Best Lawyers in British Columbia, Canada for Trusts and Estates
Michael works exclusively with the social impact sector, advising charities, not-for-profit organizations, associations, professional bodies, clubs, and social enterprises. With 15 years’ experience, Michael advises sector organizations on a variety of tax and legal matters: Creation: Incorporation and structuring, charity registration applications, organizational start-up. Tax Compliance: Obligations under the Income Tax Act, including charitable purposes and activities, granting, fund...
Sarah Fitzpatrick’s practice focuses on the areas of charities and not-for-profits. She provides general advice to these clients, to assist them in carrying out their missions and mandates. Sarah counsels charities and not-for-profit clients on governance matters, tax and regulatory compliance, social enterprise and gift planning. She also assists clients with general corporate legal matters including major business contracts, transactions and restructuring. Sarah's practice is recogniz...
Mary Hamilton, K.C. is a Partner in the firm’s Wills, Estates + Trusts and Charities + Non-Profit Practice Groups. Mary has extensive experience in matters relating to wills, trusts and estate administration. She has held senior positions with various wills, estates and trusts groups in Vancouver and was named Vancouver Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers ® in Canada in 2011, 2017 and 2021. Mary has over 30 years of experience advising clients about t...
A. Brent Kerr KC is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. A. Brent practices law in Vancouver, British Columbia Best Lawyers has recognized A. Brent Kerr KC since 2020. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which A. Brent Kerr KC is held by other lawyers.
Annie Chen is a wills, estates, trusts and corporate lawyer in Vancouver advising clients on wealth management, estate planning and personal and corporate tax planning. Annie works collaboratively with clients and their advisors and focuses on providing creative, practical and cost-effective personal planning and corporate planning structures to meet clients’ planning/succession needs and objectives while minimizing risks and taxes. A trusted advisor to personal and corporate clients, i...
Eric Clavier is a trusts and estate litigation lawyer in Fasken’s Vancouver office, assisting clients with resolving contentious matters related to wills, trusts, undue influence and incapacity claims, committeeship applications, unjust enrichment claims, breach of fiduciary duties cases, abuse of powers of attorney claims, breach of trust claims, and passing of accounts. Providing innovative solutions to disputes arising from estate planning, wills, trusts and personal documents, Eric&...
Andrea Frisby is a Partner in the Private Wealth Group at Farris LLP in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her practice focuses on trusts and estates, including estate and trust planning, estate administration, and succession planning for individuals and families. Andrea advises clients on the preparation of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, representation agreements, and other testamentary instruments tailored to their personal, family, and business objectives. Andrea also assists executors, trus...
Rose’s deep and abiding care for her clients and their families is a hallmark of her practice. Rose is brings more than 15 years of experience to her practice, which is primarily focused on assisting families and businesses with their planning, succession and reorganization, estate, and business needs. She strives to make life’s inevitabilities, death and taxes, less daunting a topic for clients while being alert to the complications these raise from a legal, family, tax, probate ...
Tim advises clients on estate management, wealth preservation, business succession, and corporate law. His practice focuses on developing tailored estate and succession plans that support long-term personal and business goals, often involving complex cross-border considerations. Working closely with U.S. legal and tax specialists, Tim regularly assists Canadians with U.S.-based estate planning and Americans with their Canadian-based estate planning. He also has specialized experience in life ...
Aaron Pearl is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Trusts and Estates. Aaron practices law in Vancouver, British Columbia Best Lawyers has recognized Aaron Pearl since 2026. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Aaron Pearl is held by other lawyers.
Isabel Romeral is a Partner at Farris LLP in Vancouver, British Columbia, practising in the areas of Trusts and Estates, estate planning, estate administration, and trusts. She advises individuals, families, executors, administrators, trustees, and beneficiaries on a wide range of estate and trust matters, including probate and the administration of estates and trusts. Isabel assists clients with estate and incapacity planning and prepares wills, powers of attorney, representation agreements,...
Dwight Dee, TEP, has a business law and estates and trusts practice with a focus on private client services. Dwight works with individuals and families in the areas of estate and incapacity planning, trusts, succession planning, and elder law matters. Dwight also has extensive experience in all aspects of business law. Dwight regularly assists clients with the preparation of wills, enduring powers of attorneys, family trusts, alter ego and joint spousal trusts, and healthcare representation a...
Riley Burr's practice largely focuses on commercial tax work. Riley also advises clients on GST, PST and property transfer tax issues in the corporate, charitable and real estate sectors, both in structuring designed to minimize taxes as well as in handling administrative appeals, ruling requests and voluntary disclosures relating to such taxes. Riley also works with high-net-worth individuals with significant private company interests in a wide variety of industries to structure their affair...
Nikki Hildebrand, a partner with our private wealth, trusts and estates team, concentrates on estate planning, trusts and incapacity matters, with a focus on family business succession planning and corporate reorganizations. She has a deep understanding of complex estate planning and works with clients and their advisors to develop and implement comprehensive and tailored estate plans that meet each family’s unique circumstances and needs, including preparing wills, powers of attorney a...
Chris, a Partner in the Business Law Group at Watson Goepel, has been recognized since 2025 Best Lawyers awards for his exceptional work in Trusts and Estates. His extensive practice includes all aspects of estate planning, such as probate and administration applications, wills, powers of attorney, representation agreements, and committee ship applications. Chris is also adept at establishing and managing various types of trusts, including alter ego trusts, joint spousal trusts, and disabilit...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.
