Rutsu Shikano

OVERVIEW

Rutsu is a partner and the co-leader of the Estate and Wealth Advisory Group. Rutsu incorporates her knowledge of tax law, corporate law, real estate law and family law to provide her clients with holistic advice to develop practical and tax efficient estate plans for the intergenerational transfer of wealth. She advises small business owners and incorporated professionals on their corporate and business succession needs, and families and individuals on their personal estate planning needs.

After completing her articles with the firm in 2013, Rutsu joined the Estate and Wealth Advisory Group.

Rutsu has completed Parts I, II and lll of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada In-Depth Tax Course, receiving an Honorable Mention for her Year III Project.

Rutsu immigrated to Vancouver from Japan when she was three years old. Outside of work she spends her time wrangling her personal zoo of two kids, two dogs and two cats (and husband!). Rutsu has also spent time volunteering in Tanzania where she helped local women understand their human rights, property rights, inheritance rights and family law matters.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENT WORK

• Advise and assist clients with their personal estate and incapacity planning, including the preparation of Wills, Powers of Attorney, Representation Agreements, Alter Ego and Joint Partner Trusts, Family Trusts, disability planning including Henson Trusts and Qualified Disability Trusts, and the use of joint assets and bare trusts
• Advise and assist executors and trustees in B.C. probate applications and the administration of estates and trusts
• Advise and assist business owners with their corporate planning, including succession planning, re-organizations and estate freezes
• Advise and assist business owners with general corporate and business law issues, including the incorporation of B.C. companies, the incorporation of B.C. professional corporations, preparation of shareholders’ agreements, and corporate transactions
• Advise and assist not-for-profits with the incorporation of B.C. societies, federal not-for-profit corporations and the registration of charitable status

PUBLICATIONS

• “Let Them Have Their Cake and Enjoy it, Too” – Canadian Tax Foundation – Perspectives on Tax Law & Policy – Volume 5, Number 3, September 2024
• Business Succession (including Bill C-208 and Employee Ownership Trusts) – CFT BC Tax Conference, 2023 (Co-authored)

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Visiting Volunteer Lawyer, Inherit Your Rights (Tanzania, Africa)
Past Mentor, Take a Hike – Youth at Risk Foundation
Past Director, Japanese Canadian Citizens Association of Greater Vancouver