Member Profile
Margaret O'Sullivan
Managing Partner | O'Sullivan Estate Lawyers
Office Location: Canada
Jurisdiction
Canada
Top Specialisms
Estates: Planning
Trusts & Trusteeship
Trusts: Planning
Connect
Professional Biography
Margaret’s practice involves all aspects of trust and estate work for domestic and international private clients, including estate planning; will and trust planning; incapacity planning; estate litigation; advising executors, trustees and beneficiaries and administration of estates and trusts, with a focus on high net worth domestic, cross border and multijurisdictional succession issues. Margaret is recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024, Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite 2024 representing the top 250 private client lawyers worldwide, in the 2024 Edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as one of the most frequently recommended estate planning lawyers and as a thought leader, in The Who’s Who Legal: Private Client 2024 and in The Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2024. She is one of nine top-ranked Band 1 private wealth client lawyers in Canada in Chambers High Net Worth 2024 Guide. Her firm was selected as one of the “Top 10 Wills, Trusts and Estates Boutiques” by Canadian Lawyer Magazine for 2023-24. She is the recipient of the 2014 Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Founder’s Award for Outstanding Achievement and the Ontario Bar Association’s 2013 Award of Excellence in Trusts and Estates Law. Prior to establishing an independent practice, Margaret was a partner in the Toronto office of the national Canadian law firm Stikeman Elliott where she directed the firm’s trusts and estates practice. She has practiced exclusively in the area of trusts and estates since her call to the bar in 1983.
Question : What drew you to specialise in private client law/ wealth advisory?
Answer: I love dealing with people and enjoy being challenged by the many complex legal issues in estates and trusts work for private clients. The variety of technical knowledge and skills required to be a successful private client lawyer is what I find satisfyin
Question : For lawyers entering private client law, what are key skills you think are essential?
Answer: High emotional intelligence, excellent communication skills, broad and deep knowledge of the law, and practical ability to execute and implement complex matters for clients.
Question : With the evolving landscape of the private client world, what are recent trends or shifts you are excited to explore?
Answer: Dealing with the interesting issues impacting the modern family, and as well planning for global clients who have connections with multiple jurisdictions.
Question : Where is your favourite place to take a peer for a cocktail or coffee?
Answer: The bar at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto.