2024 Best Lawyers Business Edition
The Global Issue

Alexander Demner is a partner practicing in the Vancouver office of Thorsteinssons LLP. Alexander’s practice covers several areas of taxation, including estate planning, pre-sale and divestiture structuring, owner-manager remuneration, taxpayer representation, and tax litigation. Alexander routinely advises on and implements reorganizations for individuals, trusts, and both private and public corporations in both the domestic and international context, and has overseen the successful re...

Asif Abdulla is a partner working out of the Vancouver office of Thorsteinssons LLP. He practices in the area of domestic and international tax planning for individuals, trusts, corporations and other private enterprises with a view to achieving tax efficiency across all aspects of his clients’ personal and business affairs. Asif’s practice is focused on advising individuals and businesses in respect of succession and estate planning, tax-driven corporate reorganizations, immigrat...

Brian R. Carr, LLB is of Counsel in Thorsteinssons’ Toronto office. He holds a B.Sc. (1970) and an LL.B. (1973) from the University of Toronto. Mr. Carr is a former Chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation, a Past-Chair of the National Taxation Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association and former Co-Chair and Member of the CBA/CICA Joint Committee on Taxation. He is a Past-Chair of the legislative subcommittee of the Taxation Section of the Ontario Bar Association. He is currently Co-Chai...

Colin Smith is a partner in the Toronto office of Thorsteinssons LLP. Colin’s practice covers all income tax matters relating to domestic and foreign business ventures and administrative appeals to the Canada Revenue Agency. However, Colin has a particular focus on the taxation of private corporations and estate planning for high net-worth clients. Colin is a frequent lecturer and contributor to various tax publications. Colin has published various articles in the Federated Press’...

David Baxter received his law degree from the University of Toronto and earlier graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of British Columbia. He was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1994. David’s practice focuses on tax planning for individuals, trusts and corporations in both domestic and international matters, including divisive reorganizations, estate planning, business structuring and sales, life insurance matters, foreign affiliates and cros...

David Christian is a graduate of Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia Law School and a partner of Thorsteinssons, Tax Lawyers. David’s practice covers all taxation matters, with a particular focus on corporate reorganizations and taxation of owner-managed businesses. David was for eight years an adjunct professor of corporate tax law at Allard Hall, the law school at the University of British Columbia. He was for many years a contributor to the tax materials fo...

David Davies is a partner practising out of the Vancouver office of Thorsteinssons LLP. David is a tax litigator who specializes in challenging adverse tax reassessments issued by the Canada Revenue Agency. David is one of the top creative tax problem solvers in the country. He zealously guards the interests of his clients to obtain the best result possible.

David Thompson received a B.Comm (1979) and LLB (1983) from the University of British Columbia. He was called to the bar in 1984 and has practiced exclusively in taxation matters since 1985. David is a registered trust and estate practitioner certified by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. David was a governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation. David is noted as a leading Canadian tax lawyer based on peer-review ratings in Lexpert and in Martindale Hubell. He is noted as a leading Ca...

Known for her strategic approach, honed advocacy skills, and breadth of tax knowledge, Becky Potter is a highly sought-after tax litigation partner at Thorsteinssons LLP. She has successfully represented her clients at every level of court both provincially and federally, including a landmark win at the Supreme Court of Canada. In addition to her in-court experience, she has extensive out-of-court experience negotiating favourable settlements for her clients. Becky is an active member of the ...

Florence Sauve is a partner in the Toronto office of Thorsteinssons LLP. Florence’s practice focuses on all aspects of taxpayer representation. She assists her clients in managing and resolving tax audit and appeal disputes and represents her clients before the courts. Florence has extensive experience in making representations to the federal and provincial tax authorities and successfully negotiating out of court settlements. She is currently working on a number of audits and appeals d...

Jim is the Managing partner of Thorsteinssons LLP and practices in the firm’s Toronto office. Jim’s practice includes both domestic and international corporate and personal tax planning, private corporations, trusts and estates. Jim also represents clients during audits and appeals with the Canada Revenue Agency. Jim is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the Canadian Tax Foundation. He is a member of and Past-Chair of the Taxation Section of the O...

John Gregory practices principally out of our Vancouver office. John’s practice focuses on personal and corporate taxation, estate planning, corporate reorganizations, and international tax planning. John advises a number of private business groups and high net worth families on tax matters. Their businesses are involved in various sectors including real estate development and investment, hospitality, agriculture and entertainment. John has served as a senior rulings officer with the Ca...

Kyle is a partner practicing in the firm’s Toronto office. Kyle’s practice focuses on Canadian tax planning for businesses, individuals, and trusts, with a particular emphasis on owner-managed businesses, cross-border issues, high net worth families, and professionals. He advises on all aspects of domestic and international tax law, including corporate structuring and reorganizations, private wealth and estate planning, business succession planning, immigration/emigration, purchas...

Marie-Eve Heming is a partner and practices in the firm’s Toronto office. Her practice encompasses all aspects of personal and corporate tax planning for a wide variety of clients, including private corporations and their owner-managers, public corporations, trusts, professionals, executives and high-net worth individuals, with a particular emphasis on corporate reorganizations, the structuring of investments and businesses, estate planning, business successions and immigration and emig...

Matthew Williams is a partner and practices in the firm’s Toronto office. Matthew’s practice focuses on all aspects of taxpayer representation. He has appeared before the Tax Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Ontario Superior Court and the Supreme Court of Canada on a wide range of issues. Matthew has extensive experience dealing with Canada’s general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) in both domestic and international contexts having su...

Michael McLaren is a partner working out of the Vancouver and Toronto offices of Thorsteinssons LLP. Michael’s practice focuses on corporate and international tax planning, regularly advising Canadian and foreign-based multi-national groups on a variety of matters, including: inbound and outbound investment and financing; mergers and acquisitions; divestitures; spin-offs; restructurings; and natural resource taxation. He also has considerable experience in handling tax controversy issue...