Background

Rick Bennett is a tax partner in our Vancouver office. Rick was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1983, graduated from the University of Calgary Faculty of Law in 1982, and holds a Master of Arts from the University of Toronto and a BA (Honours) from Trent University.

Areas of Practice

• Rick practises in the areas of income tax planning an emphasis on corporate reorganizations, international taxation, and estate planning.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Martindale-Hubbell BV ® Distinguished ™ 4.4 out of 5 Peer Review Rating.
• Recognized by Who's Who Legal: Canada 2011 (Corporate Tax) 

Professional Experience

• Rick regularly represents clients in tax disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency, and has appeared as counsel in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, British Court of Appeal, Tax Court of Canada and Federal Court of Appeal
• Examples of recent representative work:
  • Lead tax counsel to SunGro Horticultural Income Fund on debt restructuring and SIFT conversion transactions (2008-2010)
  • Lead tax counsel to FP Newspapers Income Fund on SIFT conversion (2010)
  • Lead tax counsel on reorganization of a major real estate investment trust (ongoing)
  • Tax counsel to Ballard Power Systems in its arrangement with Superior Plus Income Fund (2008)
  • Lead tax counsel to a Canadian public company on unwinding a complex international business structure to maximize shareholder value in a changing market (2006-2008)
  • Tax counsel to Glamis Gold in its Plan of Arrangement with Goldcorp Inc. (November 2006)
  • Tax counsel Glamis Gold Corporation in its acquisition of Western Silver Corporation(May 2006)
  • Tax counsel to a major British Columbia independent school on tax and charity matters (ongoing)
  • Lead tax counsel to a major Canadian biotech company on formation of offshore joint venture with a European partner

Professional and Community Activities

• Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
• Member, Tax Subsection, Canadian Bar Association (B.C. Branch)
• Founding member, BC Tax Study Group
• Member, Law Society of British Columbia
• Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
• Past Chair and Governor, Collingwood School Society
• Past Director, Children's Arthritis Foundation
• Past Director, Vancouver Bach Choir

Recent Publications

• ‘Amalgamation in Tax Law: New or Continued Taxpayer?', XI Corporate Structures and Groups 608 (Federated Pres, 2009)
• ‘Tax for Troubled Times – Financing With Distress Preferred Shares', (with L. Tkachenko), XI Corporate Structures and Groups (Federated Press, 2008)
• ‘June 29, 2006 Draft Legislation on Eligible Dividends', B.C. Tax Conference, Canadian Tax Foundation (2006)
• ‘New Foreign Property Reporting Rules,' Offshore Trusts & Corporations – The New Rules, Pacific Business & Law Institute (December 4, 2001)