Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator

What Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator does

Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator LLP is a Toronto-based boutique law firm that has specialized exclusively in estate litigation since its founding in 1974. The firm operates from two Ontario offices — its headquarters at 20 Queen Street West in Toronto's downtown financial district and a secondary office in Bowmanville serving the Durham Region — and is staffed by eight named lawyers, including three partners (Felice C. Kirsh, Jordan D. Oelbaum, and Sender B. Tator) and five associate-level lawyers (Rob Levesque, Mitchell J. Rattner, Lisa M. Fenech, Phillipa Goddard, and Rebecca Xie).

The firm's core offering is end-to-end representation in estate disputes, with practice areas spanning contested wills, trustee disputes, passing of accounts, will interpretations, dependant support claims, claims for services to an estate, family law act claims, variations of trusts, mental incompetency litigation, substitute decisions act applications, power of attorney disputes, estate administration, and estate planning. It also offers mediation and arbitration as alternative dispute resolution pathways. The firm's intellectual capital is reinforced by partner Brian Schnurr's authorship of two leading Ontario texts — "Estate Litigation" and "The Annotated Ontario Estates Statutes" — and by Felice Kirsh's Law Society of Ontario certified specialist designation in Estate and Trusts Law. There are no technology platforms or software products in the offering; the entire service is delivered by credentialed lawyers.

The business model is a traditional professional services partnership: hourly legal fees (with occasional contingency arrangements) billed against case complexity and duration, structured as a private limited liability partnership with no external investors or parent entity. Client acquisition is driven by peer referrals within the legal and financial-advisory community, sustained rankings in Best Lawyers in Canada, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Canadian Lawyer Magazine's Top Wills/Trusts/Estates Boutiques list, and Post City Magazine's Top Lawyers survey, plus active participation in bar-association education (LSO, OBA, STEP Canada, Osgoode Hall Law School) and the Pro Bono Students Canada Wills Project. Primary client segments are estate trustees/executors, beneficiaries and heirs, dependants, and individuals with capacity issues, all served exclusively within Ontario.

Name

Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator

Legal name

Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator LLP

Website

https://estatelitigation.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator LLP is a Toronto-based boutique law firm with eight named lawyers specializing exclusively in estate litigation since 1974, serving estate trustees, beneficiaries, and dependants in Ontario from offices in Toronto and Bowmanville.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Estate Litigation Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE), Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Estate litigation law
• Contested wills
• Trustee disputes
• Passing of accounts
• Estate administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Professional legal services billed at hourly rates for estate litigation matters including contested wills, trustee disputes, passing of accounts, dependant support claims, and other estate-related disputes. Some matters may involve contingency fee arrangements.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator LLP is a Canadian boutique law firm that has practiced exclusively in estate litigation since 1974. The firm represents clients in contested wills, challenges to testamentary instruments, trustee disputes, passing of accounts, dependant support claims, mental incompetency litigation, and related estate and fiduciary matters, with advocacy across Ontario courts and mediation forums.

Product overview

Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator LLP is a boutique law firm specializing exclusively in Estate Litigation Law since 1974. The firm operates as a single unified legal services practice offering comprehensive estate dispute resolution through its core service lines: contested wills litigation, trustee disputes, passing of accounts, will interpretations, dependant support claims, family law act claims, variations of trusts, mental incompetency litigation, power of attorney disputes, mediation and arbitration, estate administration, and estate planning. The firm has no separate product modules or technology platforms—its offering consists entirely of specialized legal services delivered by eight named lawyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Law Society of OntariocoreOthersFirm lawyers lecture and present for the Law Society of Ontario on estate litigation and mental incompetency matters as part of continuing professional development programs.
• Ontario Bar AssociationcoreOthersLawyers participate in OBA programs including Trusts and Estates Section events, Make a Will Month initiatives, and educational seminars on estates law topics.
• Society of Trusts and Estate Practitioners Canada (STEP Canada)coreOthersFirm lawyers lecture and contribute to STEP Canada educational programs for estate practitioners.
• Pro Bono Students CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSandra Schnurr supervises law students in the Wills Project providing wills and powers of attorney to qualifying members of the public at no charge.
• Osgoode Hall Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirm lawyers present at Osgoode Professional Development conferences on estate litigation topics and speak at law school events on discovery and settlement processes.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Miller Thomson LLP: Canadian full-service firm with a sizable estates and trusts group that competes with Schnurr Kirsh on contested estate matters across multiple provinces.
• Aird & Berlis LLP: Toronto-based full-service firm with a private client and estates practice providing overlapping services on contested wills and estate disputes in the Ontario market.
• McCarthy Tétrault LLP: One of Canada's largest full-service law firms with a leading national estates and trusts practice, competing with Schnurr Kirsh on larger and more complex estate matters as part of a much broader practice.
• Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG): Major Canadian full-service firm with a substantial trusts and estates group, offering overlap on estate litigation within a much broader institutional practice.
• Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP: Toronto-based full-service firm with a respected private client and trusts practice, competing for high-net-worth estate disputes as part of a broader corporate and litigation platform.

Direct peers

• Hull & Hull LLP: Toronto-based boutique law firm specializing in estate, trust, and capacity litigation, the most direct peer in the same niche and geographic market for high-stakes estate disputes.
• Whaley Estate Litigation: Toronto boutique focused exclusively on estate, trust, and capacity litigation, closely matching the firm's specialty, client base, and Ontario focus.
• Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP: Toronto estates and trusts boutique serving beneficiaries, trustees, and executors across contested wills and estate disputes, directly comparable in scope and geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SKOTLLP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schnurr-kirsh-oelbaum-tator-llp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Schnurr Kirsh Oelbaum Tator