Elise Everest Business & Estate Planning Lawyer

Elise describes herself as “your friendly neighbourhood lawyer” who aims to provide her clients with insightful legal advice that is practical and easy to understand.

Elise is relatable.  Like most of her clients, she is a multi-tasker who is currently managing multiple roles in business and life. For Elise, her most important roles are Mom, Lawyer and Entrepreneur. Accordingly, Elise appreciates the various legal challenges that can impact her clients in their various roles – as business-owner, as executor, as homeowner, as caregiver, as parent, as partner, as more – and Elise is a problem-solver who creates solutions for her clients, not obstacles.

Elise considers her practice to consist of the “trifecta” of business law, wills and estates and real estate matters. Here’s how she can help in each of these areas:

Elise helps individual entrepreneurs, small businesses and larger companies with their day-to-day legal needs. She is often asked by her clients to:

• review, draft and negotiate contracts, such as service or sales agreements and commercial leases;
• handle transactions, like buying and selling businesses or assets;
• assist with financing; or
• to prepare corporate records, such as issuing dividends.

Elise can help you:

• incorporate your business;
• comply with relevant laws and regulations;
• set up shareholder agreements,;
• grow your business through an amalgamation or ownership restructuring; and
• assist with business succession planning or winding up.

Elise helps her clients to prepare their Wills, power of attorneys and representation agreements. She also provides advice on various types of trusts: inter vivos or “living trusts” such as family trusts, alter ego trusts or joint partner trusts, disability trusts or testamentary trusts.  Elise has particular experience helping clients with complex issues such as:

• protecting the interests of a blended family;
• planning for guardianship of minor children; and
• addressing probate and taxation issues.

Elise also provides legal guidance to homeowners and home buyers regarding their sales, purchases and refinancings. Elise is proficient at reviewing legal documents and reading through the legal “jargon”. Elise can help you to:

• understand your Contract of Purchase and Sale;
• explain encumbrances on title such as easements and covenants;
• provide advice with respect to multiple owners on title; and
• handle First Nations leased land conveyancing.

For the first years of her practice, Elise gained experience in litigation and has appeared at all levels of court in British Columbia on matters related to estate litigation, commercial disputes, real estate transactions, and tenancy issues. After having the opportunity to work temporarily on secondment as in-house legal counsel to a public education institution, Elise transitioned her practice to its current focus. However, Elise values her early experience as a litigation lawyer which developed her skills as a negotiator, facilitator, consensus-builder, and overall advocate for her clients. 

Away from the office, you can find Elise chasing after her toddler, exploring the B.C. wilderness by camping and hiking with her friends and family, curling, golfing and volunteering with local animal charities.