Stephen Hsia is a wealth management specialist and a trusted advisor to clients. Clients see Stephen for wills, powers of attorney, trust agreements, family agreements, estate law and administration services, business law advice, and tax opinions tailored to their planning needs.
Death and taxes are inevitable -- however, recent tax changes, rising property prices, increasing global mobility, and aging family members have made planning for the future more urgent, yet more challenging, than ever.
Clients come to Stephen for clear, common-sense, and cost-effective legal solutions for their wealth management, estate planning, business succession, and taxation needs.
Stephen crafts estate plans for all kinds of clients -- from young professionals to retirees, from family businesses to large organizations. Stephen is a one-stop shop for:
- Wills (simple and complex), powers of attorney (personal and corporate), health care representation agreements and advanced directives;
- Trust agreements (family, inter vivos, alter ego, joint partner, and qualified disability trusts);
- Family agreements (pre-nuptial and cohabitation agreements);
- Advice on joint tenancy planning, real estate transactions, estate freezes, corporate reorganizations, gifts, board governance, and tax compliance (such as the Canada Revenue Agency’s Voluntary Disclosure Program); and
- Estate administration services (including applications to obtain a grant of probate or administration).
Stephen also has significant dispute resolution experience. He has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in British Columbia and has clerked for three judges at the Ontario Court of Appeal. Stephen’s background gives him a keen insight and instinct for protecting clients’ interests, whether it is keeping clients out of litigation or giving them the strongest possible hand for it.
Able to read and speak Chinese, and having worked across Canada, the United States, and Asia, Stephen also benefits clients with his cross-cultural fluency and cross-jurisdictional contacts.
Stephen’s interest in the field of planning and taxation first began at Princeton University, where Stephen wrote his undergraduate thesis on tax and legal reforms for charities. After graduating, Stephen worked on international white-collar criminal cases at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and obtained an accounting certificate from New York University. Now back home in B.C., Stephen is currently completing the In-Depth Tax Course with the Canadian Institute of Chartered Professional Accountants. Stephen is committed to using his trade to help build up strong families and organizations in B.C., united in a common family/corporate vision.
