The Legal 500 > Canada > Canada > Tax

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP fields a full-service tax practice, which benefits from specialist expertise in income tax, commodity tax, tax disputes, and pension and employee benefits. Although the group routinely teams up with its top-tier corporate practice in a transactional support role, it also secures a significant volume of standalone mandates, which recently included advising The Coca-Cola Company on the tax aspects of the sale of Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada to Kilmer Group; a transaction that was led by up-and-coming partner Jeffrey Shafer. Jeffrey Trossman heads the national team and advises on all aspects of income tax planning and tax dispute resolution. Robert Kopstein, who splits his time between Calgary and Vancouver, is a key contact for Western Canada-related matters, while Scott Wilkie heads the transfer pricing team. In 2018, Mark Tonkovich joined from Baker McKenzie to lead the tax litigation practice, following the departures of former tax litigation head Edwin Kroft QC and Vancouver-based tax litigator Deborah Toaze to Bennett Jones LLP.

McCarthy Tétrault’s practice is well weighted between transactional tax matters and tax litigation, with notable expertise in transfer pricing and commodity tax. The national group, which draws upon platforms in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal, is also distinguished by its strong experience in the financial services and energy sectors, as well as REITs transactions and cross-border mandates. A key figure in the practice group is Gabrielle Richards, who has a strong record advising banks, such as BMO and TD Bank, on capital markets transactions. Douglas Cannon advises on a range of M&A, reorganizations and financing transactions, and Chia-Yi Chua heads the tax disputes practice. The team was recently boosted by the arrival of Raj Juneja, who joined from AutoCanada.

Torys LLP’s first-class corporate and M&A practice generates a steady workflow of high-profile transactional tax matters. In particular, the team has notable expertise in advising pensions funds, financial institutions and energy corporations on big-ticket deals. Also fo note is the firm’s impressive cross-border capability and its ability to draw on its New York office for support in US-related work. Moreover, the team has recently advised outbound transactions involving Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. Toronto-based Corrado Cardarelli chairs the national tax practice and specializes in domestic and cross-border tax structuring. Other names in Toronto include Jerald Wortsman and tax litigation head Martha MacDonald.

Bennett Jones LLP’s signature energy offering has led the firm to develop expertise in natural resources taxation, with recent strong showings in oil and gas, power and mining-related matters. The group also has an impressive record in advising on the tax aspects of major corporate restructurings and cross-border transactions. Toronto managing partner Stephen Bowman is a key figure for transactional tax matters, while Calgary-based practice co-chair Darcy Moch is noted for his coverage of both corporate and personal tax planning. The firm also houses a dynamic tax litigation practice, which was recently boosted by the arrivals of high-profile litigator Edwin Kroft QC, who is based between the firm’s Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary offices, and Vancouver-based Deborah Toaze from Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Moreover, Calgary-based litigator Jehad Haymour recently joined from Dentons.

Norton Rose Fulbright provides a comprehensive tax service spanning tax planning, litigation and transactional support matters. The team sets itself apart through the size of its platform both nationally, where it can draw upon tax specialists throughout its six Canadian offices, and internationally, where it can plug into the wider firm’s 150-strong global tax group for support on multi-jurisdictional deals. The group is jointly led by Calgary-based transactional tax specialist Dion Legge and Montreal-based tax litigator Dominic Belley, and also includes Montreal-based Wilfrid Lefebvre QC, who is widely regarded as one of the country’s leading tax specialists.

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s transaction-driven tax practice acts for a varied client base, with a particular focus on the energy, life sciences and financial services sectors. Stephen Fyfe in Toronto is a key contact on the transactional front and brings to bear extensive experience in energy markets and investment funds. The firm also houses an increasingly active tax litigation practice, where Calgary-based Laurie Goldbach is the name to note.

Dentons’ tax team covers all the key areas of taxation in Canada, with notable experience in corporate transactions, indirect and sales taxes, resource taxation and trusts and estates. Well known for its solid litigation capability, the group frequently advises on transactional work, particularly in the energy, technology, entertainment and cannabis fields. In Toronto, up-and-coming partner Larry Nevsky handles a broad mix of advisory, tax planning and tax litigation matters, while Edmonton-based Mark Woltersdorf heads the national tax practice. Calgary-based litigator Jehad Haymour left to join Bennett Jones LLP.

Fasken’s global mining reputation places it in a strong position to advise on tax matters in the natural resources sector, including tax planning and international tax structuring. Toronto-based Christopher Steeves leads the group, which is also active in the financial services and private client spheres. In Montreal, Alain Ranger is noted for his skill sets in transactional and contentious tax issues.

Gowling WLG’s well-rounded national practice group has strengths in several core transactional areas, including private equity and real estate, with specialist offerings in transfer pricing, tax-effective executive compensation plans and indigenous taxation. Led from Toronto by tax litigator John Sorensen, the group also includes transactional tax partner Ash Gupta and executive compensation specialist Paul Carenza.

McMillan LLP has a broad national tax offering, with strong skill sets in the financial services and not-for-profit sectors. Additionally, the firm has a robust tax litigation practice, which routinely advises on the full range of audits, administrative appeals and court challenges. Michael Friedman, who has a strong record in the financial services sector, co-chairs the practice alongside Todd Miller, both of whom are based in Toronto.

Toronto-based Aird & Berlis LLP houses an effective tax practice, with significant experience advising on the tax aspects of securities and M&A transactions. Headed by Francesco Gucciardo, the tax team also advises on tax disputes and succession planning issues.

Complemented by its premier global tax platform, Baker McKenzie’s Toronto-based practice group specializes in advising multinational corporations on local and cross-border tax matters. The team advises on a range of issues from transfer pricing issues to dispute resolution, and is particularly sought after by clients in the automotive, manufacturing, natural resources and technology sectors. Tax litigator Jacques Bernier heads a department, and transactional specialist Peter Clark is another name to note.