Demetre Vasilounis
- he / him / his
Admitted to the Ontario Bar: 2019
-
Toronto
- Bio
- Awards & Recognition
- Professional Involvement
- Selected Speaking Engagements
- Selected Publications
- Education
Demetre is a thoughtful and detail-oriented lawyer who
specializes in trusts, estates and tax law. He works closely with individuals
and families to understand their unique circumstances, and crafts tailored
plans to meet their goals. Whether guiding clients through complex tax and
succession planning or helping them navigate sensitive personal matters, Demetre
prioritizes clear communication and careful attention to detail. He also
frequently collaborates with accountants, financial advisors and other professionals
to develop comprehensive strategies, ensuring his clients receive well-rounded
advice. Demetre’s ability to connect with people, listen attentively and offer clear,
practical guidance makes him a trusted advisor in tax and estate planning.
Demetre is a member of the firm’s Tax and Estates &
Trusts Groups. He has a broad trusts and estates practice, working with clients
to create and execute wills, powers of attorney and various trust instruments. Demetre
develops customized tax planning strategies for his clients and regularly engages
with their private holding and operating corporations when managing corporate
reorganizations and estate freezes. His expertise spans a wide range of family
wealth planning matters, including tax issues, cross-border and international
estates, probate planning and disability planning. Demetre also advises on
charitable gifting, asset protection strategies, personal privacy, intellectual
property and domestic contracts.
Demetre has extensive experience drafting and negotiating
marriage contracts and cohabitation agreements, as well as advising executors
and trustees with respect to all aspects of estate administration. He brings
particular expertise in digital asset planning, helping clients navigate the
complexities of social media accounts, cryptocurrency and other electronic
assets within their estate plans. In addition to individuals and families, Demetre
works with a diverse range of clients, including entrepreneurs, business
owners, philanthropists, athletes, artists, authors, entertainers and social
media influencers.
Demetre is a recognized thought leader in estate planning. He regularly speaks and writes on topics such as digital assets in succession planning, and has shared his insights at conferences across Canada and internationally. Demetre’s work has also been cited by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.
Awards & Recognition
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada in Trusts and Estates, 2025
- Awarded the Ontario Volunteer Service Award by the Government of Ontario, 2022
Professional Involvement
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
- Member, Digital Assets Global Special Interest Group Steering Committee, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), 2024-present
- Public Affairs Liaison, Ontario Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Section, 2023-present
- Member, Estate Planning Council of Toronto, 2021-present
- Member, Junior Trusts and Estates Practitioners, 2019-present
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Liaison, Ontario Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Section, 2022-2023
- Technology Liaison, Ontario Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Section, 2021-2022
- Student Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), 2019-2022
Community Involvement
- Mentor, Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS), 2019-present
- Panelist, Anime North, 2018-present
- ESL Teacher, St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 2014-present
- Event Leader, Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 2013-2023
- Caseworker, Refugee Sponsorship Support Program, 2016-2018
Selected Speaking Engagements
Speaker, "Will
Validation, Substantial Compliance and Electronic Documents: Updates and Future
Changes," Ontario Bar Association – Ontario Legal Conference: Family,
Estates and Real Estate Law, February 8, 2024.
Series Co-Chair, "Estate
Planning in the Modern Era: Part 5 - Genetic Material," Ontario Bar
Association – Trusts and Estates Law Series, November 30, 2023.
Series Co-Chair,
"Estate Planning in the Modern Era: Part 4 - Unique Assets," Ontario
Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Law Series, November 23, 2023.
Series Co-Chair,
"Estate Planning in the Modern Era: Part 3 - Electronic Documents and
Electronic Signatures," Ontario Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Law
Series, November 16, 2023.
Series Co-Chair,
"Estate Planning in the Modern Era: Part 2 - Crypto Assets," Ontario
Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Law Series, November 9, 2023.
Series Co-Chair,
"Estate Planning in the Modern Era: Part 1 - Digital Assets," Ontario
Bar Association – Trusts and Estates Law Series, November 2, 2023.
Speaker, "Digital
Assets, Estate Planning and the Law: What You and Your Clients Need to
Know," Retirement Canada Dialogue 2023, October 2, 2023.
Speaker,
"Collectibles: Unique Assets in Estate Planning – Part Two," RBC
Wealth Management, July 18, 2023.
Speaker, "Beneficiary
Designations," Ontario Bar Association Trusts and Estates Section, June 7,
2023.
Speaker, "Digital
Assets, Estate Planning and the Law: What You and Your Clients Need to
Know," GTA Accountants & Finance Network (GTAAFN), March 2, 2023.
Moderator, "What's
New in Trusts & Estates Practice?" Ontario Bar Association – Ontario
Legal Conference: Family, Trusts & Estates Law, February 8, 2023.
Moderator, "Wills and
Trusts for Business Owners: Practical Considerations," Ontario Bar
Association – Ontario Legal Conference: Family, Trusts & Estates Law,
February 8, 2023.
Panellist, "Digital
Assets, Estate Planning and the Law: What You and Your Clients Need to
Know," The Estate Planning Council of Toronto, February 7, 2023.
Speaker, "Digital
Assets: Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Too Afraid to Ask," Estate
Planning Council of Halton, January 18, 2023.
Speaker, "The
Compounding Digital Interest That No Fiduciary Wants," STEP Special
Interest Spotlight Sessions 2022, London, United Kingdom, December 9, 2022.
Speaker, "Fiduciary
Access: Thwarted at Every Digital Turn," STEP Special Interest Spotlight
Sessions 2022, London, United Kingdom, December 9, 2022.
Chair, "Everyone
Needs a Plan: Succession Planning for Millennials and Gen Z," Ontario Bar Association
Trusts and Estates Section, October 6, 2022.
Speaker, "Digital
Assets, Estate Planning and The Law: What You and Your Clients Need to
Know," Canadian Institute for Financial Planners – Retirement Canada
Dialogue Day, August 30, 2022.
Speaker, "Wealth
Planning in the Digital Age," STEP National Conference, June 14, 2021.
Speaker, "The Battle
for Digital Assets: Privacy Law vs. Estates Law," LEGACY – The Evolution
of Estate Planning Virtual Summit Series, December 9, 2020.
Speaker, "Delete
Forever: The Legal Challenges of Digital Assets in Estate Administration,"
Retirement Canada Dialogue Day – Canadian Institute of Financial Planners,
December 7, 2020.
Speaker, "Estate
Planning in the Digital Age," Ontario Estates Forum, October 22, 2020.
Speaker, "Calmusky v.
Calmusky and the Presumption of Resulting Trust Applying to Beneficiary
Designations," Waterloo-Wellington Estate Planning Council, September 10,
2020.
Speaker, "Navigating
the New Reporting Requirements for Trusts," Junior Trusts and Estates
Practitioners, July 20, 2020.
Presenter, "Case
Comment - Private Corporation Tax Planning and Inbound Structuring,"
Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners Canada, October 16, 2019.
Presenter, "Case Law Update - Effective Estate Planning for Persons with Disabilities," Ontario Bar Association, September 24, 2019.
Selected Publications
Co-Author, "This
Wedding Season, Consider the Benefit of Marriage Contracts," Thomson
Reuters - Money & Family Law Issue 39-2, October 1, 2024.
Author, "The Case for
Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Legislation in Ontario," STEP Canada
National Conference 2024, June 2, 2024.
Author, "Videos
and Wills: Helpful or Harmful?" All About Estates, February 23,
2024.
Author, "Will
We Need to Start Remembering the 'Right to be Forgotten'?" All
About Estates, November 10, 2023.
Author, "Today's
Executor is a Digital Executor," Cidel Communications,
September 5, 2023.
Author, "Further
Assessing Drake’s Estate Planning Needs," All About Estates,
August 11, 2023.
Author, "Analog Art,
Analog Assets," All About Estates, May 12, 2023.
Author, "Estate
Planning for Millennials and Gen Z," Conference for Advanced Life
Underwriting (CALU), INFOexchange 2023 vol. 1, April 12, 2023.
Author, "Next-Gen
Advisory," Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Journal: Issue 2, 2023, March 31, 2023.
Author, "Gotta
Catch ‘Em All: Pokémon Cards and Personality Clauses," All About
Estates, February 3, 2023.
Author, "Estate
Planning for Millennials and Gen Z: Tips From Practitioners," Ontario
Bar Association, January 4, 2023.
Author, "Digital
Assets: How Advisors are Changing the World," All About Estates,
December 9, 2022.
Author, "Digital
Assets: Spotlighting Client User Considerations (Part II)," All
About Estates, September 16, 2022.
Author, "Digital
Assets: Spotlighting Client User Considerations (Part I)," All
About Estates, June 24, 2022.
Author, "Are
Domestic Contracts Becoming More Popular?" All About Estates,
April 8, 2022.
Author, "Shingeki
no Kyojin: An Anime Unexpectedly About Family, Legacy and Succession,"
All About Estates, January 28, 2022.
Author, "The
Supreme Court of Nova Scotia quotes Demetre Vasilounis’ article, 'A Presumptive
Peril: The Law of Beneficiary Designations is Now in Flux'," Fitzgerald
Estate v. Fitzgerald, 2021 NSSC 355, paragraph 36, December 8, 2021.
Author, "Software
Applications as Aids to the Estates Advisor," All About Estates,
November 26, 2021.
Author, "Assessing
Drake's Estate Planning Needs," All About Estates, September
24, 2021.
Author, "More
Tech Companies Are Implementing Digital Legacy Planning," All About
Estates, July 30, 2021.
Author, "The
Ontario Superior Court of Justice quotes Demetre Vasilounis’ article, 'A
Presumptive Peril: The Law of Beneficiary Designations is Now in Flux',"
Mak (Estate) v. Mak, 2021 ONSC 4415, paragraph 44, June 18, 2021.
Author, "Today's
Executor is a Digital Executor," All About Estates, June 4,
2021.
Author, "The
Price of Fame: Income Tax Considerations for Social Media Influencers,"
Ontario Bar Association, April 5, 2021.
Author, "New
Privacy Legislation Aims to Address Digital Assets in Estate Administration,"
All About Estates, March 26, 2021.
Author, "Can
You Preserve Your Tattoos After Your Death?" All About Estates,
January 22, 2021.
Author, "Electronic
Wills in Ontario: Growing Interest, Growing Need, or Growing Concern?"
All About Estates, November 13, 2020.
Author, "Aging,
Memory, Existentialism and Xenoblade Chronicles 2," All About
Estates, September 11, 2020.
Author, "Estate
Planning for Tattoo Artists," All About Estates, August 7,
2020.
Author, "A
Presumptive Peril: The Law of Beneficiary Designations is Now in Flux,"
All About Estates, July 17, 2020.
Author, "How
to Provide for Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons After Your Death:
Part III," All About Estates, July 10, 2020.
Author, "How
to Provide for Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons After Your Death:
Part II," All About Estates, June 19, 2020.
Author, "How
to Provide for Your Island in Animal Crossing: New Horizons After Your Death:
Part I," All About Estates, May 8, 2020.
Author, "Accommodating
Beneficiaries of a Will With Differing Gender Identities," All
About Estates, April 17, 2020.
Author, "Estates
Law and Privacy Law: An Incomplete Intersection (Part III)," All
About Estates, April 3, 2020.
Author, "Estates
Law and Privacy Law: An Incomplete Intersection (Part II)," All
About Estates, March 6, 2020.
Author, "Estates Law and Privacy Law: An Incomplete Intersection (Part I)," All About Estates, February 7, 2020.
Education
- Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP), Society of Trust and
Estate Practitioners, 2022
- JD, Osgoode Hall Law School, 2018
- BA (Hons.) (Professional Writing and Film), York University, 2014