David W. Chodikoff, Certified Specialist (Taxation), LSO, B.A. (Spec. Hons.), M.A., LL.B., specializes in civil and criminal tax litigation. David was a former counsel and a Crown Prosecutor at the Department of Justice Canada. David has over 100 reported decisions and has appeared in over 570 cases before the courts. David has been recognized by Canadian, American and European authorities as one of the leading tax controversy leaders in the world. He has edited and contributed to nine tax books.
David is the recipient of numerous national and international awards including the 2018 Ontario Bar Association’s Award of Excellence in Taxation Law.
Presently, David is working on his 10th tax book: Tax Litigation Global Guide.
In 2019, David was relied upon for an expert opinion in tax litigation, under cross-examination, for a successful stay of proceedings in the Superior Court of Ontario pending the hearing of a tax appeal before the Tax Court of Canada [Kaye et al. v. Fogler Rubinoff et al. 2019 ONSC 1289 (CanLii)].
Professional achievements & leadership
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Tax Law, 2017 – 2024
- Leading Criminal Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, Corporate America Today, Annual Awards, 2024
- Tax Expert of the Year in Canada, Leaders in Law Global Awards, 2024
- International Tax Lawyer of the Year in Canada, Corporate INTL Global Awards, 2022, 2024
- Leading Criminal Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, M&A Global Awards, 2024
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, Canada, Gamechangers Global Award, 2022,2024
- Tax Controversy Leaders, The Comprehensive Guide to the World’s Leading Tax Controversy Advisers (World Tax, in association with International Tax Review), (Rated: Highly Regarded) 2013 – 2024
- The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – Litigation – Corporate Tax, 2024
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent® Rated lawyer. Practice Areas: Corporate Tax, Tax Litigation and Dispute Resolution; White Collar
- Criminal and Regulatory Enforcement Defense; Tax; and Litigation, 2013 – 2023
- Tax Lawyer of The Year – Canada, M & A Today – Global Awards, (United Kingdom), 2021-2023
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of The Year – Canada, M & A Today – Global Awards, (United Kingdom), 2021-2023
- International Tax Lawyer of the Year, The Lawyer Network, 2023
- Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year – Canada, Lawyer International – Legal 100 awards (United Kingdom), 2020, 2021, 2023
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year – Canada, Lawyer International – Legal 100 awards (United Kingdom), 2020, 2021, 2023
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, 2023, Global 100 Leading Criminal Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, 2023, Global 100 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – Corporate Tax Litigation, 2022-2023
- Tax Law Advisor of the Year in Canada, Corporate INTL Global Awards, 2022
- Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year, Canada, Gamechangers Global Awards, 2022
- Dispute Resolution of the Year- Canada, Corporate America Today, Annual Awards, (United Kingdom), 2022
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, Corporate America Today – Annual Awards, (United Kingdom), 2020, 2021, 2022
- International Tax Expert of the Year in Canada, Leader in Law Global Award (United Kingdom), 2021
- The Osgoode Certificate in Handling Summary Conviction Offence Cases, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, June 2021
- Leading Criminal Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year – Ontario – Canada, M & A Today – Global Awards, (United Kingdom), 2021
- Tax Advisor of the Year in Canada, Global Advisory Experts, (United Kingdom), 2021
- Dispute Resolutions Lawyer of the Year – Canada, Corp. Today, Global Business Awards, (United Kingdom), 2021
- Leading Criminal Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year 2019, Lawyer International – Legal 100 awards (United Kingdom), 2020, 2021
- International Tax lawyer of the Year in Canada, Corporate International Global awards, (United Kingdom), 2021
- Tax Law Advisor of the Year in Canada, Corporate International Global Awards, (United Kingdom), 2021
- International Tax lawyer of the Year- Canada, Corporate America Today, Annual Awards (United Kingdom), 2021
- Leading Criminal Taxation Litigation Attorney of the Year – Ontario, Acquisition International, 2021
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Litigation – Corporate Tax, 2020 – 2021
- Canada – Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year, 2020, ACQ5 Global Awards
- Canada – Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, 2020, ACQ5 Global Awards
- Tax Lawyer of the Year, Deal Markers Monthly, 2020
- Leading Criminal Tax Lawyer of the Year, Lawyer International, 2020
- International Tax Lawyer of the Year, Lawyer International, 2020
- Canada – Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, ACQ 5 Law Awards, (United Kingdom), 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
- Selected as Canada – Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year, ACQ 5 Law Awards, (United Kingdom), 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020
- International Tax Lawyer of the Year in Canada, Global Law Experts, 2020
- Individual – International Tax Lawyer of the Year – Canada, Lawyer International – Legal 100 awards, 2020
- Selected, Tax Expert of the Year In Canada, Leaders In Law – 2020 Global Awards, United Kingdom
Corporate International Magazine Global Award, International Tax Lawyer of the Year in Canada, 2019, 2020 - Tax Lawyer of the Year in Canada, InterContinental Finance & Law, 2019 Country Awards, 2019
- Tax Lawyer of the Year in Canada, DealMakers Global Awards, 2019
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year in Canada, Global Venture – Annual Awards, 2019
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year – Canada, Lawyer International Legal 100 Award, (United Kingdom), 2019
- Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year – Canada, Lawyer International Legal 100 Award, (United Kingdom), 2019
- Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year – Canada, M&A Today, Global Award, (United Kingdom), 2019
- Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year – Canada, M&A Today, Global Award, (United Kingdom), 2019
International Advisory Experts Award, Tax within Canada, 2019 Canada – - Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, ACQ Global Awards, (United Kingdom), 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
- Selected as Canada – Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year, ACQ 5 Global Awards, (United Kingdom), 2016 – 2019
- Acquisition International , the Voice of Corporate Finance- Recipient of the 2018 Global Excellence Award- Leading Criminal Tax
- Litigation Lawyer of the Year, Ontario, Canada, 2018
- Award of Excellence in Taxation Law, Ontario Bar Association, Taxation Section, 2018
- Recognized by Lawyer100 CANADA 2018© as a leading lawyer in the area of Tax Litigation
- Selected as Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year – Canada, Corporate Livewire Legal Awards (United Kingdom), 2015, 2016, 2018
- Corporate USA Today – Annual Awards – Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year in Canada, 2018
- Corporate USA Today – Annual Awards – Tax litigation Lawyer of the Year in Canada, 2018
- Selected as International Advisory Experts Award-Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year in Canada, 2018
- Selected as Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, Global 100, 2017
- Selected as a leading tax practitioner and included in the Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory, Litigation – Corporate Tax, 2013 – 2015, 2017
- Selected as Canada – Tax Litigation Lawyer of the Year, ACQ 5
- Global Awards, (United Kingdom), 2017
- Tax Litigation and Appeals Lawyer of the Year, Canada, Finance Monthly Tax Awards, 2017
- Lawyer of the Year – Civil & Criminal Tax, Lawyer Issue Awards, 2017
- Criminal and Civil Tax Litigation lawyer, International Advisory Experts 2017 Awards Winner
- Tax Litigation Advisor of the Year, Annual International Awards, The Global Business Magazine and The Professional Sector Network (United Kingdom), 2016, 2017
- Business Worldwide Legal Awards – “Best Tax Consultant, Canada-2016” (United Kingdom), 2016
- IAE Tax Litigation (Canada) award, 2016
- Finance Monthly Global Awards, sector winner, Tax, Canada, 2016
- Selected as, ACQ Law Awards (United Kingdom), 2015 Selected ascategory winner for Tax Law (Toronto, Canada), 2014 – 2015
- Honoured Lifetime Member, Montclair’s Who’s Who Among Legal Professionals in North America, 2010
- Department of Justice (Canada) Merit Award, 2003