M. Elena Hoffstein

M. Elena Hoffstein, FEA, has a practice focused in all areas of estate planning, family business succession planning, corporate reorganization both pre and post mortem planning. She also advises on cross border and international matters, will, trusts and marriage contracts. Elena is also a recognized leader in charity law advising both charities and donors on effective legislative, tax and regulatory matters and on tax effective charitable gifting.

Elena frequently advises clients on family business succession and planning, corporate reorganizations. Having regard to different legal and tax regimes, Elena ensures that multi-jurisdictional property and family business interests are protected.

Representing clients in both contentious and non-contentious estate litigation matters, Elena assists with will challenges, mental capacity matters, applications for advice, direction of the court and the passing of fiduciary accounts.

Elena is recognized as a leading expert in charity and not for profit law. In Elena’s charity law practice, she advises charity clients on legislative, tax and regulatory matters and provides proactive advice to both charities and donors on tax effective charitable gifting.

In recognition of her leadership and career contributions, Elena received the Ontario Bar Association’s “Award of Excellence in Trusts and Estates.” She is also a recipient of Lexpert’s “Zenith Award” and has earned the preeminent “AV” ranking in Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer-Review Ratings. She is a frequent speaker at the Canadian Tax Foundation and Ontario Tax Foundation, Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners conferences, the Law Society of Ontario, The Ontario Bar Association and Canadian Association of Gift Planners. She is a co-author of Charity Law in Canada and co- editor of Charities Legislation and Commentary and Charity Law in Canada & The Trusts chapter of Halsbury.