VANCOUVER, November 19, 2025 – With demand for both estate planning and estate-related litigation services on the rise throughout Western Canada and Ontario, international law firm Cozen O’Connor LLP today welcomed estate and trust lawyer Alexander J. Swabuk to its award-winning Canadian Family Practice. Swabuk, who has spent the past decade guiding high net worth clients through both estate planning and, when necessary, complex, multi-party estate disputes, joins Cozen O'Connor LLP as a member and will work out of its Vancouver office. As a solicitor dedicated to comprehensive family planning and long-term decision-making, Alexander brings an in-depth understanding of the legal and practical issues families face when protecting their legacies and planning for the future.
Swabuk comes to the firm from Miller Thomson LLP and works closely with clients and their financial advisers to develop and manage a range of sophisticated, closely held estate structures, including complex family trusts and multigenerational ownership arrangements. Further, he brings to the firm substantial experience representing clients in contested estate and trust matters, including will challenges and variations, dependent support claims, passing of accounts, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and capacity-related proceedings.
"Adding a dedicated estates and trusts practitioner who understands both estate law planning and its litigation dimensions allows us to support clients across the entire estate/trust lifecycle — from initial formation through succession and beyond,” said Chantal Cattermole, chair of the firm’s Canadian Family Practice. “As an experienced litigator, Alex can help clients identify and minimize the potential for disputes early in the planning stage, long before they arise. He’s a terrific addition to our practice and I’m happy to welcome him aboard.”
Swabuk focuses his practice on strategic estate planning for business owners, entrepreneurs, and family enterprises, helping protect assets, manage risk, and achieve smooth generational transitions. He regularly advises on fiduciary duties, trustee obligations, and risk mitigation structures that align business and personal planning. He also provides corporate clients with guidance on shareholder succession, incapacity issues, beneficiary disputes, and estate-driven disruptions to business operations — advice that protects their corporate interests as well as their personal or family wealth.
“British Columbia and Ontario are seeing an increase in wealth transfer issues involving complex family structures, as well as a rise in cross-border and interprovincial matters — all of which require experienced estate counsel,” said Kathy Tang, office managing counsel for the Vancouver office. “Alex strengthens our ability to serve high net worth families, growing businesses, corporate and institutional clients, and charitable organizations. He also enhances our expanding corporate, real estate, and litigation capabilities. He’s an excellent addition, both to the firm and our Vancouver team.”
Outside the office, Swabuk serves as vice chair of the Vancouver CBA Executive Committee’s Wills, Estates & Trusts section, which regularly examines all aspects of Canadian estate and trust law. He’s also a volunteer floor hockey coach for Special Olympics Canada.
“I joined Cozen O’Connor because of the firm’s collaborative culture, its commitment to strategic growth in Vancouver, and its clear dedication to building a market-leading private client and litigation offering in Western Canada,” Swabuk said. “Cozen O’Connor offers the structure, sophistication, and collaborative environment needed to deliver the highest level of service to my estate, trust, and business clients. I’m very happy to be here.”
Swabuk earned his J.D. at the University of Windsor (Windsor ON) and a B.A at Simon Fraser University.
About Cozen O’Connor LLP
Cozen O’Connor LLP, an affiliate of Cozen O’Connor, provides exceptional legal services across capital markets and securities, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, commercial litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring, real estate, family law, and private client services. Together, the two firms offer clients access to more than 1,000 lawyers across 35 offices. With offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, and supported by multi-disciplinary teams, Cozen O’Connor LLP delivers trusted counsel with seamless cross-border collaboration.
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 1,000 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 35 offices across two continents.
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