this website or the reliance on any information contained on this website is not intended as, and should not be considered to be, legal advice, and should not be relied on as such. Anyone using this website should not take or fail to take any action based on information found on this website.
The presentation of information on this website and/or the access or use by anyone of this website does not establish any form of lawyer-client relationship, advisory relationship, or fiduciary relationship of any kind with Ruderman Shaw or with any of its lawyers. Although the use of the website may facilitate access to or communications with members of Ruderman Shaw by e-mail or voicemail, receipt of any such communications or transmissions by any member of Ruderman Shaw does not create a solicitor-client relationship, unless Ruderman Shaw agrees to represent you.
No Warranty as to Accuracy
Information may, as a result of the passage of time, changes to law, human error, and/or system failure, become no longer accurate. While we strive for accuracy, Ruderman Shaw makes no warranty as to the accuracy of any information contained in and/or on this website. Any link found anywhere in and/or on this website could be inaccurate, misdirected or lead the user to another website other than this website, and Ruderman Shaw shall not be liable for any use of these links in any manner whatsoever, and this entire disclaimer applies to those links.
No Transmittal of Confidential Information
This website shall not be used to request legal advice or transmit confidential information, personal information, or information subject to lawyer-client privilege. Any use of this website or e-mails contained in and/or on this website to transmit confidential, or personal information or information subject to lawyer-client privilege, is strictly prohibited, and is done at the user's own risk. Ruderman Shaw does not guarantee the confidentiality of any communications sent by e-mail or through its website, or left in voicemail messages on firm telephones. Unsolicited information and material may not be treated as confidential and will not be protected by any solicitor-client privilege.
Disclaimer of and Limit of Liability
Ruderman Shaw does not accept any liability whatsoever for use of this website. Any use of this website is at your own risk. Information contained in and/or on this website is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.
Although Ruderman Shaw has made reasonable efforts to ensure that the materials contained on this site are accurate, Ruderman Shaw makes no representations or warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, and, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing Ruderman Shaw makes no representations or warranties: as to the accuracy, currency or completeness of the materials; that the site will be available without interruption, error or omission; that defects will be corrected; that the website and the server(s) that make it available are free from viruses or harmful components; or as to fitness for any particular purpose, all of which are hereby disclaimed to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Ruderman Shaw shall have no liability to you or any other person in relation to loss of any kind or damages of any kind arising from, in connection with, or in relation to, the use of this website or of any information provided on this website by you or any other person.
Links to Third Party Sites
This website may contain links to one or more third party sites. These links are provided for convenience only, and do not mean that Ruderman Shaw recommends or approves such other websites or the information contained in them. Ruderman Shaw has no control over the availability or content of such websites, and any use of them is at your own risk. Ruderman Shaw shall have no liability for any loss of any kind or damages of any kind arising from, in connection with, or in relation to, the use of such third party websites or of any information provided on them.
Governing Law
These Terms of Service and Privacy Policy shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. You agree that any claim or dispute you may have against Ruderman Shaw must be resolved by a court located in Ontario, Canada, except as otherwise agreed by the parties. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located within Ontario, Canada for the purpose of litigating all such claims or disputes.
II. Privacy Policy
Ruderman Shaw recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information. As lawyers we have the professional obligation to keep confidential all information we receive within a lawyer-client relationship. We are committed to protecting any personal information we hold. This Privacy Policy outlines how we manage your personal information and safeguard your privacy.
Your Privacy Rights
From January 1, 2004, all businesses engaged in commercial activities must comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, and the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information, which it incorporates. These obligations extend to lawyers and law firms, including Ruderman Shaw. The Act gives you rights concerning the privacy of your personal information.
Ruderman Shaw is responsible for the personal information we collect and hold. To ensure this accountability, we have developed this policy, and trained our lawyers and support staff about our policies and practices.
Consent
By submitting personal information to Ruderman Shaw, you agree that we may collect, use, and disclose your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. In most cases, we shall ask you to specifically consent, if we collect, use or disclose your personal information. Normally, we ask for your consent in writing, but in some circumstances, we may accept your oral consent. Sometimes, your consent may be implied through your conduct with us.
Collection of Your Personal Information
Through this website, and e-mail sent via this website, Ruderman Shaw collects your personal information only as permitted or required by law. Personal information includes any factual or subjective information about an identifiable individual, such as age, name, ID numbers, income, social status, credit records, and medical records. Personal information does not include what is considered business card information: name, title, business address, telephone number, facsimile number, or e-mail address.
Use of Your Personal Information
We use you personal information to provide legal advice and services to you, to administer our client (time and billing) databases and to include you in any direct marketing activities. If you tell us that you no longer wish to receive information about our services, or about new developments in the law, we will not send any further material.
Ruderman Shaw does not disclose your personal information to any third party to enable them to market their products or services. For example, we do not provide our client mailing lists to other law firms.
On our website, like most other commercial websites, Ruderman Shaw may monitor traffic patterns, site usage and related site information in order to optimize our web service. We may provide aggregated information to third parties, but these statistics do not include ant identifiable personal information.
Disclosure of Your Personal Information
Under certain circumstances, Ruderman Shaw may disclose your personal information:
• When we are required or authorized by law to do so, for example if a court issues a subpoena;
• When you have consented to the disclosure;
• When the legal services we are providing to you requires us to give your information to third parties (for example a lender in a real estate mortgage transaction) your consent will be implied, unless you tell us otherwise;
• Where it is necessary to establish or collect fees;
• If we engage a third party to provide administrative services to us (like computer back-up services or archival file storage) and the third party is bound by our Privacy Policy;
• If we engage expert witnesses on your behalf;
• If we retain other law firms at your request, and on your behalf;
• If the personal information is Publicly Available Personal Information, as it is defined under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.
Updating Your Information
Since Ruderman Shaw uses your personal information to provide legal services to you, it is important that the information be accurate and up-to-date. If during the course of the retainer, any of your information changes, please inform us so that we can make any necessary changes.
Is My Personal Information secure?
Ruderman Shaw takes all reasonable precautions to ensure that your personal information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, modification or disclosure. Among the steps taken to protect your information are premises security, restricted file access to personal information, deploying technological safeguards like security software and firewalls to prevent hacking or unauthorized computer access, and internal password and security policies.
Access to Your Personal Information
You may ask for access to any personal information we hold about you. Summary information is available on request. More detailed requests which require archive or other retrieval costs may be subject to our normal professional fees and disbursement fees.
Correcting Errors
If Ruderman Shaw holds information about you and you can establish that it is not accurate, complete, and up-to-date, Ruderman Shaw will take reasonable steps to correct it.
Can I be denied access to my Personal Information?
Your rights to access your personal information are not absolute. We may deny access when:
• It is required or authorized by law (for example, when a record containing personal information about you is protected by solicitor-client privilege);
• To do so would reveal confidential commercial information, and the personal information cannot be severed from the record;
• To do so could reasonably be expected to threaten the life or security of another individual, and the personal information cannot be severed from the record; or
• The information was generated in the course of a formal dispute resolution process.
If we deny your request for access to, or refuse a request to correct information, we will explain why. Ruderman Shaw does not use your Social Insurance Number as a way of identifying or organizing the information we hold upon you.
Can I request anonymity?
Whenever it is legal and practicable, Ruderman Shaw may offer the opportunity to deal with general inquiries without providing your name (for example, by accessing general information on our website). The Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act requires us to confirm the identity of all new clients. It may also require us to disclose information to FINTRAC in relation to certain large cash transactions.
Where is Your Personal Information Stored?
Your personal information is stored in secured locations and on servers controlled by Ruderman Shaw, located either at our office or at the office of our service provider.
Our Website
Cookies – Like many other websites, our site makes use of cookie technology. Cookies are small text files that recognize repeat visitors and track their visits to websites. We do not cross-reference the information automatically collected through cookies with any type of personal information that is voluntarily offered on or through the website.
If you would prefer not to accept cookies, you can set your Internet browser to notify you when your computer is receiving a cookie or to refuse cookies automatically.
Links – Our website contains links to other sites which are provided as a convenience only and which are not governed by this privacy policy.
Changes to the Privacy Policy
Ruderman Shaw may review and modify this Privacy Policy from time to time. Please review our website for updates.
Further Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, or wish to access your personal information, please write to our Privacy Contact at:
Privacy Contact
RUDERMAN, SHAW
BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS
SUITE 801 - 40 HOLLY STREET
TORONTO, ONTARIO M4S 3C3
Email: info @rudermanshaw.com