Justin de Vries

Justin is the principal and founder of de VRIES LITIGATION LLP.  With offices in Toronto and Oakville, the firm specializes in estate, trust, and capacity litigation, as well as administering complex estates.

de VRIES LITIGATION LLP is known for its expertise and quality of work.  Since 2019, the firm has been named a Canadian Top 10 Wills, Trusts & Estates law firm by Canadian Lawyer Magazine.   de VRIES LITIGATION LLP has also been recognized by Best Lawyers (Best Law Firm Tier 1) for its leading role in trusts and estates.

Justin has chaired and lectured at various continuing legal education programs for over 25 years, including the OBA, CBA, LSO, Hamilton and Halton Lawyers Associations, Frontenac Law Association, The Advocates’ Society, STEP, and the Toronto, Mississauga, Halton and Hamilton estate planning councils.  For many years, he was an editor for Watson & McGowan’s Ontario Civil Practice and was a Fox Scholar at Middle Temple (one of London’s four Inns of Court).

Justin is both a mediator and an arbitrator.  He has appeared before all levels of the Ontario Court, the Federal Court, the Tax Court of Canada, and litigated Supreme Court of Canada leave applications.  Justin’s clients include individuals, private banking and wealth management groups, trust companies, estate trustees, as well as private trusts, charities, and foundations.

Justin has acted as a court appointed pre-trial judge, LSO pro-bono disciplinary counsel, and was counsel to the Oakville Community Foundation and The Yonge Street Mission.  He is regularly appointed as an estate trustee during litigation by the courts in complex estate proceedings and to administer estates.  He routinely acts as a court appointed guardian for property and personal care, as well as Section 3 counsel.

Justin is the founder of the popular blog site “allaboutestates.ca”, a collaborative, daily blog with a wide audience (over 3000 readers across Canada).  Justin is recognized as a leader in the estates and trusts bar.  Best Lawyers has recognized Justin as a leading practitioner in Estates and Trusts and ADR.  Justin is also ranked by Chambers.

Justin is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the Estate Planning Council of Toronto, the Estate Planners’ Council of Halton, as well as The Advocates’ Society.  He has published articles in Estates & Trusts Pensions Journal, The Litigator, Toronto Law Journal, OBA’s Deadbeat, LSO Special Lectures, Money & Family Law, Lawyers Weekly, and Gift Planning in Canada.  He recently appeared as a panelist on The AGENDA with Steve Paikin.