Est. 1987 · Toronto
When the stakes are
consequential.
Hartwell Legal Group represents businesses and individuals in the disputes that decide everything — with the trial record to back it up.
Confidential case assessments — reviewed by senior counsel.
Track record
Results that hold up
$120M+
Recovered for clients
35 yrs
In practice since 1987
94%
Resolved before trial
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Practice areas
Counsel for the matters that carry weight.
We take a focused set of practice areas and go deep — so you get lawyers who have argued your kind of case before, not learned it on your file.
Corporate & Commercial Litigation
Shareholder disputes, breach of contract, and fraud recovery — argued to resolution or to verdict.
Employment & Labour
Wrongful dismissal, executive exits, and workplace investigations for employers and senior professionals.
Real Estate & Property
Commercial acquisitions, development agreements, and property disputes closed with certainty.
Estates & Trusts
Estate planning, administration, and contested-will litigation handled with discretion.
Regulatory & Compliance
Advisory and defence work before regulators, tribunals, and professional bodies.
Dispute Resolution
Mediation and arbitration when the courtroom is not the client's best result.
Selected results
The record speaks first.
Filter recent matters by practice area, outcome, or year. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome — but they show how we work.
Showing 10 of 10 matters
- 2024Corporate FraudSettlement recovered$8.4M
“Hartwell turned a devastating situation into a full recovery. Relentless, and worth every hour.”
— J. Mercer, CEO — private manufacturer - 2023Wrongful DismissalReinstatement + back pay24 months
“They understood what my career was worth and refused to let the other side lowball it.”
— Senior executive, financial services - 2023Commercial Real EstateContract voided, deposit returned$1.2M
“Clear counsel from day one. We knew exactly where we stood at every stage.”
— Development partner, GTA - 2022Shareholder DisputeBuyout secured$3.1M
“Calm, precise, and completely in control of the room. The result speaks for itself.”
— Minority shareholder, tech firm - 2024Executive SeveranceNegotiated exit package$920K
“A hard problem handled quietly and quickly. I never had to set foot in a courtroom.”
— Departing VP, healthcare group - 2022Development DisputeJudgment for owner at trial$2.7M
“They were the most prepared people in the room, every single day of trial.”
— Property owner, commercial development - 2021Contested EstateWill upheld at trial$4.6M estate
“A painful family matter handled with discretion and a steady hand throughout.”
— Estate trustee, private family - 2023Professional DisciplineLicence retained, complaint dismissedDismissed
“My career was on the line and they treated it that way. The complaint was dismissed in full.”
— Licensed professional, regulated sector - 2021Breach of ContractAward recovered in arbitration$5.9M
“Precise, commercial, and never wasteful. They understood the business, not just the law.”
— Managing director, logistics firm - 2020Human Rights ComplaintSettlement + policy change$310K
“The result mattered, but so did being heard. They achieved both.”
— Complainant, professional services
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Figures are illustrative of past matters and are not a prediction or promise of results in any future case.
Our lawyers
Senior counsel on every file — not handed down.
You work directly with the partner who takes your case. Request a confidential consultation with the lawyer whose practice fits your matter.
Marcus Hartwell
Managing Partner
Corporate & Commercial Litigation
Founder of the firm and lead trial counsel on its most consequential corporate matters — from shareholder disputes to eight-figure fraud recoveries.
Called to the bar, 1987
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Diane Kessler
Partner
Employment & Labour Law
Represents executives and employers through wrongful dismissal, restrictive-covenant, and human-rights matters — known for resolving before they escalate.
Called to the bar, 1999
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Julian Vance
Partner
Real Estate & Property
Advises on commercial acquisitions, development, and property disputes — closing complex transactions and unwinding the ones that go wrong.
Called to the bar, 2004
Request consultation →About the firm
Thirty-five years arguing the cases that matter — treated as if the outcome were our own.
Hartwell Legal Group · Est. 1987
Hartwell Legal Group was founded in 1987 on a simple premise: clients deserve senior counsel who treat their matter as if the outcome were their own. We have kept the firm deliberately small so that principle still holds.
From boardroom disputes to career-defining employment matters, our partners bring a trial-tested record and a reputation opposing counsel takes seriously.
Partner-led, always
The lawyer you meet is the lawyer who argues your case — no handoffs to junior associates.
Candid from day one
A straight assessment of your position and your odds, before you spend a dollar on strategy.
Built to resolve
We prepare every matter for trial — which is precisely why most of them settle on our terms.
Request a consultation
Tell us about your matter.
Share a few details in confidence and a partner will review your situation. Initial case assessments are reviewed personally by a senior partner.
- 390 Bay Street, Suite 2100 · Toronto, ON
- Mon–Fri · 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
- Submissions are confidential and without obligation.