- Bio
- Awards & Recognition
- Professional Involvement
- Selected Speaking Engagements
- Selected Publications
- Insights
- Education
Understanding both the financial and personal elements of a family is essential to ensuring that a client’s estate plan reflects their unique circumstances. Marni works closely with her clients to provide them with practical, thoughtful advice regarding their estate plan.
Clients appreciate Marni’s strong relationship-building skills and reputation as a thought-leader, and trust her because they are comfortable confiding in her and confident in her ability to advise them effectively. As Co-Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Tax Group and Estates & Trusts Group, and a member of the Estates & Succession Planning Group, Marni’s practice focuses on estate, income tax and succession planning, including cross-border planning, planning to reduce estate administration tax (formerly known as probate fees), the preparation of wills, powers of attorney and trusts, and assisting with estate administration. Additionally, Marni advises clients on how to reduce personal and corporate tax, including the effective use of a family trust.
Marni offers thoughtful and effective planning for clients ranging from young families who are just starting out to multi-generational families who are looking for effective ways to transition assets to the next generation. Marni enjoys navigating the complexities that arise in complicated and layered family structures, such as the dynamics that are present in blended families. Marni also has significant experience with cross-border planning for clients who have U.S. or other foreign connections.
Marni frequently writes and speaks on topics involving tax, estate planning and business succession planning for audiences such as insurance and financial advisers, accountants, professionals, and fellow lawyers.
Awards & Recognition
- Recipient of the 2023 Hoffstein Book Prize (OBA Trusts & Estates Section)
- Trust and Estate Practitioner designation (TEP)
- Recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of Estate & Personal Tax Planning
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada for her expertise in Trusts and Estates
- 2022 Lexpert Rising Star: Canada's Leading Lawyers Under 40
Professional Involvement
Memberships
- OBA Trusts and Estates Section, Chair
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Canada Education Committee
- STEP Toronto Executive, Program Chair
- Law Society of Ontario
- Canadian/Ontario Bar Association, Member of Estates and Trusts Section and Tax Section
- Canadian Tax Foundation
Selected Speaking Engagements
Speaker, "What's New in Taxpayer Reporting," CALU's Advanced Education Symposium, November 8, 2023.
Chair, The 2023 Osgoode Intensive Program in Wills & Estates.
Speaker, "Intensive Skills Workshop: Will Drafting," The 2023 Osgoode Intensive Program in Wills & Estates, March 27, 2023.
Speaker, "Estates and Family Law," 17th Family Law Summit, March 23, 2023.
Speaker, "Update on Probate Planning: New Reporting Requirements for Bare Trusts," Aird & Berlis Webinar, March 15, 2023.
Moderator and Co-Chair, "Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship," Jewish Foundation and UJA Women’s Philanthropy, January 21, 2021.
Speaker, "Estate & Family Tax Planning 101," UJA Federation of Greater Toronto Webinar, November 16, 2020.
Speaker, "Estate Planning 101: The Importance of Understanding your Estate Plan,” Women and Justice Speaker Series, National Council Of Jewish Women Of Canada, September 30, 2020.
Speaker, "Estate Planning in Unprecedented Times," Aird & Berlis Webinar, Apr 30, 2020.
Speaker, "Best Practices for Virtual Witnessing of Wills and Powers of Attorney," OBA Trusts & Estates Law Program, April 17, 2020.
Speaker, "Top Ten Legal Lessons Learned for Private, Owner-Manager and Family Businesses," Aird & Berlis Webinar, Nov 21, 2019.
Panellist, “Women in Philanthropy,” UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, March 27, 2019.
Speaker, "Estates Law Update," Aird & Berlis Webinar, April 4, 2017.
Program Chair, "Strategic Estate Planning Considerations," OBA Professional Development series, September 30, 2016.
Speaker, "Disclaiming, Renouncing, Retiring and Removing: How to Get Rid of a Trustee" - OBA Trusts & Estates Section Program, September 25, 2012.
Speaker, "Joint Retainers, Client Conflicts and the Estates Practitioner" - OBA Trusts & Estates Sections Program, February 28, 2012.
Speaker, "Capacity Assessments" - OBA Trusts & Estates Section Program, April 13, 2011.
Co-presenter with Melanie Yach, “Top 10 of 2010,” Aird & Berlis Tax Breakfast, February 2011.
Selected Publications
Co-Authored with Rachel Blumenfeld and Brodie Kirsh, "Recent Estate Planning Developments in Canada," Insurance Planning, Federated Press, 2022, Volume XXVII, No. 2.
Co-Authored with Rachel Blumenfeld and David Byun, "All Change in Ontario," STEP Journal, August 26, 2021.
Co-Author with Rachel Blumenfeld and David Byun, "Remote Witnessing in Wills and Powers of Attorney in Canada," The International Comparative Legal Guide: Private Client 2021, Global Legal Group, January 2021.
Co-Author with Rachel Blumenfeld, "Challenges at Home and Abroad: Estate Planning for Blended Families in Canada," The International Comparative Legal Guide: Private Client 2020, Global Legal Group, January 2020.
Regular contributor, The Bottom Line, 2010-2016.
Co-Author with Clare Sullivan, "Trusts and Trustees," Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario, 2014/2015 Edition Canada Law Book, July 2015.Article commenter, "Removing trustees not so easy," Law Times, October 2012.
Co-Author with Anjali Navkar, “Top 10 Cases of 2011,” Tax Profile, February 2012.
Co-Author with Jack Bernstein, “Personal Trusts and Cottage Properties Residence- Pitfalls and Planning,” Tax Profile, July 2011.
Part Xlll Tax and Treaty Protection: Canada Revenue Agency’s New Administrative Policy, Tax Profile, June 2011.
Co-Author with Jack Bernstein, “Personal Trust: Cottage,” Canadian Tax Highlights, May 2011.
"Case Comment: Re Estate of Assuanta Marino, 2010 ONSC 5237: Closing the Procedural Gap: Default Judgement is Akin to Motion to Set Aside an Unopposed Judgment Passing of Accounts" - Deadbeat, OBA Trusts & Estates Section Newsletter, December 2010.
Contributor, "Claims By or Against an Estate," Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario, 2010 Edition, Canada Law Book, June 2010.
"New Year, New Rules: Amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure and their Impact upon Estate and Trust Litigation" - Deadbeat, OBA Trusts & Estates Section Newsletter, December 2009.
Insights
Education
- LLB, University of Windsor, 2009
- BA and BSW, McMaster University, 2006