Best Lawyers in Canada for Trusts and Estates

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 ...

Craig is a partner in our Trusts & Estates and Litigation Groups and is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law. His practice includes all aspects of estate, trust, capacity, fiduciary and power of attorney disputes and litigation for clients consisting of individuals, trust companies, government agencies and other organizations. Craig provides counsel on, amongst other things, the rights and obligations of estate trustees, estate trustees du...

Katharine Zhang is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trusts and Estates. Katharine, who practices law in Calgary, Alberta, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Katharine is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Caroline Abela specializes in complex business and estate litigation matters. Focusing on commercial and corporate litigation and estates and trusts litigation, Caroline represents clients ranging from large corporations and institutions to small business owners and professionals. Caroline has appeared as counsel before all levels of courts in Ontario and the Federal Court of Canada. Caroline has been named in the Who’s Who Legal for Asset Recovery and in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Dire...

Jules Charette practises tax law. He regularly advises businesses, developers, public bodies and financial institutions on the tax aspects of financings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, executive compensation and international transactions. Mr. Charette also represents taxpayers in disputes with the tax authorities. In addition, he advises individuals on estate planning, which has led him to develop expertise in trusts and estates. Mr. Charette is co-chair of our Canadian tax team ...

Jim is both a lawyer and a Chartered Professional Accountant, CA. Prior to attending law school, Jim qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Touche Ross (now, Deloitte), an international firm of Chartered Accountants in Montréal, Quebec. He began his legal career in Calgary in 1981 with Ballem McDill & MacInnes (now, Gowling WLG). Prior to joining Carbert Waite LLP in 2007 as Associated Counsel, Jim practiced tax and corporate law with the Calgary office of the national law firm, ...

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...

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.

Rick Breen is a highly-experienced lawyer assisting his clients with practical advice on structuring their corporate and personal matters. He has worked with owner managers to establish, grow and ultimately transition businesses for over 20 years. Additionally, Rick’s experience with personal planning allows him to ensure the personal affairs of his clients are in order. Rick provides pragmatic advice and counsel in acting for owner managers and their families to address risk and planni...

M. Elena Hoffstein, FEA, has a practice focused in all areas of estate planning, family business succession planning, corporate reorganization both pre and post mortem planning. She also advises on cross border and international matters, will, trusts and marriage contracts. Elena is also a recognized leader in charity law advising both charities and donors on effective legislative, tax and regulatory matters and on tax effective charitable gifting. Elena frequently advises clients on family b...

Ben Hudson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Tax Law and Trusts and Estates. Ben, who practices law in Calgary, Alberta, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ben is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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 ...

Pia Hundal is a partner in Miller Thomson LLP's Litigation and Dispute Resolution group, with a practice that focuses on estate and trust litigation, including will challenges, will interpretation, passing of accounts applications, dependent’s support claims, power of attorney disputes, guardianships, trust litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Pia also acts as a mediator in estates disputes. Prior to joining Miller Thomson LLP, Pia practiced family law, estates and civil litig...

Emma Ferguson is a member of our Wills, Estates + Trusts Practice Group. Emma has a broad wills, estates and trusts practice. She advises clients on all aspects of estate and incapacity planning, including wills, alter ego, joint partner and family trusts, powers of attorney and healthcare representation agreements. Emma has experience assisting clients with disabilities or their family members with planning to protect government disability benefits and advises clients on adult guardianship m...

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...

As our most senior estate and trust litigator, Mark gives strategic direction to some of the most complex estate files, representing both individual and institutional clients, including personal Executors and Trustees, trust companies, non-profit organizations, charities and committees. Mark excels at moving files through the “litigation pipeline” with perseverance based on an extensive knowledge of the law and hard-fought experience. Services Wills variation claims Passing of Exe...