Best Lawyers in Ontario, Canada for Trusts and Estates
Anne draws on her decades of broad experience in complex commercial litigation, real estate disputes, corporate governance challenges, professional liability matters and medical negligence cases. She also has experience in the areas of human rights and privacy law. Anne’s judgment is respected by her peers, and she is often retained as a mediator to settle disputes. She is a frequent lecturer at trust and estates conferences with the Law Society of Ontario, the Advocates Society and the...
Justin is the Principal of de VRIES LITIGATION LLP. Justin was a partner at Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (now Dentons LLP) and a partner and counsel at Hull & Hull LLP. He is the founder of allaboutestates.ca; a popular collaborative blog on estate and trust matters. Justin is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the Advocates’ Society, the Estate Planning Council of Toronto, and the Estate Planners’ Council of Halton. He has consistently been named ...
David is proud to represent the fourth generation of Mills to practice at the firm since its founding in 1884. He is a great-grandson of Alexander Mills, K.C., one of the founders of the firm, grandson of Ralph S. Mills, Q.C., and a son of J. Paul Mills, K.C. David served his articles with Mills & Mills LLP, joined the firm following his call to the Bar and became a Partner in 2006. David’s practice is focused on estate law. As an estate lawyer, David provides a comprehensive range ...
Pamela is a tax partner who focuses her practice on taxation, estate and trust planning, tax dispute resolution and voluntary disclosures of unpaid taxes. She regularly advises individuals and family enterprises on estate planning, including complex situations involving multi-jurisdictional assets or beneficiaries, philanthropy and gift planning. Pamela also advises both Canadian and international clients on taxation issues relating to establishing and operating business and investment struct...
Jacob began his legal career at one of the world’s largest law firms, practicing in the areas of estate and commercial litigation. He then focused exclusively on estate litigation at a well-known boutique firm, eventually becoming a partner, before joining Donovan Kochman LLP. Jacob has acted as section 3 counsel and appeared before various levels of court, including the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He is a knowledgeable and tenacious advocate who striv...
Aly provides solutions for complex private matters in the areas of Wills & Estates and Family Law, and he is particularly adept when these two distinct practice areas intersect. Whether a client experiences a death in the family, a separation from a spouse, or requires guardianship advice, Aly ensures that his clients’ interests are protected in a pragmatic and efficient manner. Aly understands the importance of prudent succession planning. Clients rely on him in the drafting of dom...
Megan Shortreed is a top lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative and Public Law, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law, Labour and Employment Law and Trusts and Estates. Megan routinely represents clients in corporate, commercial, employment, civil, and administrative litigation. She argues cases involving shareholder and partnership disputes, duties of directors and employees, trusts and estates, product liability, and other complex commerci...
Corina Weigl is Co-Leader of the Private Client Service group. Her practice is focused on estate and family business succession planning. She develops customized strategies for wills, trusts, and tools designed to protect a client's property, such as domestic contracts, Corina leverages legal and tax regimes to protect multi-jurisdictional property and family interests. She is also active in the Firm, having recently held the positions of Chair of the Firm’s Professional Development Com...
Clare Burns is a senior trusts and estates litigator. She served as the Children's Lawyer for the Province of Ontario from 2003 to 2008 pursuant to an Order-in-Council appointment. As the Children's Lawyer, Clare's office was responsible to investigate, advocate, protect and represent persons under the age of 18 in proceedings before the courts and tribunals of Ontario. In this role, she supervised more than 11,000 cases including variations of trust, will challenges, passings of accounts, gu...
Darren Lund’s practice is focused on a range of estate planning, estate administration, and private client service matters. Darren regularly assists clients with complex multiple will planning, family trusts, alter ego and joint partner trusts, marriage contracts, business succession, estate freezes, charitable gift and tax planning, planning for individuals with disabilities, cross-border planning, powers of attorney, and estate planning aspects of assisted reproduction and posthumous ...
Ambie Edgar-Chana is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Ambie, who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ambie is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
David Morgan Smith joined Rodney Hull, Q.C. and Ian Hull in their estate litigation counsel practice in September 1997. In August 1998, Rodney and Ian, together with David as associate, founded Hull & Hull. In January 2006, David became a partner of Hull & Hull LLP. David also maintains a mediation practice through Hull Estate Mediation Inc. David was an instructor at the Ontario Bar Admission Course (Estates and Trusts) from 1998 to 2005. He is a frequent guest lecturer for both Law ...
Heela Donsky Walker is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Heela Donsky, who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Heela Donsky is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Laura provides passionate and dedicated representation for clients who find themselves faced with death, financial vulnerability, or capacity concerns. Laura first became interested in estates law while clerking at the Ontario Superior Court in Toronto, where she worked on a variety of estates matters, from routine probate applications to more complex disputes. Since her call to the bar in 2015, Laura has practiced exclusively in the area of estates, trusts and capacity litigation, and has re...
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.