Best Canadian Tax Law Firms, Boutique | Canadian Lawyer Magazine
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Major boutiques flourishing in a elaborate tax regulation sector
Standing out in the competitive place of tax law is always a challenge. Nonetheless, this year’s Leading Tax Legislation Boutiques not only served their clients with excellence and professionalism, but they have also been making ready for and monitoring impending regulatory modifications.
Tara Benham, countrywide tax chief at Grant Thornton, spelled out that the true exam of currently being a standout company is “being identified by clientele, accountants, and other attorneys for their expertise”.
All Canadian Lawyer’s 10 best-in-class tax boutiques, the fifth version, drew rave reviews from survey respondents who incorporated referring firms, clientele, and team.
“[Tax complexity] will affect the long-phrase growth rate of men and women in the industry and which is likely to be a craze to continue to keep an eye on about the upcoming several years”

Tax legislation firms: Market insight
Thorsteinssons LLP, with workplaces in Toronto and Vancouver, has lengthy held the track record as just one of Canada’s leading tax law corporations, as obvious from the insight presented by Canadian Lawyer’s survey respondents. Their comments involved:
• “Simply the best tax lawyers”
• “Well-recognised specialists”
• “Top-tier tax lawyers”
• “They have the best bench energy in the country”
Other explanations offered by business insiders for the firm’s success had been “the size and scope of practice” and “their wide tax follow,” while a study respondent spelled out it was simply because of “their outstanding depth and superior tax litigation”.
Fellow awardee Morris Kepes Winters LLP was cited for “their 20-yr background as a tax boutique in the SME space”. A different respondent highlighted the firm’s means to “provide both of those tax preparing and tax litigation” and one consumer commented, “I identified the all round experience of their legal professionals and the get the job done exceptional”.
Other causes the Toronto-based mostly firm stood out between its peers were:
• “Strong partners who demonstrate a client-centric approach”
• “Very knowledgeable and knowledgeable practitioners”
• “Great litigators”
And their client, customized household builder Walden Houses, mentioned that the business “has a really stable knowledge of our business enterprise and provides innovative solutions”.
Millar Kreklewetz LLP was praised for carving out a worthwhile market for clientele and associates. The organization, which opened in 1991, was cited for:
• “Specializing in commodity and revenue taxes”
• “Specializing in customs and trade law”
• “Expertise in commodity law”
“The complexity and deficiency of clarity in these proposed (mandatory disclosure) rules are somewhat shocking”

Robert Winters, Morris Kepes Winters LLP
Vital to the firm’s award-successful status is its means to present sensible alternatives for complicated difficulties. The agency has skilled lawyers who now lead indirect tax tactics at some of the country’s biggest regulation and accounting corporations. Other respondents branded them “excellent lawyers” and vendors of “the best commodity tax advice”.
Found in the heart of Toronto’s money centre, TaxChambers LLP has also been regarded in the Prime 10 Tax Law Boutiques. It’s a compact follow that appeals to clientele with its on-need groups and is recognized for its 3 distinctive traces of tax products and services: litigation, organizing and implementation, and US tax advisory.
Two of TaxChambers’ attorneys had been personally cited by industry industry experts as the purpose why they operate with them:
• “David Piccolo is a genius”
• “[The firm has] pretty skilled and professional tax counsel. Vern Krishna, in individual, is an specialist in cash flow tax matters”
Yet another respondent added, “They give fantastic good advice and service”.
Benefit attraction of tax regulation corporations
As part of Canadian Lawyer’s survey, respondents have been asked to name the decisive element in choosing a organization.
Lawful industry experts opened up on why value for revenue is the most important variable. What’s very clear is that it’s not about being less expensive but giving a much better deal relative to charge.
• “McDonald’s is the major cafe in the world, but it does not make the most effective burger. Small boutiques do not have to cave to billing force and can supply much more professional bono function and be additional cost effective”
• “Specialized awareness and much better expertise deliver much more value-effective results”
• “Greater topic make a difference experience without the need of the high quality pricing”
“As a tax lawyer, we’re frequently battling the government’s endeavor to tax, so it’ll be more work for us, and additional challenges for everyday people out there and modest- to medium-sized businesses”

Robert Kreklewetz, Millar Kreklewetz LLP
A storm is brewing for tax regulation corporations
As the foremost exponents in their area, the major tax legislation boutiques are laying the groundwork for the federal government’s proposed laws about necessary disclosure regulations.
Aimed at helping the Canada Revenue Company (CRA) clamp down on what it views as aggressive tax scheduling strategies, the modification to the Revenue Tax Act would involve attorneys and other advisors, in addition to the taxpayer, to report notifiable transactions.
“It’s really obvious that in spite of the professed motivation from each stakeholder conceivable to simplify the tax code, it is decidedly relocating in the other course,” states Alexander Demner, a lover in the Vancouver office of Thorsteinssons. “It will have an impact on the extensive-time period development rate of folks in the business, and which is going to be a trend to keep an eye on above the next numerous many years.”
Robert Winters, a husband or wife at Morris Kepes Winters, calls the proposed rule-modify routine “relatively Draconian”.
The firm’s attorneys have decades of encounter as tax litigators and tax planners. That working experience provides them the specialized knowledge required to advocate for clients in disputes with the CRA and to symbolize purchasers right before the courts.
“The complexity and absence of clarity in these proposed guidelines are rather surprising,” suggests Winters. “It’s likely to be specifically tough on more compact law companies and other advisors that could not have the information or sophistication to offer with or entirely realize their obligations.”
In short, Winters notes that the European Union Courtroom of Justice (EUCJ) in December 2022 dominated towards a circumstance, which demands taxpayers and other intermediaries, such as attorneys, to report sure cross-border tax scheduling arrangements to governmental authorities.
“Canadian law has incredibly strong protection for solicitor-consumer privilege,” states Winters. “The EUCJ conclusion was prompted by a obstacle from lawyers’ experienced businesses in Belgium. It would feel to deliver a roadmap for similar problems from Canadian legislation societies.”
Tax legislation firms’ silver lining
By most accounts, 2023 and outside of are predicted to be what tax and trade attorney Robert Kreklewetz of Millar Kreklewetz phone calls “up years”.
“I really do not see how the authorities can maintain investing the revenue they’re spending devoid of also placing a burden on the taxes, which usually means elevated taxes,” he describes. “As a tax law firm, we’re typically fighting the government’s endeavor to tax, so it’ll be a lot more work for us, and more troubles for everyday people out there and smaller- to medium-sized businesses.”
When taxpayers are faced with a tax assessment, it is like a no-gain condition, remarks Kreklewetz.
“You’ve got to struggle it it can take time, revenue, and human emotional nervousness to get by way of all that to have your day in courtroom or get entry to justice,” he states. “A struggle with the CRA is like currently being in a tiny home with an elephant. The CRA is the elephant, and they’ve got the Division of Justice proper there with them. So, you’ve acquired two elephants, and any way they transform, you’ve bought to be steering clear of them.”
In accordance to Vitaly Timokhov, a spouse at Toronto’s TaxChambers, the tax system operates well total.
“It’s a healthful competitiveness in a way,” he claims, of the tug-of-war involving taxpayers’ economic well-remaining and prosperity and the authorities trying to obtain as a great deal earnings as attainable in just the authorized framework.
Intergenerational transfers of small enterprise shares are top rated of head for Timokhov, and his want for the foreseeable future is that the federal federal government focuses on producing a additional pleasant environment for that to occur.
All that being explained, Victoria, BC-based mostly Dwyer Tax Regulation husband or wife Blair Dwyer contends it’s starting to be extra hard to give people today suggestions they can count on.
“The craze had been to attempt to make it so that men and women knew the procedures, but now we seem to be heading the opposite way, back to a program where by there appears to be to be an terrible whole lot of discretionary ability just due to the fact the provisions are so unclear,” suggests Dwyer.
“That’s a danger, folks are heading to get rid of religion in the technique due to the fact it’s so difficult and tough to comply,” he adds.
The legal professionals at Dwyer Tax have extensive and diverse practical experience. They function carefully with their clients’ other advisers to acquire principled answers tailored to the condition at hand. By involving the other advisers, the consequence is much more probably to address the long-time period demands of the shopper.
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- Barsalou Lawson Rheault LLP
- Counter Tax Litigators
- Felesky Flynn LLP
- Legacy Tax + Have faith in Attorneys
- Millar Kreklewetz LLP
- Moodys Tax Regulation
- Morris Kepes Winters LLP







Canadian Law firm’s fifth edition of its Leading Tax Regulation Boutiques survey asked legal professionals, in-household counsel, and clients throughout the nation to decide on the tax law boutiques that represented the best in class in 2022. For the study, which took location from October 31 to November 25, 2022, respondents have been requested to rank firms from a long record presented. They were being also specified the selection of including a agency not included in that record. Standards deemed bundled regional provider coverage, customer foundation, notable mandates, service excellence and authorized abilities of the corporations.
To qualify, firms were being necessary to derive at least 80 percent of their do the job from tax law and have more than one lawyer in this observe area. In overall, 189 ballots ended up received, casting votes for 14 candidates on Canadian Attorney’s list. Closing rankings ended up established by a points technique in which corporations were being rewarded on a sliding scale for the variety of initially-to-tenth-put votes obtained. Voters had to rank a minimum amount of five firms.
The quantitative outcomes were being put together with the Lexpert peer survey outcomes wherever relevant and opinions from revered senior customers of the bar.
