Tim H.R. Brown

OVERVIEW

Tim is the leader of our Wealth Preservation and Estate & Wealth Advisory Practice Groups. Prior to joining the firm in 1992, he was a litigation assistant with B.C’s Attorney General from September 1991 until February 1992. His preferred areas of practice are Estate & Wealth Advisory, Wealth Preservation, Business Succession and Estate Planning, Corporate law, and providing practical small business advice. Working in conjunction with US legal and tax specialists, Tim has an astute ability for assisting Canadians with US-based estate planning, and Americans with their Canadian-based estate planning. While not an agent, he also has a special skill set with life insurance-based planning.

Tim is constantly striving to better understand his practice. Along with the numerous Business Law, Taxation and Estate Planning courses he attends and teaches, Tim is a graduate of the Family Enterprise Advisor Program, This one-year in-depth course focuses on working with other multi-disciplinary family enterprise advisors and learning the “soft” issues, which enhance solid, technically correct succession plans so that the plans have a maximum chance of success.

Tim is well-regarded by his co-workers, his clients and their other service providers alike for his exceptional capabilities and creative thinking. Tim’s basic principles of practice are that:

“People come to lawyers to get things done because they need help. I like getting things done. Being creative without being aggressive is key. Almost everything I do is subject to a cost benefit analysis for my clients, with a focus on getting a bang-for-their-buck. If they save $150,000 in taxes because they invested in $5,000 worth of estate planning, it’s worth it. If they’re going to spend $10,000 just to save $15,000 I may well tell them not to do it.”

Tim was born and raised in North Vancouver where he currently lives with his wife, two children and two Boston Terriers. He looks forward to summer months when he can be seen driving his impractical summer car – a red 1972 MGB convertible. Tim enjoys working out in a gym (under duress), skiing on the rocks and ice of the local mountains, and veggie gardening – especially world class raspberries (black bear approved). Further indoor activities include online video gaming with his son and scotch tasting, a newly acquired “hobby”. Traveling is also near and dear to Tim’s heart – 49 countries and counting – as he attempts to catch up to his father’s 100 countries. However, some of Tim’s exploration has turned into dangerous holidays – he was in Moscow during the failed August 1991 coup d’etat.

Tim provides legal services through T.H.R. Brown Law Corp.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENT WORK

Team based approach to estate planning advice (works closely with accountants, insurance agents, investment advisors and other professionals)

Business Succession and Income Allocation Planning and Estate Planning Advice

The new Family Law Act is likely the biggest threat to many clients’ wealth. Tim helps design marriage and inheritance protecting agreements. These agreements are used in conjunction with other planning or as separate stand-alone solutions.

• Design and implement effective solutions for US-Canada cross border estate planning (often in conjunction with US focussed advisors)
• Design and implement plans for income splitting, creditor protection, avoidance of estate litigation, and estate planning goals
• Draft wills, insurance trusts, and other testamentary type instruments for simple and complicated estate plans
• Design specialized plans to avoid or minimize estate taxes and costs such as probate fees and to avoid the need to apply for probate

Holding Corporation Law

• Design, negotiate and implement corporate succession planning, dealing with multi-family issues, complex corporate and trust structures, and reasonable family expectations
• Cash flow management
• Creating safe “family bank” corporations
• Tax and corporate re‑organizations including butterfly transactions

Tim represents primarily owner-operated / owner-managed private businesses based or carrying on business in British Columbia on the following issues:

• Incorporation, share ownership, shareholders agreements, and management agreement with a focus on professionals, engineers, retailers and marinas
• Basic tax law issues – creative planning
• Contracts, business purchase and sale negotiations
• Employment and independent contractor issues including tax concerns
• Negotiation to resolve disputes before litigation
• Financing / lending issues especially between related parties or involving leveraged life insurance

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

In June, 2024, Tim was elected for a third term as one of 13 Board of Directors for the Vancouver Club, and he was voted in as the Vice President. Tim is a third generation member who is committed to assisting the Club for another two-year term.

Tim is the former President of Highlands Out of School Care Society (a post he held for 9 years). While still a high school student, he taught basic computer science and data processing at BCIT during his school holidays in the 1980’s. For 2013 to 2015, Tim was the assistant coach for the North Shore Girls U13 Eagles and main coach for the U14 Thunder soccer teams.