Best Lawyers in Ontario, Canada for Trusts and Estates
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 ...
Brian Cohen is a partner and lawyer in Gowling WLG’s global Private Client Services Group. Based in Toronto, he assists clients in the areas of estate planning, trusts and personal taxation, with a focus on advising high net worth individuals on succession planning alternatives. Brian also advises donors, charitable organizations, public and private foundations, and not-for-profit organizations regarding the tax implications of formation, registration, governance and planned giving stra...
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...
Victoria Winter is a partner in the firm’s Trusts and Estate Planning Group and a Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP) as designated by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Victoria practises in the areas of estate planning and succession including the preparation of Wills, Powers of Attorney and Trusts (domestic, international, Henson), corporate reorganizations, business succession planning, advising clients on methods in which to minimize income tax and estate adminis...
Matthew Rendely is a Partner and co-lead of the Estate Litigation practice group at Loopstra Nixon LLP. He practices exclusively in the areas of wills, estates, trusts, powers of attorney, guardianship, and capacity related litigation. Matthew is a strong and passionate advocate for his clients. He has successfully represented clients at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. Matthew’s expertise in estate litigation is widely recognized by his clients and colleagues...
Nicole Woodward practices in the area of trusts, estates, succession planning, and taxation in relation to those areas. She advises clients in all areas of domestic and complex cross-border estate and trust matters, including indigenous trusts, planning for high net worth estates, estate and trust administration, and the preparation of wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents. Nicole regularly counsels individuals regarding a variety of cross-border issues, including tax planning fo...
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...
David M. Lobl is a partner and litigation lawyer in Gowling WLG’s global Private Client Services Group. Based in Toronto, his practice is focused on litigious estate, trust and capacity matters, including estate administration, fiduciary, estate and capacity litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Recognized for his trusts and estates expertise by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers in Canada, David represents trust companies, government agencies, guardians of p...
Lorne H. Saltman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Lorne H., 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 Lorne H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Andrea McEwan is a Partner in the Wills, Trusts & Estates Practice Group at WeirFoulds LLP. Practising exclusively in the areas of wills, estates, trust, fiduciary and capacity-related litigation, Andrea possesses a deep knowledge of matters pertaining to passing of estate, attorney, guardian & fiduciary accounts, probate applications, guardianship issues, power of attorney disputes, and end-of-life and treatment decisions; and matters of elder law. Andrea represents a wide range of c...
David R. Schlesinger is a top lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. David R., who practices law in Toronto, Ontario, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. David has extensive experience advising clients on taxation matters in: corporate reorganizations, mergers a...
Brittany Sud’s practice focuses on estates and trusts, including both planning and administrative matters, as well as taxation as it relates to those areas. Brittany has developed and implemented cohesive estate plans for clients, reflecting their financial objectives and both short and long-term goals. She advises high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs and professionals on probate planning, income tax deferral and minimization strategies, family business succession planning, disabil...
Robert Martini is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates . Robert, who practices law in Markham, Ontario, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Ray Adlington is an experienced lawyer well versed in all areas of tax law. He has a robust practice with particular focus on corporate tax, commodity tax, and tax dispute resolution with the Canada Revenue Agency on behalf of taxpayers. Ray is a past four-year member of the joint Canadian Bar Association – CPA Canada Joint Committee on Taxation tasked with advising the Department of Finance (Canada) on tax policy and legislative drafting matters. He acts as counsel to private and publi...
Howard’s practice focuses on estate litigation, in-person and online mediation and arbitration of estates disputes, and all aspects of estate planning and administration. In addition to a busy estate litigation and mediation practice, Howard advises on wills and powers of attorney to middle and high net-worth individuals. Howard is passionate about the law. He has been Adjunct Professor of the Estates and Estate Litigation courses at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto since 1992, and ha...
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.