These were the best corporate tax lawyers in Toronto based on Lexpert’s 2021 peer review. For the most recent complete list, click here for the best corporate tax lawyers and law firms in Ontario.
Corporate tax law is the branch of legal profession governing systems of taxation used for taxing incorporated entities, including businesses, financial institutions and not-for-profit organizations.
Most recommended corporate tax lawyers in Toronto
Firoz Ahmed
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1986
Firoz Ahmed is a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, a full-service business firm with a more than 400-strong pool of lawyers. As one of Canada’s leading corporate tax lawyers, Ahmed specializes in the taxation of mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, debt restructurings and partnership arrangements. He is also well-versed in international taxation. Ahmed has written articles and presented papers on several income tax subjects for the International Tax Review, Journal of International Taxation, Canadian Tax Journal, Canadian Tax Foundation and the Tax Executives Institute. He has been seconded to the rulings directorate of Revenue Canada, Taxation as a senior rulings officer in the corporate reorganizations section.
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Monica E. Biringer
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1986
Monica E. Biringer is the co-chair of the national tax group at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where she is also a partner. She specializes in disputes. Her practice involves all aspects of corporate income tax, with an emphasis on tax disputes, mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Biringer is recognized as among Ontario’s top corporate tax lawyers and boasts extensive experience in cross-border mergers, inbound corporate financing and acquisitions, leasing as a form of financing and financial restructuring. She is also an expert in tax controversy. Biringer was co-counsel on the first case involving the general anti-avoidance rule (GAAR) to reach the Supreme Court of Canada and the first GAAR cases in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. She is an author and speaker at conferences on various Canadian tax matters and is on the editorial board for the Federated Press, a corporate finance periodical.
Douglas A. Cannon
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called of the Bar: 1981
Douglas A. Cannon serves as counsel at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Toronto office. He devotes his practice to income tax law, with an emphasis on Canadian and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations. Cannon advises clients on financings, taxation of investment funds, pension fund investing and the tax aspects of business operations, including transfer pricing. He also represents clients before the Canada Revenue Agency and the Department of Finance. A respected corporate tax lawyer, Cannon as authored papers and articles on a variety of income tax subjects. His firm is one of Canada’s leading full-service business law firms.
Corrado Cardarelli
Law firm: Torys LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1983
Corrado Cardarelli is the chair of Torys LLP’s tax practice. He is also a partner at the full-service business law firm. He specializes in corporate, partnership, trust, foreign and general business taxation and recognized as one of the best corporate tax lawyers in Ontario. His practice involves structuring domestic, cross-border and international business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, financings, reorganizations and other business restructurings. Cardarelli boasts extensive experience in structuring collective investment vehicles with domestic, tax-exempt and foreign investors, including REITs and structured products, many of which involve Canadian and US cross-border aspects. He was also instrumental in designing Canadian income funds, cross-border income funds and analogous products, including US income securities products. Cardarelli is a frequent speaker on tax matters at the Canadian Tax Foundation’s annual conference and other conferences.
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R. Ian Crosbie
Law firm: Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1988
R. Ian Crosbie is a senior tax partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. He draws on more than 25 years of experience as a leading corporate tax lawyer to advise clients on a wide range of domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, structuring, financings and financial products. Known for his expertise across diverse industries, clients rely on Crosbie for ongoing strategic and general tax advice. He advises Canada-based multinationals on international tax matters and assists corporations with their reorganization and restructuring activities. Crosbie also advises private equity fund clients on fund formation and investments. He is a member of the executive committee of the Canadian Bar Association and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada Joint Committee on Taxation. He is also a frequent speaker and writer on a range of tax topics. His firm specializes in high-stakes and complex matters.
Paul J. Gibney
Law firm: Thorsteinssons LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991 (BC); 1994 (ON)
Paul J. Gibney is a partner at Thorsteinssons LLP, one of Canada’s largest tax firms. He devotes his practice to personal, corporate and trust planning for high-net-worth individuals, family offices, executives, owner–managers and their businesses, both domestic and international. His practice includes corporate reorganizations, estate planning, purchases and sales of businesses, immigration and emigration, non-profit organizations and charities. Gibney also represents taxpayers in their dealings with the Canada Revenue Agency in the context of audits, appeals and voluntary disclosures. A leading corporate tax lawyer, he is a sought-after speaker for a several conferences on tax matters. Gibney also served as an instructor for the bar admission course at several law institutes.
Raj Juneja
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2002 (ON); 2004 (ON)
Raj Juneja is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP. He boasts more than 18 years of experience guiding clients through evolving tax environments in foreign and domestic markets. Juneja serves as an advisor that provides creative solutions in a way clients can understand and is one of Canada’s most prominent corporate tax lawyers. He advises clients in complex tax problems and works closely with leading private and public companies, pension funds and private equity firms on all aspects of their domestic and international tax planning. Juneja has extensive experience in corporate finance, capital markets, REITs, private equity, hedge funds, derivatives, domestic and cross-border reorganizations, and mergers and acquisitions. He also serves as a principal tax adviser to many leading Canadian companies.
Dean Kraus
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1996
Dean Kraus is a partner at Stikeman Elliott LLP’s tax group. He devotes his practice to all aspects of income taxation in corporate and commercial transactions, including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, spin-offs, private equity investments, financings, REITs, partnerships and joint ventures. A leading corporate tax lawyer, Kraus currently serves as a governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation and is a member of the American Bar Association, International Bar Association and International Fiscal Association. He has written and spoken on a variety of matters, including M&A, partnerships and foreign investment entities. His firm is one of Canada’s largest business law firms, with offices in New York, London and Sydney.
John G. Lorito
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1987
John G. Lorito heads the tax group and is a member of the management committee at Stikeman Elliott LLP’s Toronto office. He devotes his practice to general income tax, with an emphasis on corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, investment funds, REITs and international tax planning. Lorito has acted as counsel on federal and provincial income tax appeals before the Federal Court of Appeal and the Ontario Court (General Division). Lorito was previously an adjunct professor teaching corporate tax at the University of Toronto and a lecturer teaching advanced tax planning at Western University. He has been a seminar leader in the business law section of the Ontario bar admission course and in-depth tax course of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA). He is recognized as one of Ontario’s leading corporate tax lawyers.
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Patrick W. Marley
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1997 (ON); 2004 (New York)
Patrick W. Marley is the co-chair of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP’s tax group. He advises clients on tax issues associated with international tax planning, domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, corporate and various other tax matters. Marley boasts extensive experience representing clients in various industries, including financial services, mining, oil and gas, telecommunications, manufacturing and technology. As a leading corporate tax lawyer, he has appeared before the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance and the Canadian Senate Banking Committee as an expert on international tax matters. Marley has also worked in the Canadian Department of Finance, where he was extensively involved in drafting legislation and formulating tax policy related to foreign affiliates, foreign source income and foreign investments. He is a contributing editor for Tax Management Business Operations in Canada and is a regular contributor to Tax Management International Journal.
Al Meghji
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1990 (ON); 1995 (AB)
Al Meghji is the head of the tax controversy practice at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. He is also a partner at the firm and one of Ontario’s top corporate tax lawyers. Meghji appears frequently in the courts for leading Canadian and multinational corporations. He has argued several landmark tax cases, including the first GAAR case and the first transfer pricing case in the Supreme Court of Canada. Meghji is a chartered accountant and a former counsel at the Department of Justice.
Gabrielle M.R. Richards
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1982
Gabrielle M.R. Richards is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Toronto office. As a leading corporate tax lawyer, she specializes in tax implications of mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, corporate finance and other general corporate tax matters. Richards is a frequent speaker on taxation matters. She is also an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and past chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation.
Mitchell J. Sherman
Law firm: Goodmans LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1989
Mitchell J. Sherman is a partner at Goodmans LLP, one of Canada’s leading full-service business law firm. He devotes his practice to corporate and commercial transactions, including equity and debt financings, acquisitions, divestitures, syndications, reorganizations, structured products, investment funds and international tax planning. Sherman is recognized as among Ontario’s top corporate tax lawyers and has authored numerous papers and is a regular contributor to the Corporate Finance Tax Journal and the International Taxation Journal. He is also a frequent speaker on income tax matters. Sherman has presented seminars to senior Canada Revenue Agency officials on advanced corporate reorganizations and partnerships.
Carrie B.E. Smit
Law firm: Goodmans LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1992
Carrie B.E. Smit is a partner and the head of the tax group at Goodmans LLP. She specializes in corporate and commercial transactions, cross-border mergers, corporate reorganizations, domestic and international debt financings, debt restructurings and private equity investments. A leading corporate tax lawyer, Smit has authored many papers on income tax matters and is a frequent speaker at conferences. She has been appointed as a member of the executive of the joint committee on taxation of the Canadian Bar Association and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. Smit is also a member of the Council of International Fiscal Association Canada.
Paul Stepak
Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2001
Paul Stepak is the national practice group leader of the tax group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. He is also a partner at the full-service business law firm. Stepak focuses on corporate and partnership income taxation. He advises clients on domestic and cross-border income tax planning, including public and private mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, corporate reorganizations, financings and the taxation of mutual funds, partnerships and other investment vehicles. Cross-border inbound structuring is also a significant component of his practice. Stepak boasts extensive experience in assisting clients with the resolution of Canadian federal and provincial tax audits and appeals at all stages. He has written articles and spoken at different venues regarding cross-border and domestic tax issues and is recognized as one of Ontario’s top corporate tax lawyers.
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John J. Tobin
Law firm: Torys LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1989
John J. Tobin is a partner at Torys LLP. He solves tax problems covering transactional work, planning and counsel roles, and tax controversy and transfer pricing for many of Canada’s largest business and financial institutions. Tobin also represents multinational and Canadian businesses in tax matters, including tax structuring, international transactions, transfer pricing, tax controversy, corporate finance, derivatives, securitization and mergers and acquisitions. He represents clients in domestic and cross-border transactions, infrastructure, energy, public–private partnerships, financial products, lending and securitizations, income funds, managed assets and leasing. As a leading corporate tax lawyer, Tobin boasts extensive experience in federal and provincial income tax, international tax, sales and use tax, good and service tax and harmonized sales tax. He also teaches international tax at Osgoode Hall Law School.
Jeffrey C. Trossman
Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991
Jeffrey C. Trossman serves as senior counsel in Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP’s tax group, after serving as national practice group leader for more than 15 years. He is also a partner at the firm and one of Ontario’s top corporate tax lawyers. Trossman provides strategic tax advice on domestic and cross-border transactions and assists clients in managing tax audits and resolving tax disputes at all levels in the audit and appeal process. He is widely known and respected by advisers and governmental officials in the Canadian and international tax communities. Trossman is a past chair of the national taxation section of the Canadian Bar Association and a past co-chair of the joint committee on taxation of the Canadian Bar Association and Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.
Jerald M. Wortsman
Law firm: Torys LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991
Jerald M. Wortsman is a partner at Torys LLP. He specializes in domestic and international corporate tax planning, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations and corporate finance. As a leading corporate tax lawyer, Wortsman has substantial experience advising domestic and foreign financial institutions. He has advised on a number of Canadian and cross-border acquisitions, divestitures and restructurings, and a number of inbound and outbound investments and multinational group structures. Wortsman has also advised on the structuring and issuance of various financial instruments and other capital markets activity. Wortsman is a frequent lecturer and author of several papers on a range of tax topics.