Shira Kalfa is founder and principal lawyer at Kalfa Law. Shira’s practice is focused in corporate-commercial and private M&A law, including tax-driven corporate reorganizations, business establishment, equity funding, private placements, commercial financing, secured and unsecured lending, commercial leasing and contract law. Shira’s specialization in private M&A law has allowed her to work within a variety of industries ranging from construction to hospitality, education, manufacturing, health care, fitness, retail, wholesale, real estate and others, managing approximately 50+ business transactions a year. Shira specializes in serving small to medium-sized businesses with an enterprise value ranging from $1 million to $30 million.
With a history working in tax law, Shira also provides her clients with tax planning advice to minimize tax obligations, primarily for small business owners in the context of the sale or purchase of a small business. A particular focus of her work is within tax-driven corporate reorganizations and planning strategies such as section 85, 86, purifications, butterflies and the like.
Shira graduated from York University achieving the highest academic accolade of Summa Cum Laude in 2012. She graduated from Western Law in 2015, with a specialization in business law. After several years of experience in one of the largest firms in central Ontario, Shira opened her own law practice in 2018.
Shira has been invited to speak at the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminars which provide continuing education courses to lawyers on the topic of tax law in the context of private M&A transactions. Shira has been invited to speak at the International Business Brokers Association, Canada Division, in respect of the ongoing professional education of business brokers across Canada on the topic of transactional law.
Shira was nominated as Businesswomen of the Year and Kalfa Law Firm has been nominated as Small Business of the Year by Canadian SME National Business Awards in 2020. Kalfa Law Firm has been nominated for ‘Best Law Firm’ by the Toronto Star’s Reader’s Choice Awards in 2021.
Shira was twice nominated for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards as a Women of Influence in 2021 and again in 2023. The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards is the premier national awards program celebrating the achievements of the most successful women in Canada who have demonstrated excellence in their industries.
In 2023, Shira was recognized by Best Lawyers, One’s to Watch© for her high caliber work in corporate law. She was also featured in Canada’s Top 100 Professionals Magazine.
Shira was recognized as a ‘Lawyer to Watch’ in the Lexpert’s Rising Stars 2023 Awards© and is featured in the 2024 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
Shira has appeared on Newstalk 1010, and has been featured as a contributor in the Toronto Star, The Globe & Mail and the Hill Times. Shira’s articles have also been published in the Lawyers Daily, a lawyers news publication focusing on new developments in the law.
Shira is licensed to practice law by the Law Society of Ontario. She is also a member of the Ontario Bar Association, Women’s Law Association of Ontario, and the Toronto Jewish Law Society. Shira also sits on the board of various not-for-profit organizations.
Shira is an avid human rights advocate who donates a portion of the firm’s profits towards initiatives ameliorating women’s rights and alleviating domestic abuse. In her spare time, she runs after two little children, and enjoys running, yoga, meditation and walks in nature.
