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Ed Esposto

Ed EspostoTEP

Partner Admitted to the Ontario Bar: 1991
People > Ed Esposto

As an estate planning lawyer, Ed develops personal relationships with his clients and helps them to understand and manage their wealth. His trusted advice empowers his clients to make intelligent and informed decisions on their tax planning, estate planning and wealth transfer strategy. These clients depend on Ed’s judgment, knowing that he has the legal expertise and interpersonal skills to sort through the complexities of their decisions.

Ed is a member of the firm's Tax Group and Estates & Trusts Group. He has practised exclusively in the area of wealth management for over 25 years and has extensive expertise in estate and trust planning, wills and powers of attorney and related tax planning.

Awards & Recognition

  • Recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading practitioner in Estate & Personal Tax Planning
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Trusts and Estates
  • Recognized in Legal Media Group's Trusts and Estates Expert Guide
  • Trust and Estate Practitioner designation (TEP)

Professional Involvement

Professional Activities 

  • Ontario Bar Association, Trusts and Estates Section, Chair (2011-2012)

Memberships

  • Ontario Bar Association (Estates and Trusts Section) 
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Canadian Tax Foundation
  • Law Society of Ontario
  • Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)

Community Involvement

  • Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, Investment Committee
  • Wellspring Cancer Support Network, Volunteer Estate Planner
  • The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation, Board of Directors
  • Queen’s University, Kingston University Counsel, Elected Member (2006-2012)

Teaching Engagements

  • Adjunct Professor, Law of Trusts, Osgoode Hall Law School (2012 – 2017)
  • Instructor, Wills & Estates Practice Basics, The Law Society of Upper Canada (2014-2017)
  • Instructor, The Annotated Will, The Law Society of Upper Canada (2010-2016)

Selected Speaking Engagements

"Your Critical Update on Legislative and Regulatory Changes in Estates Law," Oba Trusts and Estates Law Program, April 2021.

"Wills and Estates Refresher 2021," Law Society of Ontario Webinar, April 2021.

"Will Drafting," Osgoode Professional Development Continuing Legal Education Program, February 2020.

"The Poorly Drafted Will - Common Drafting Mistakes", York University's Intensive Skills Workshop: Will Drafting, February 2020.

“The Estate Freeze from Hell Redux Parts 1 and 2,” Society of Trust and estate Practitioners’ 21st National Conference, June 2019.

“Wills and Estates Refresher 2019,” Law Society of Ontario, March 2019.

“Intensive Skills Workshop: Will Drafting,” Osgoode Professional Development, February 2019.

"Medical-Legal Issues Involving Capacity, Estate and Trust Planning, and Litigation," STEP 20th National Conference, May 2018.

"Estate Planning Issues for Blended Families: How to Maintain Harmony While Protecting Your Assets," Aird & Berlis LLP Estates & Trusts Webinar, June 2017.

“Practitioners' Update: Trust & Estate Law,” Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners' 18th National Conference, June 2016.

“Wills and Estates Practice Basics,” The Law Society of Upper Canada, March 2016.

 “The Annotated Will 2016,” The Law Society of Upper Canada, February 2016.

Selected Publications

Author, “Case Comment on Re Milne Estate,” Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario, 2017-2018 Edition, Canada Law Book, December 2018.

Co-author, "Trust Issues: An Update," Report of Proceedings of the Sixty-Ninth Tax Conference, 2017 Conference Report, (Toronto: Canadian Tax Foundation, 2018), 28:1-40.

Author, “Testamentary Freedom and Public Policy in Canada,” Estates Trusts & Pensions Journal, Volume 37, Number 2, February 2018.

Author, "Testamentary Freedom in Canada," Trust Quarterly Review, STEP, Volume 15, Issue 3, 2017.

Author, "A Review of Significant Trust Law Cases During the Past Year," Canada Law Book, 2017.

"The Income Tax Act and Estate Planning: The Law of Unintended Consequences," co-authored with Robert Santia, Ontario Bar Association Annual Institute-Trusts and Estates Law Section, February 9, 2017.

Co-author, “Chapter 3: Qualifying Testamentary Spousal Trusts – Considerations and Pitfalls in Planning for Their Use and Administration,” Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario, Canada Law Book, August 2016.

Insights

Publications Article Jan 25, 2019 Court Confirms Multiple Wills As Valid Probate Planning Device
Publications Article Nov 21, 2018 An Update on Multiple Wills
Publications Article Feb 27, 2018 Highlights of the 2018 Federal Budget

Education

  • LLB, University of Western Ontario, 1989
  • BA, (Honours) History, Queen’s University, 1986
  • BA, Economics, Queen’s University, 1985

Expertise