Aird & Berlis Partners Recognized as 2025 ITR World Tax Leaders

Aird & Berlis is pleased to announce that 10 partners at the firm have been recognized as 2025 ITR World Tax Leaders. The ITR World Tax Leaders guide is an extensive list profiling the most effective tax practitioners in the world.

Aird & Berlis is also recognized at the firm level in the areas of Tax and Tax Controversy. Neil Bass, Carol Burns, Jack Bernstein, Angelo Gentile, Francesco Gucciardo, Edward Miller, Manjit Singh, Christopher Slade, Louise Summerhill and Barbara Worndl are all recognized as Highly Regarded and Notable Practitioners in their respective areas of expertise.

Neil Bass is Co-Chair of the firm’s Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Team. He is a highly experienced practitioner in tax litigation and commodity taxation, including GST/HST, PST and international customs duties.

Jack Bernstein is Chair of the firm’s International Tax Practice and one of Canada’s preeminent tax lawyers. He is well known in international tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, reorganizations and financings.

Carol Burns is Co-Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Tax Group. Her practice is focused on income tax with an emphasis on corporate taxation. Her areas of specialty include debt forgiveness, deferred plans, employee compensation, divisive reorganization, mutual funds and real estate investment trusts. 

Angelo Gentile is a member of the firm’s Tax Group and Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Team. Angelo has extensive experience in resolving tax disputes involving GST/HST, income tax, CPP/EI, excise taxes, Ontario land transfer tax, Ontario employer health tax and Ontario tobacco tax.

Francesco Gucciardo is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Tax Group. His practice focuses on corporate transactions for both public and private companies in the domestic and international sphere. He frequently advises international clients on doing business in Canada.

Edward Miller is a member of the firm's Tax Group. He provides advice on domestic and international corporate tax planning as well as personal tax planning for owner-managers and high-net-worth individuals.

Manjit Singh is a member of the firm’s Tax Group. She draws from more than 20 years of experience advising on Canadian and cross-border tax matters to provide comprehensive tax advice across diverse industries.

Christopher Slade is a member of the firm’s Tax Group and Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Team. He is a skilled advocate with extensive experience advising on domestic and international tax controversy and litigation matters, having successfully represented a wide range of clients on complex, high-value cases.

Louise Summerhill is Co-Chair of the firm’s Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Team. She has more than 30 years of experience in tax litigation and provides support and advocacy at the audit stage, through the objection procedure and in court if necessary.

Barbara Worndl is the Former Chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation. Her practice is focused on income tax with an emphasis on corporate and partnership taxation, particularly in an international and cross-border context.

The Aird & Berlis Tax Group is highly regarded on a national and international basis for domestic and international tax planning, structuring of business transactions and resolving tax disputes. Our lawyers are recognized for innovative domestic and international tax planning and for the development of creative structures. Other law firms and accounting firms regularly seek the expertise of our Tax Group to serve their clients more effectively.

Our Tax Controversy/Tax Litigation Team has a wealth of experience in handling disputes relating to income tax, GST/HST, customs, and provincial income and indirect taxes. Our members include highly regarded tax practitioners, former clerks of the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court, former Department of Justice tax litigators and CPAs working collaboratively to assist clients through audits, administrative objections and, where necessary, court appeals.