Insights
Notes from our lawyers on the corporate, real-estate and private-client matters we see most often in Toronto — written for principals, boards and families who prefer clarity to jargon.
Second marriages, adult children from prior relationships and jointly acquired property make blended-family estates among the most contested in Ontario. We set out the five drafting provisions — from dependant support releases to the timing of multiple wills — that most often determine whether an estate plan holds up or unravels.
Continue reading →The choice of vehicle affects tax treatment, which liabilities travel with the business, and how smoothly key employees and contracts carry over. We walk through the trade-offs buyers should weigh before a letter of intent is signed.
Continue reading →Renewal is the moment of greatest leverage for a tenant, yet most renewal notices are actioned without revisiting the underlying lease. We identify the six clauses — from operating cost caps to assignment rights — that reward a second look.
Continue reading →A well-structured secondary will can keep shares in a private corporation out of the probate process entirely. We explain when the strategy is appropriate, and the drafting precision it demands to withstand scrutiny.
Continue reading →The transition from founder to sibling ownership is where informal governance most often fails. We outline the shareholder agreement provisions and board practices that let a family business professionalize without losing what made it work.
Continue reading →Filing obligations under the federal Underused Housing Tax now extend well beyond the owners it was designed to target. We clarify who must file, the exemptions most commonly missed, and the penalties for filing late even when no tax is owed.
Continue reading →Expanded federal reporting rules now capture arrangements many did not consider trusts at all, including bare trustee holdings of real property. We outline who is affected and the disclosure now required annually.
Continue reading →Most shareholder agreements are signed in a spirit of goodwill and never reopened. We look at the shotgun clause, deadlock and valuation provisions that matter most once that goodwill is tested.
Continue reading →Assigning a pre-construction agreement of purchase and sale involves builder consent, HST considerations and closing mechanics that differ meaningfully from a resale transaction. We set out what purchasers should confirm before listing an assignment.
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