Brian D. Sexton
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Brian D. Sexton Partner
Trusted and experienced legal counsel to private corporations and high net-worth individuals, Brian has over 28 years of experience predominately advising family-owned businesses on structuring their affairs, navigating complex legal issues including optimal structure, taxation, succession, governance, wealth preservation and other critical considerations.
Brian’s practice focuses on taxation law, with emphasis on advising owner-manager businesses on tax and related matters, including corporate tax planning and restructuring, succession planning, tax-effective structuring of share/asset sales and acquisitions, personal estate planning, trusts and tax dispute resolution with the Canada Revenue Agency and other taxation authorities. Brian also has significant experience with advising on the establishment of trusts for tax and other planning purposes and advising First Nations and their members on tax structuring, including settlement trusts and aboriginal business.
Brian is listed in the peer-rated Best Lawyers™ in Canada for Tax Law and Trusts & Estates. He received the Best Lawyers™ “Lawyer of the Year” award in Winnipeg for Tax Law in 2014 and Trusts and Estates in 2022.
Brian is a former Governor and Conferences committee Co-Chair of the Canadian Tax Foundation.
Practice Areas
Industries
- Agribusiness
- Charities & Non-profits
- Construction & Infrastructure
- Education
- Environment & Natural Resources
- Financial Services
- Health Care
- Manufacturing
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Professional Services
- Provincial & Municipal Government
- Public Sector & Crown Corporations
- Small & Midsize Businesses
- Start-Ups
- Technology, Media & Communications
Member
- Canadian Bar Association
- Manitoba Bar Association
- Canadian Tax Foundation
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Positions
- Canadian Tax Foundation, Former Governor and Conferences Committee, Co-Chair
- Canada Revenue Agency, Professionals Consultation Group (Manitoba), Former Member
- Manitoba Bar Association, Tax Section, Former Co-chair
- Canadian Tax Foundation Prairie Provinces Tax: Conference Organizing Committees, Member (2001, 2004, 2007-2010, 2012, 2016, 2022), Conference Co-Chair, (2008, 2009, 2012)
- Canadian Tax Foundation Annual Conference and Prairie Provinces Tax Conference, Chair of numerous sessions
Recognitions
- Brian has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers™ in Canada 2024 in the fields of Tax Law and Trusts & Estates (since 2010).
- Brian Sexton received the Best Lawyers™ 2022 Trusts and Estates ” Lawyer of the Year” award in Winnipeg.
- Brian Sexton received the Best Lawyers™ 2014 Tax Law “Lawyer of the Year” award in Winnipeg.
Lecturer
- Law Society of Manitoba Bar Admission Course
- University of Manitoba Faculty of Law
- Law Society of Manitoba
- Manitoba Bar Association
- Canadian Tax Foundation’s Prairie Provinces Tax Conferences
- Canadian Bar Association
- Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
- Certified General Accountants of Manitoba
- Certified Management Accountants of Manitoba
- Canadian Association of Financial Planners
Publications
- Canadian Bar Association Skilled Lawyer Series Webinars: “Acting for a Start-Up Business” (2011). Co-author and co-presenter commenting on applicable tax, trust and estate planning issues.
- Manitoba Bar Association Mid-Winter Meeting: “Limited Partnerships as Investment Vehicles” (2008). Co-author and co-presenter.
- Law Society of Manitoba Continuing Education: “Purchase and Sale of a Business – Update on Selected Tax Planning Opportunities and Pitfalls” (2004). Author and c0-presenter.
- Law Society of Manitoba Continuing Education: “Advisor Beware – New Civil Penalties under the Income Tax Act” (2001). Co-author and co-presenter.
- Canadian Tax Foundation, Prairie Provinces Tax Conference: “Proposed Amendments to Trust Taxation” (1999). Author and presenter.
- Canadian Tax Foundation, Prairie Provinces Tax Conference: “Opportunities and Pitfalls in Inbound and Outbound Business Structures” (1998). Co-author.
- Law Society of Manitoba Continuing Education: “Purchase and Sale of a Business – Update on Selected Tax Planning Opportunities and Pitfalls” (1998). Author and co-presenter.
- Law Society of Manitoba Continuing Education:“Family Trusts” (1997). Author and co-presenter.
- Author of a number of additional articles and publications on a variety of tax and estate planning topics.
