Joseph (Hovsep) Takhmizdjian

Partner

Montréal
JTakhmizdjian@blg.com
514.954.2538
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A trusted tax advisor to domestic, non-resident and multinational businesses, Joseph Takhmizdjian is a rare breed — a lawyer and a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) — whose diverse practice covers everything from corporate tax and cross-border transactions to real estate deals and tax litigation. His goal: to use his deep understanding of tax law and his love of numbers to find innovative ways to minimize tax, maximize shareholder return and mitigate risk.

Joe can help with:

  • All tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions on either the buy or sell side, including preclosing organization, tax due diligence, post-acquisition tax planning, post-purchase integration and deal structuring
  • Tax planning for corporate financing
  • Tax strategy for commercial real estate transactions
  • Tax advice and structuring for non-resident corporations that are establishing, acquiring or operating businesses in Canada
  • Tax litigation, including audits, appeals, Tax Court and the Federal Court of Appeal
  • Voluntary disclosures (tax amnesty or tax pardons)
  • Canadian corporate and individual income tax
  • Trusts and estate planning

Experience

  • Acted for Amsino International Inc. in its acquisition of the assets of leading Canadian medical device manufacturer, MedXL. The transaction was a distressed M&A deal, with Amsino being the successful bidder.
  • Acted for Davie in connection with its acquisition of the assets of Finland’s Helsinki Shipyard Oy, a landmark transaction in the Arctic shipbuilding space, including tax structuring $110 million in equity and debt financing from the Québec government.
  • Was the sole tax advisor for Groupe Mach in its acquisition of a significant portion of Groupe Huot’s real estate empire, working with a boutique accounting firm to conduct tax due diligence and structure the $415 million transaction in the most tax advantageous way. This complex file required expert analysis of tax implications, including debt forgiveness rules, loss quantification, basis bump benefits and land transfer tax, to determine whether to acquire real estate assets through a vesting order or shares through a reverse vesting order.

Beyond our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec
  • Member, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants
  • Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
  • Member, Canadian Armenian Business Council
  • Member, Association de planification fiscale et financière
  • Member, Barreau du Québec
  • Member, CPA Québec
  • Member, International Fiscal Association

Community Involvement

  • Board member, Society for Armenian Relief

Awards & Recognition

  • Recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada (Trusts & Estates).

Bar Admission & Education

  • Québec, 2004
  • Graduate diploma in public accountancy, McGill University, 2002
  • LLB, Université de Montréal, 2002
  • Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants' in-depth tax courses (parts I, II and III) and GST/HST course