A full-wrap service firm for business owners

We advise owner-operators, entrepreneurs, and private business families through the most consequential moment in the life of an enterprise: succession and transition. From first-generation founders planning an exit to multi-generational families structuring governance, control, and continuity, we support the full arc of enterprise — from capital and operations to legacy preservation. Our counsel integrates law with wealth, tax, insurance, and family-enterprise dynamics, ensuring that ownership transitions protect both enterprise value and the relationships behind it.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE:

Corporate Law

Your Legal Foundation—from Formation to Future-Proofing

Corporate law is at the heart of every business. From incorporation to strategic structuring, our corporate law services are designed to support owner-operators through the full spectrum of growth, from launch to exit.
Whether you're building something new, navigating complex reorganizations, or planning for succession, we ensure your legal foundation aligns with your vision. We collaborate with accountants, tax planners, and investment professionals—or connect you with trusted partners—to ensure corporate structuring supports your business and personal goals.

    • Shareholder Agreements

    • Governance & Board Support

    • Cap Table Management

    • Minute Book & Corporate Recordkeeping

    • Stakeholder Relations & Management

    • Corporate Reorganizations

    • Inter-Company Agreements

    • Domestic & Foreign Subsidiary Management

    • Corporate Structuring

    • Not-for-Profit Law (Federal and Provincial Compliance)

Commercial Agreements

Your Business, Contractually Protected

Contracts are the operational backbone of any business. We draft and negotiate agreements that reflect your business strategy and protect your interests. Whether you're launching your first product or scaling across borders, our contracts align with your growth and risk profile—helping ensure your business relationships are strong, scalable, and enforceable.

    • Technology & SaaS Agreements

    • Supplier, Vendor & Service Contracts

    • NDAs & Confidentiality Agreements

    • Licensing, Consulting & Collaboration Agreements

    • IP Assignment & Data Use Agreements

Multi-Family Office Services

Keeping peace and continuing prosperity

Multi-Family Office Services

Our Multi-Family Office provides a coordinated, full-service approach to managing the legal, financial, and strategic affairs of families and business owners. We act as a central advisor, overseeing and integrating the various professional services required to manage, protect, and transition family wealth.

By aligning legal advice with financial and strategic planning, we help families manage complexity, preserve assets, and support long-term generational success.

  • Our services include:

    • Legal Advisory – Ongoing legal support for family governance, trusts, estate planning, and ownership structures.

    • Advisor Coordination – Management and alignment of external advisors, including insurance, investment management, and accounting professionals.

    • Asset Management Oversight – Coordination with portfolio managers and financial advisors to support long-term investment strategies.

    • Wealth Preservation – Structuring strategies to protect assets and manage risk across generations.

    • Foundations & Philanthropy – Establishment and governance of family foundations and charitable initiatives.

    • Family Education & Governance – Preparing the next generation for responsible stewardship of family wealth.

    • Succession Planning – Planning for leadership and ownership transitions within families and family businesses.

    • Dispute Management – Proactive strategies to prevent and resolve family and business conflicts.

    Through our integrated approach, we help families maintain clarity, continuity, and confidence in managing their wealth and legacy.

Wills, Estates & Trusts

Your Legacy, Legally Aligned

For entrepreneurs and owner-operators, estate planning is business planning. We help you protect your assets, family, and values across generations. Our approach blends tax awareness, business continuity, and intergenerational stewardship—integrating with your wealth managers, insurance providers, and family office.

    • Wills, Powers of Attorney & Advanced Directives

    • Corporate Succession & Estate Freeze Structures

    • Family, Spousal & Testamentary Trusts

    • Life Insurance & Liquidity Planning

    • Philanthropy & Charitable Structures

    • Intergenerational Wealth Transfers

    • Business Continuity & Legacy Management

Mergers & Acquisitions

Transitions Handled with Precision and Foresight

Buying, selling, or restructuring a business marks a key milestone. We support clients through these transitions with strategic clarity and transaction fluency. Our role spans deal structuring, diligence, and execution. We collaborate with financial, tax, and succession advisors to ensure your outcomes are aligned, clean, and complete.

    • Asset & Share Purchases / Sales

    • Corporate Divestitures & Wind-downs

    • Joint Ventures & Strategic Mergers

    • Due Diligence & Legal Risk Management

    • Transaction Structuring & Execution

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Protecting Value, Preserving Relationships

Disputes happen. Our job is to resolve them with minimal disruption—protecting value while managing risk. We take a pragmatic, strategic approach to dispute resolution, whether acting directly or coordinating with litigation counsel on larger matters. We also advise on dispute prevention.

    • Demand Letters & Negotiated Settlements

    • Shareholder, Commercial & Employment Disputes

    • Small Claims & Tribunal Matters

    • Oversight & Coordination with Litigation Counsel

    • Risk Mitigation & Dispute Prevention Strategies

Family Enterprise Succession & Transition

Coordinated. Strategic. Generationally Aligned.

Transitioning a family enterprise is more than a legal event — it is a generational shift in leadership, ownership, and vision. It requires clarity, alignment, and coordinated execution across multiple professional advisors.

Through White Shoe Group, we provide a structured succession framework that aligns your family and enhances efficiency for your advisory team. BTL Counsel forms part of White Shoe Group and supports the legal structuring process, but our role is not to replace your existing advisors — it is to coordinate them.

  • We Work With Your Advisors

    Most families already have trusted relationships with legal counsel, accountants, tax advisors, insurance professionals, and wealth managers. We work alongside them.

    Our role is to:

    • Clarify your family’s long-term objectives

    • Develop a comprehensive transition plan

    • Coordinate communication among advisors

    • Provide clear, consolidated instructions

    • Streamline implementation to reduce duplication and inefficiency

    When advisors operate from a unified strategy, work becomes more efficient, costs are more predictable, and outcomes are better aligned.

    A Fully Integrated Option — If You Prefer

    Where families desire a more integrated approach, we leverage our strategic relationships in business strategy, law, accounting and tax, and insurance to deliver a fully coordinated succession effort under one framework.

    Whether we coordinate your preferred advisors or assemble our strategic partners, the objective remains the same:

    Alignment. Efficiency. Continuity.

    Our Succession Framework

    Our process typically includes:

    • Family discovery and alignment

    • Values and governance development

    • Family Constitution and dispute resolution design

    • Strategic business planning

    • Leadership and ownership transition design

    • Legal documentation and implementation

    Every step is structured to protect both family relationships and enterprise value.

    Building a Legacy That Endures

    Effective succession planning preserves more than assets — it protects relationships, reputation, and long-term opportunity.

    We bring structure to complexity and clarity to generational transition — ensuring your enterprise is positioned to thrive for decades to come.

Capital to Grow—Structured to Last

We guide clients through all forms of business financing—from early-stage fundraising to complex debt structures—ensuring legal and strategic alignment. We support investor negotiations and financing structures that balance control, risk, and growth. We also coordinate with financial and tax advisors to ensure integration.

Corporate Finance

    • SAFE Agreements & Convertible Notes

    • Angel, VC & Private Equity Transactions

    • Private Placements & Securities Compliance

    • Institutional Lending & Mortgage Financing

    • Asset-Based Lending & Inter-Creditor Arrangements

Legal Support for Real Property Transactions That Power Business

We help you buy, sell, finance, or lease property with legal clarity and strategic foresight—whether for operating space, investment, or succession purposes. We ensure your property transactions are efficient, risk-aware, and aligned with long-term planning by working with your brokers, lenders, and advisors.

Real Estate

    • Commercial Leasing (Landlord & Tenant)

    • Residential & Commercial Purchases & Sales

    • Real Estate Financing & Mortgage Structuring

    • Title Review, Due Diligence & Closing Coordination

Growing a Team, Leading Responsibly

From your first hire to executive leadership, employment law is integral to building a resilient organization. We provide advice grounded in the realities of growth and workplace culture.

Our guidance integrates legal compliance with your business philosophy, and we coordinate with HR consultants, compensation experts, and benefits advisors to deliver balanced solutions.

Employment Law

    • Employment Agreements & Offer Letters

    • Workplace Policies & Handbooks

    • Equity Compensation & Bonus Plans

    • Contractor Agreements & Classification

    • Termination Advice, Severance & Dispute Support

    • Human Rights, Accommodation & DEI Compliance