Kate Harris, KC

Kate is a co-managing partner of Patterson Law.  She has more than 30 years of experience assisting her owner-manager clients achieve their goals in the areas of business structuring, tax minimization, trusts and estate planning. In recent years, this experience has seen her working with numerous family-owned businesses to manage the succession planning process, an area in which she has developed a great deal of knowledge and experience. With a lifelong passion for teaching, Kate was a part-time professor at Dalhousie Law School for over 20 years and is often asked to present to such groups as the Canadian Tax Foundation, the Canadian Bar Association, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Nova Scotia. ExperienceKate’s tax practice has included:incorporation of businessestax-effective corporate restructuringstrusts, including discretionary family trusts, testamentary trusts, Henson trusts, alter ego/joint partner trusts, asset protection trustsbuying and selling of assets and shares and related tax planningtax planning for professionals and professional firmspartnership/shareholder agreementstax-effective estate planning, including extensive experience planning for parents of disabled childrensuccession planning for family businessesestablishment of non-profit organizations and applications for charitable registrationprobate and tax planning for estates and beneficiariesstructures involving Nova Scotia “unlimited liability” companies