houle-louise

Louise Houle

Counsel
English, French
1982 - Québec
Legal assistantGinette Primeau514.878.8629gprimeau@dgchait.com

Louise Houle puts her invaluable experience at your disposal to keep your assets safe.

Louise is an experienced lawyer in the taxation team. Her practice focuses on tax and estate planning, especially for families holding real estate in Canada, the United States and Europe. She also advises wealthy families on matters pertaining to trusts as well as Canada-United States cross-border tax planning.

Louise has extensive experience in complex national and international business structuring and in estate planning.  She is very familiar with matters relating to personal taxation and death taxes in Canada and the United States, inheritance and estate taxes in Europe as well as philanthropy, non-profit organizations and charities.

Louise was a member of the Board of Directors of the Québec Crown Corporation Investissement Québec (2008-2010). She was also a member of the Board of Directors (1994-1998) of Desjardins Venture Capital and of its Investment Committee (1999-2011). She has become familiar with governance and reporting for financial institutions. From 2004 to 2012, she served as member of the Board of Directors of Selwyn House School and The Study School Foundation (2004-2013).

Louise aso represented numerous foundations and secretary of charitable organizations during her career. Louise was secretary of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation from 2001 to 2021, the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation from 1999 to 2015 and of the Cree Community Foundation since 1998.

Louise Houle puts her invaluable experience at your disposal to keep your assets safe.

Louise is an experienced lawyer in the taxation team. Her practice focuses on tax and estate planning, especially for families holding real estate in Canada, the United States and Europe. She also advises wealthy families on matters pertaining to trusts as well as Canada-United States cross-border tax planning.

Louise has extensive experience in complex national and international business structuring and in estate planning.  She is very familiar with matters relating to personal taxation and death taxes in Canada and the United States, inheritance and estate taxes in Europe as well as philanthropy, non-profit organizations and charities.

Louise was a member of the Board of Directors of the Québec Crown Corporation Investissement Québec (2008-2010). She was also a member of the Board of Directors (1994-1998) of Desjardins Venture Capital and of its Investment Committee (1999-2011). She has become familiar with governance and reporting for financial institutions. From 2004 to 2012, she served as member of the Board of Directors of Selwyn House School and The Study School Foundation (2004-2013).

Louise aso represented numerous foundations and secretary of charitable organizations during her career. Louise was secretary of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation from 2001 to 2021, the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation from 1999 to 2015 and of the Cree Community Foundation since 1998.

Best Lawyers in Canada®
Trusts and Estates – 2013 to 2023

Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory 
“Repeatedly Recommended” in Estate and Personal Tax Planning – 2021 to 2023

Chambers High Net Worth
Private Wealth Law – 2017

  • Civil Law Succession and Multi-jurisdictional Estate Planning
    CIBC Private Wealth, Montreal (Quebec) 2023
  • Civil Law Succession vs Common Law Estate
    CIBC Trust, Montreal (Quebec) 2023
  • Estate Planning: real estate or heirs outside Quebec, in the United States or in Europe
    Association de planification fiscale et financière, Montreal (Quebec), 2020
  • Estate Planning for Canadians with International Assets
    CIBC Tax and Estate Planning/Wealth Strategies Group, Toronto (Ontario) 2018
  • Cross-Border Estate Planning Issues and Adventures in Civil Law
    STEP Chicago, Chicago (Illinois), 2017
  • Estate Planning for Canadians with International Assets
    CIBC Tax and Estate Planning/Wealth Strategies Group, Toronto (Ontario), 2017
  • Multi-jurisdictional Estate Planning for Canadians
    TD Wealth Management, Montreal (Quebec), 2017
  • Multi-jurisdictional Estate Planning for Canadians
    Canadian Tax Foundation, Toronto (Ontario), 2016
  • Why the French cannot trust the Trusts
    2015 Cidel Provence Conference, (France), 2015
  • Cross-Border Planning for Canadians
    RBC Private Banking, Montreal (Quebec), 2013

LL.M. – Masters of Laws
McGill University, 1981

LL.L.  – Licentiate in Laws
Université Sherbrooke, 1978

Member, Estate Planning Council of Canada                                            Member, American Bar Association
Member, Association de planification fiscale et financière
Member, Barreau du Québec
Member, Canadian Bar Association – Quebec
Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
Representative of Canada, International Inheritance Forum

Secretary since 1998, Cree Eenou-Eeyou Community Foundation
Secretary and member from 1999 to 2015, Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation
Secretary and member from 2001 to 2021, Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
Member of the Board from 2004 to 2013, The Study School Foundation
Member of the Board from 2005 to 2012, Selwyn House School
Member of the Investment Committee from 2005 to 2011, Desjardins Capital de risque
Member of the Board from 2008 to 2010, Investissement Québec