New Tax Controversy Partners at Blakes
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada’s leading business law firms, has announced that Edwin G. Kroft, Q.C., and Deborah J. Toaze have joined the Tax Controversy & Litigation Group as Partners.
“Ed Kroft is recognized as one of the top tax litigators and one of the leading experts in transfer pricing disputes in Canada,” said Brock Gibson, the Firm’s Chair. “Having Ed and Deborah join our Tax Controversy & Litigation Group is a welcome addition for Blakes. They will complement and enhance our renowned transfer pricing practice led by Janice McCart. Our Tax Group has won the International Tax Review’s Tax Firm of the Year Award for 2008 and 2009. Now that Ed and Deborah have joined our Firm, it will only increase our ability to better service our clients.”
Mr. Kroft has appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada, Federal Court of Appeal, Tax Court of Canada and B.C. Supreme Court. He also handles audit and appeals work with the Canada Revenue Agency and is involved in dealing with competent authorities in Canada and around the world on tax treaty and transfer pricing matters. Mr. Kroft also brings his extensive experience in representing multinational clients in the negotiation and conclusion of advance pricing arrangements. He is a member of the Rules Committee of the Tax Court of Canada and is a former governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation and a former chairperson for the Tax Subsection of the British Columbia branch of the Canadian Bar Association.
He is recognized in many ranking publications including: Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2010 (Band 1 in the area of tax litigation), The 2010 Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, The Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Corporate Lawyers in Canada, International Tax Review: World Tax 2010 published by Legal Media Group, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2010 and The Best Lawyers in Canada 2010. He has written more than 50 articles and papers on taxation and corporate law subjects for the Canadian Tax Foundation and other organizations. He is an adjunct professor of tax law at the University of British Columbia (UBC), the course director of Tax Administration and Litigation at Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.M. program), and the recipient of the Adam Albright Award for outstanding teaching at UBC.
Deborah Toaze is both a chartered accountant and a lawyer and is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Tax Foundation. Ms. Toaze represents clients in tax disputes involving the Canada Revenue Agency at the audit and appeals stage and in court. Ms. Toaze works extensively in the transfer pricing area in the resolution of disputes with government authorities and advises on transfer pricing matters in mergers and acquisitions. She also has extensive experience in the taxation of financial institutions and financial products. She previously held tax positions in industry, including the position of vice-president of taxation at a major Canadian institution.
Ms. Toaze regularly writes on tax matters and speaks at various tax conferences and seminars. She received her B.A. from Queen’s University in 1974, her M.BA. from McMaster University in 1976, her LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2001, and her J.D. from the University of Toronto in 2004.