Marni Pernica

Aird & Berlis LLP

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“I had a picture of a house, and the house was Premiere Mortgage Centre”

Kerri Reed, Premiere Mortgage Centre

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Winner: RISING STAR

who are just starting out to multi-generational families who are looking for the best way to transition assets to the next generation. Marni enjoys navigating the complexities that arise in complicated and layered family structures. Having worked as an estates and trusts litigator before focusing on planning and administration, she has foresight to the potential disputes that can arise and brings a holistic perspective when presenting various estate planning options. Estate planning often involves deeply personal elements and Marni goes beyond the role of simply providing legal counsel – she is a confidant and provides practical advice on how to navigate sensitive family dynamics. In her practice, Marni focuses on estate, income tax and succession planning, including cross-border planning, planning to reduce estate administration tax, the preparation of wills, powers of attorney and trusts, and assisting with estate administration. Additionally, she advises clients on how to reduce personal and corporate tax, including the effective use of a family trust, and she has significant experience with cross-border planning for clients who have U.S. or other foreign connections. Marni has been involved with multiple professional organizations, including the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Canadian Tax Foundation and the OBA Trusts and Estates Section. She is currently Vice-Chair of the OBA Trusts and Estates Section Executive. During her time as Public Affairs Liaison, Marni was at the forefront of the OBA’s successful efforts to lobby the provincial government to permit virtual witnesses of wills and powers of attorney during the pandemic. She was heavily involved in consultations with the office of the Ministry of the Attorney General to assist with modernization and substantive changes to various pieces of Ontario estate planning legislation. During the pandemic, she also signed on with Lawyers for the Front Lines, an OBA initiative offering front-line health-care workers complimentary 30-minute consultations to discuss wills and estate planning. In addition to managing her growing practice and busy homelife as a mother, Marni is also a leader in her community. She sits on the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto’s professional advisory committee as well as its professional development team. Through the UJA’s Women’s Philanthropy arm, Marni has helped educate women on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, investing and the importance of estate and tax planning. She also recently joined the professional advisory committee for the Jewish National Fund. Through her personal and professional involvement, Marni is always seeking out ways to help people from all walks of life recognize the importance of estate planning. She frequently writes and speaks on topics involving tax, estate planning and business succession planning and has contributed to various publications, including The STEP Journal, The International Comparative Legal Guide: Private Client and Key Developments in Estates and Trusts Law in Ontario.

Andrea is an Employee Learning and Development professional with two years of experience who is passionate about using her skills to implement innovative and pioneering HR initiatives to drive a culture of professional development. Her strengths lay in people and relationship management, critical thinking and delivering behaviour change projects with an innovative twist. She has been responsible for introducing compliance learning tailored to our significantly diverse employee base of over 12,000 and using her skills to create engagement for and roll out of 'Altogether Autism & Neurodiversity awareness programme at The Warehouse Group. She has shifted the way our team engages with learning, cultivating a continuous learning and development culture specific to their journey.

www.airdberlis.com

Aird & Berlis LLP

mpernica@airdberlis.com

416.865.7738

Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street, Suite 1800, Toronto, ON M5J 2T9

BLG Anne Merminod is an experienced litigator with distinguished expertise in class actions. As a partner at BLG's Montreal office, Anne focuses on defending class actions from certification (or authorization, in Quebec) through to the appellate level. Her deep understanding of class actions makes her highly sought after as a writer and speaker. She is listed among the Best Lawyers in Canada (Class Action Litigation), in Chambers (Class Action Defence) and in Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List,” which highlights top litigators in the U.S. and Canada. In 2022, she was recognized by Benchmark Canada as an emerging talent.

AirdBerlis

@AirdBerlis

www.airdberlis.com

Aird & Berlis LLP

mpernica@airdberlis.com

416.865.7738

Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street, Suite 1800, Toronto, ON M5J 2T9

Marni Pernica is a Partner at Aird & Berlis LLP and Co-Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Tax Group and Estates & Trusts Group. She offers thoughtful and effective estate and succession planning for clients ranging from young families

J.R. Laffin is widely recognized as a leading dealmaker and talented public M&A lawyer. He advises on many of Canada’s most sophisticated and complex M&A transactions, offering strategic solutions and innovative approaches. J.R. was honoured in 2021 as a Top 10 M&A lawyer in Canada by a global news outlet for his leadership in high-profile transactions. He is known for his legal expertise, professionalism and collaborative approach helping clients complete industry-altering transactions. In addition to his distinguished legal presence, J.R. provides leadership as public M&A practice group head and is an active mentor to junior lawyers providing advice and support.