David Chernos' practice focuses on corporate and commercial litigation,

with an emphasis on matters involving shareholders’ disputes (including those involving family and other closely held companies), insolvency, corporate restructuring, income tax, directors’, officers’ and professional liability, and insurance coverage disputes.

David also has broad experience in estates and trust litigation, having acted for numerous trustees and beneficiaries as well as Ontario’s Office of The Children’s Lawyer on a variety of large and complex estate and trust matters. Prior to founding Chernos Flaherty Svonkin LLP with Pat Flaherty and Stuart Svonkin, David practised at Torys LLP in Toronto for more than twenty years, most of that time as a partner. David has appeared as lead counsel before the Ontario trial courts, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, and the Tax Court of Canada.

Recognitions

Chambers Canada – Leading lawyer in Litigation: General Commercial - Ontario, 2025

Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada – Leading lawyer in corporate commercial litigation; Most Frequently Recommended practitioner in corporate commercial litigation, since 2013

Best Lawyers in Canada – Alternative Dispute Resolution, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Trusts and Estates, since 2012

Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, since 2012

Benchmark Canada – Leading lawyer in commercial and insolvency litigation, since 2012

Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – Most Frequently Recommended practitioner in corporate commercial litigation; Repeatedly Recommended in litigation - directors' and officers' liability; insolvency and financial restructuring; and estates litigation, since 2011

Cases

David has represented:

a variety of clients (from private individuals to large corporations) on tort and breach-of- contract claims and shareholder disputes, including oppressions actions, in a host of different industries but with particular emphasis on real estate development and construction

numerous clients (from private individuals to large corporations) on a variety of insurance coverage disputes

both creditors and debtors in a range of insolvency and restructuring proceedings

both construction companies and those who seek tenders from them in construction tendering disputes

numerous trustees and beneficiaries in a wide range of estates matters and other intra-generational and inter-generational family disputes

directors and officers and other professionals on issues relating to personal liability resulting from corporate involvement (particularly in insolvency situations)

both plaintiffs and defendants in environmental contamination cases