Pat Robinson

Pat Robinson has been advising private clients and family businesses about their tax and estate planning and administration needs for over 35 years. Pat’s practice focuses on wealth management and preservation and encompasses all aspects of personal tax and estate planning and administration.

Pat’s estate planning practice includes advising clients on public and private wills, powers of attorney, inter vivos and testamentary trusts, domestic and marriage contracts, estate freezes, family law planning, cross-border planning and charitable giving, including the establishment of private charitable foundations. She also counsels private family businesses and other closely-held corporations with respect to tax and succession planning structures. 

In addition to her planning practice, Pat administers estates and provides advice to estate trustees and beneficiaries regarding all aspects of estate administration.

In her Charities and Not-For-Profit practice, Pat advises on the creation and registration of new charities, income tax, federal and provincial regulatory compliance and organization and ongoing administration. 

Pat has been a lecturer on estate planning and will drafting at the University of Toronto and regularly presents at estate planning, family law and charities law seminars. She has written for the Estates and Trust Journal and Business Families and Family Business: The STEP Handbook for Advisers. Pat is also a graduate of the Canadian Securities Course. She is recognized as a leading trusts and estates lawyer by The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory, Best Lawyers in Canada, Trusts and Estates, Best Lawyers Global Business Edition, Who’s Who Legal,  and Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers.

Pat is a director of several prominent foundations and is also the recipient of the Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent™ rated lawyer award.

Education
Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B., 1975)
University of Toronto (B.A., 1970)

Professional Affiliations
Estate Planning Council
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Canadian Tax Foundation
Association of Canadian Pension Management
International Foundation of Employee Benefits Plans
International Benefits Information Service
Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
Founding member of the Charities Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association

Year of Call: 1977 Ontario

Hilary Van de Kamer, Partner

Hilary provides advice regarding estate planning, trusts, charities, and all areas of estate administration. She assists clients to articulate their personal objectives and designs practical solutions that reflect those priorities. Hilary regularly advises clients on wealth preservation techniques, estate administration tax strategies, charitable giving, planning for disabled beneficiaries, cross-border planning, business succession planning, including estate freezes and post mortem planning, trustees duties and beneficiary rights.

Prior to joining Robinsons Law, Hilary worked as an associate at a large national law firm and as a wills consultant for a large private trust company at a national bank. Hilary is a licensed Barrister and Solicitor with the Law Society of Ontario and is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (STEP), the Ontario Bar Association, and the Canadian Bar Association.

Education
Western University, Faculty of Law (J.D., 2013)
University of Guelph (B.A. Hons., 2010)

Professional Affiliations
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Ontario Bar Association
Canadian Bar Association

Year of Call: 2014 Ontario

Joseph Diletti, Associate

Joseph specializes in the areas of trust and estate planning and administration. He works with clients to develop custom plans which best suit their personal and professional wishes and obligations. Every plan is made with a focus on wealth preservation, tax efficiency, and practical ease of administration. Joseph regularly advises clients with respect to multiple Wills, Powers of Attorney, inter vivos and testamentary trusts, business succession planning, as well as domestic contracts. 

Joseph also provides sound advice to executors, trustees and attorneys on all aspects of their duties, and provides guidance through the complexities of the estate administration process, both domestically and internationally. 

Prior to joining Robinsons Law, Joseph was an associate at a boutique law firm in Burlington, Ontario practicing solely in their Trust, Estate and Wealth Planning Group. Joseph is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estates Practitioners (STEP). 

 Education:

University of Melbourne, Faculty of Law (J.D. 2015)

McMaster University (B.A., Hons., 2009)

Year of Call: 2018 Ontario

Lynn Atkinson, Law Clerk

Lynn Atkinson is a Senior Law Clerk who received her Legal Secretary Diploma in 1977 and her Law Clerk Certificate in 1983 from Loyalist College of Applied Arts and Technology.

Lynn joined Pat Robinson in 1984 and practices in the areas of estate and personal planning, trusts, domestic contracts and the incorporation, registration, organization and ongoing governance and compliance requirements of charitable and non-profit entities.

Z. Annie Vinski, Law Clerk

Annie is a Senior Law Clerk and practices in the areas of estate, personal,  cross border and trust  planning, including the preparation of Wills (General, Public and Private, and Cross Border), Powers of Attorney (Property, Personal Care, Restricted) and Trust Agreements (Inter Vivos, Joint Partner and Alter Ego trusts).

Sonya Alcaidinho, Law Clerk

Sonya is a Law Clerk and practices primarily in the area of estate administration. Sonya assists executors/administrators with all aspects of estate administration including preparing applications for Certificates of Appointment of Estate Trustee with or without a Will, (Probate) making required filings pursuant to the Estate Administration Tax Act (Ontario), liaising with banks and investment managers,  facilitating the transfer of estate assets including real estate, private companies,  corporate assets, investment and bank accounts, making final distribution of estate assets/funds to beneficiaries, and preparing Executors Accounts,  and releases and indemnities of executors/administrators.

Sonya also assists with incorporation, registration, organization and ongoing governance and compliance requirements for Ontario and Federal Corporations.