Neil is a highly acclaimed and widely respected tax lawyer. Through high-quality work and effective communication, he ensures his clients are able to focus on their core business while he attends to their tax issues and disputes by finding simple and elegant solutions to business and legal challenges. Neil helps his clients navigate the complexities of tax law.
Neil is Co-Leader of the firm's Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Group. He is a highly experienced practitioner in tax litigation and commodity taxation, including goods and services tax and harmonized sales tax (GST/HST), provincial sales tax (PST) and international customs duties. Neil has extensive experience in dealing with various taxation authorities and has represented clients before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, the Tax Court of Canada, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, as well as before provincial courts.
He has significant experience in the real estate and development sector, financial services, corporate reorganizations, mergers, acquisitions and cross-border transactions. Neil is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution and litigation.
Neil served on the Canadian Bar Association/Canadian Institute of Charter Accountants Joint Legislation Review Committee that reviewed the draft legislation that amended the Canadian Excise Tax Act.
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Professional Involvement
Professional Activities
- Neil has authored numerous articles and conference papers on GST/HST, was a co-editor of Canadian GST and Commodity Tax Cases published by CCH Canadian Limited and is currently a contributing editor of Federated Press - Sales Tax, Customs & Trade Journal published by Thomson Reuters Canada.
- Neil addresses audiences on a variety of commodity tax matters and is a past presenter at the CICA Commodity Tax Symposium and the Canadian Tax Foundation Conference.
Memberships
- Canadian Bar Association (Commodity Tax Customs and Trade Section and Tax Court Bench & Bar Committee)
- Ontario Bar Association
- GST Leaders Forum, a group established by the CPA of the most prominent GST/HST accountants and lawyers from across Canada.
Speaker, "Your Day in Tax Court," 2024 Commodity Tax Symposium, Ottawa, October 28-29, 2024.
Speaker, "2016 Tax Year in Review," Wolters Kluwer webinar, December 14, 2016.
Guest Speaker, "2015 Commodity Tax Update," Tax Executives Institute, Commodity Tax Day 2015, January 22, 2014.
Speaker, "Here We Go Again: Revisiting Financial Services, Joint Ventures, and Nominees/Bare Trusts," CPA Commodity Tax Symposium, September 30, 2013.
Speaker, "The 2012 Case Law Update," CICA Commodity Tax Symposium, Ottawa, October 2, 2012.
Speaker, "Tax and Privilege: A Primer," Continuing Professional Development Bootcamp, Toronto, November 30, 2011.
Speaker, "Sale Tax Issues on Mergers, Acquisitions and Corporate Structuring and Takeovers," 2nd Tax Essentials for Business Transactions, Toronto, September 2011.
Co-Author, "Beginning of a New Rental Construction Boom? Temporary GST Exemption for Purpose-Built Residential Rental Properties Sparks Growth Potential," Aird & Berlis LLP, September 28, 2023.
Co-Author, "Recent Amendments to the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST)," October 2015.
Contributing author, "Tax Policy in Canada," Canadian Tax Foundation, 2012.
Co-Author, "HST in Ontario," online manual, Lorman Education Services, 2011.
Co-Author, "Recent Developments of Importance in Litigation - Corporate Tax," The 2010/2011 Lexpert CCCA/ACCJE Corporate Counsel Directory and Yearbook.
Author, "Recent Developments of Importance in Litigation - Corporate Tax," The 2010 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
Author, "Trends in Sales Tax Litigation," Canadian Tax Foundation, 2009.
Co-Author, "Managing Commodity Taxes on Imported Goods and Services," 2008 Commodity Tax Symposium.
Co-Author, "GST and Commodity Tax Issues in Cross-Boarder Transactions: Expecting the Unexpected," in Report of Proceedings of the Fifty-Ninth Tax Conference, 2007 Conference Report (Toronto: Canadian Tax Foundation, 2008).
Author, "GST Voluntary Disclosures: The New Regime," 2001 Commodity Tax Symposium.
Author, "Asset Securitization - A Sales Tax Perspective," 1998 Tax Symposium.