William S. Bernstein

Bill’s practice spans a broad range of tax, estate planning, and business law matters. He holds a master’s degree in taxation law and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). With many years of experience advising entrepreneurial business owners, Bill is valued for providing practical, thoughtful advice to clients and their accounting advisors.

Bill regularly advises clients on the start-up, growth, and reorganization of their businesses, applying tax-efficient strategies to support long-term success. He is also frequently consulted by other lawyers and accountants when transactions require specialized tax insight, where his careful planning and attention to detail are particularly valuable in complex matters.

In addition, Bill assists clients with comprehensive estate planning, often coordinating family trusts, succession planning for family businesses, and the preparation of wills and powers of attorney. This includes planning to minimize estate administration tax and post-mortem tax planning to avoid and minimize family law exposure by use of family trusts and often includes family Shareholders’ Agreements.

Bill has lectured and written for the Ontario Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Ontario Bar Association and has served as an instructor for the Ontario Bar Admission Course in the areas of taxation and estate planning. He has also been a member of the Executive of the Tax Section of the Ontario Bar Association.

Outside of his practice, Bill enjoys downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, hiking, cycling, and running. He and his wife enjoy travelling and value spending time with their two adult children, who live in Toronto.

Expertise

Representative work

• Planning in connection with a number of situations where a Family Trust was approaching the deemed disposition for income tax purposes arising on the 21st anniversary of its settlement
• Dealing with Canada Revenue Agency in various situations of a Family Trust being audited or reassessed
• Preparing Shareholders’ Agreements for family‑owned corporations
• Dealing with tax and estate planning issues for U.S. citizens resident in Canada
• Preparing marriage contracts to protect interests in family‑owned corporations and trusts