Queen’s Marque
600-1741 Lower Water Street
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 0J2
rniedermayer@stewartmckelvey.com
Language(s) spoken: English
Bar Admission(s): Nova Scotia, 1995
Legal Assistant(s): Vicki Greenough
Providing legal services through a professional corporation.
As an estate/tax advisor and corporate lawyer, Richard is a leader in estates, trusts, tax and corporate law. He works primarily with individuals and owner-managed and family businesses on a broad range of estates and trusts, tax and corporate matters. Richard has worked on many challenging projects, including:
- Complex estate plans involving tax-planned wills with multiple trusts, advanced probate planning mechanisms and strategies to address potential future incapacity.
- Tax-planned corporate reorganizations involving family trusts, holding companies and similar planning structures.
- Administration of complex international estates with assets in multiple jurisdictions.
- Corporate advice and succession planning for owner-managed and family businesses.
Who’s Who Legal reports: Richard Niedermayer is “a particularly notable” figure in the Canadian market with sources stating, “He is a go-to in Nova Scotia.”
Education & Career
Education
University of British Columbia, LLB, 1994
St. Francis Xavier University, BA (first class honours), 1991
Activities
Member, Canadian Bar Association (CBA)
Member, Nova Scotia Advisory Committee on King’s Counsel Appointments, 2022-present
Past chair, National Wills, Estates and Trusts Section, CBA, 2013 – 2014 (Board member, 2005 – 2007 and 2009 – 2015)
Past chair, Wills, Estates and Trusts Section, CBA-Nova Scotia, 2005 – 2007
Director, STEP Canada Board of Directors, 2011 – 2013 and 2016 – present
Director, Fulcher Foundation, 2014 – present
Deputy Chair, STEP Canada, 2021 – present
National Secretary, STEP Canada, 2019 – 2021
Member, STEP Canada National Programs Committee, 2021 – present
Member, STEP Canada Education Committee, 2023 – present
Former member, STEP Canada Human Resources and Governance Committees, 2012 – 2015 and 2017 – 2018, and Past Chair, Human Resources Committee, 2019 – 2021, and Governance Committee, 2019 – 2021
Past Co-chair, STEP Canada National Conference Committee, 2018 – 2019, and member, 2017 – 2018 and 2021 – present
Past chair, STEP Atlantic Branch, 2011 – 2013
Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
Past president, Halifax Estate Planning Council, 2006 – 2007
Current volunteer and past president (2003 – 2005), Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia
Past part-time lecturer, Law of Succession, Schulich Faculty of Law, Dalhousie University, 2009 – 2010
Student Committee, Halifax Office, Stewart McKelvey, 2009 – 2010
Compensation Committee, Stewart McKelvey, 2010 – 2011
Partnership Board, Stewart McKelvey, 2012 – 2016
Accolades
King’s Counsel, 2021
STEP Founder’s Award 2021
Best Lawyers 2023 Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year” in Halifax
Best Lawyers 2019 Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year” in Halifax
STEP Atlantic 2017 Volunteer of the Year award
Best Lawyers 2017 Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year” in Halifax
Best Lawyers: Corporate Law, 2012 – 2024
Best Lawyers: Trust and Estates, 2011 – 2024
Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2016 – 2023 (Private Client)
Who’s Who Legal: Global 2023 (Private Client)
TEP designation from STEP
Highest Rated Session, 2021 STEP Canada National Conference
Lexpert rating: Estate & Personal Tax Planning, 2010 – 2024
Martindale-Hubbell rating: BV Distinguished®
Thought Leadership
Publications
Equality, Equity, and Exclusion: The Effect of the Jackson Estate Decision on Common Law Partners, ETPJ 39:4, August 2020
Quoted in “How to ensure a smooth succession”, The Globe and Mail
January 19, 2018
Quoted in “Creative Planning for Incapacity”, Advisor’s Edge
October 14, 2016
Quoted in “Exploring the life cycle of a small business”, Atlantic Business Magazine
September 07, 2016
Quoted in “What if it wasn’t the last will?”, Advisor’s Edge
March 04, 2016
Quoted in “Taxing changes”, Canadian Lawyer
October 05, 2015
“Lawyers gear up for tax changes to testamentary trusts”, Law Times
October 20, 2014
The Lawyers Weekly, “A State of Uncertainty: Greater onus on lawyers to ensure that probate documents are complete”
June 22, 2012
The Lawyer’s Weekly, “Solving the Puzzle of International Estates”
December 03, 2010
Presentations
Guest, Matters Beyond Wealth Podcast: What is probate and can it be avoided?
November 23, 2022
Co-presenter, “Gift Wrapping: The Pros and Cons of Inter Vivos Gifts”, STEP Canada National Conference
June 15, 2021
“Charitable Giving and Trusts”, CBA-NS WET and Charities Sections
April 24, 2019
#isanyonereallywinning (other than the lawyers): Trends in Estate Litigation, STEP Atlantic seminar
April 04, 2019
Co-presenter, “High Conflict Estates”, CBA NS 2018 annual conference
December 07, 2018
Co-presenter, “Practitioners’ Update: Trust and Estate Law”, STEP Canada national conference
May 28, 2018
Presenter, “Henson and Other Discretionary Trusts”, CBA-NS session
April 24, 2018
Presenter, “Powers of Appointment and Powers to Add and Remove Beneficiaries”, CBA-NS session
February 13, 2018
Co-presenter, “A Comprehensive Review of Trust Fundamentals”, Canadian Tax Foundation’s Atlantic Provinces Tax Conference workshop
November 03, 2017
Presenter, “Joint Tenancy and Real Estate Issues in Estate Planning”, STEP Atlantic seminar
March 09, 2017
Presenter, “Estate and Probate Planning – Using Trusts Tax Efficiently”, CPA NS session
February 22, 2017
Presenter, “Estate and Probate Planning – Using Trusts Tax Efficiently”, CBA – PEI Wills, Estates and Trusts Section
January 24, 2017
Presenter, “Structuring & Attacking Joint Tenancies”, CBA
November 25, 2016
Presenter, “Conflicts of Interest for Estate Practitioners”, CBA – NS Wills, Estates and Trusts Section
April 12, 2016
Presenter, “So You Have a Trust. Now Can You Vary It?”, CBA – NS Mid-Winter Conference
January 29, 2016
Presenter, “Estate and Probate Planning – Using Trusts Tax Efficiently”, ICANS session
January 08, 2016
Presenter, “Planning After Incapacity”, STEP Atlantic seminar
November 19, 2015
Presenter, “The New Estate Donation Rules – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”, Canadian Association of Gift Planners – Nova Scotia chapter
September 24, 2015
Presenter, “The Changed Landscape: The Impact of New Tax Rules on Trusts and on Estate Donations”, CBA Webinar Series
September 17, 2015
Presenter, “Planning After Incapacity”, STEP Canada National Conference
June 19, 2015
Presenter, “Estate and Probate Planning – Using Trusts Tax Efficiently”, ICANS session
January 28, 2015
Presenter, “Ethics for Trust and Estate Practitioners: Managing Conflicts of Interest”, STEP Canada National Conference
June 17, 2014
Presenter, “Real Property Rundown”, STEP Canada National Conference
June 17, 2014
Presenter, “Are Testamentary Trusts Dead?”, STEP Atlantic Seminar
May 15, 2014
Presenter, “Wills, Estates, & Trusts: Nova Scotia Perspective”, CBA L.@.W. Series – Session II: “Across the Country in 90 Minutes”
May 06, 2014
Presenter, “Choice of Private Foundation Structure – Corporate or Trust?”, CBA – NS Charities and Not-For-Profit Section
April 16, 2014
Presenter, “2008 Wills Act Amendments – Where are we and Where are we Going?”, CBA NS Wills, Estates & Trusts Section Meeting
February 11, 2014
Presenter, “Should you be Trusted? Using Trusts in Estate Planning”, CBA Elder Law Conference,
November 15, 2013
Presenter, “Not-For-Profit Organizations Update: Legal Issues”, KPMG Presentation
October 24, 2013
Co-presenter, “Governance, Succession and the Role of the Family Office”, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners – Atlantic
June 10, 2013
Co-presenter, “Your Business, Your Legacy”, RBC Business Seminar Series
March 06, 2013
Co-presenter, “Asset Protection: Are the Family Jewels Really Safe?”, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners – Atlantic
February 21, 2013
Presenter, “Estate and Probate Planning – Using Trusts Tax Efficiently”, ICANS
February 15, 2013
Co-presenter, “Being an Executor: How to Stay Out of Court”, CBA Nova Scotia Online CLE
January 18, 2013
Presenter, “Insurance Trusts”, 2012 Atlantic Provinces Tax Conference, November 2012
Presenter, “Estate and Probate Planning – Using Trusts Tax Efficiently”, ICANS Presentation
March 07, 2012
Co-presenter, “Succession Planning and Leadership Styles – What Does Success Look Like”, CAFE Presentation
February 09, 2012
Presenter, “Tax Efficient Probate Planning”, Cidel Provence, Conference – France
September 11, 2011
Presenter, “Navigating the Family Owned Business – Tips for In House Counsel”, CCCA Session 202
August 15, 2011
Presenter, “Wills & Estate Planning”, Capital District Health Authority Pre-Retirement Seminar
May 31, 2011
Co-presenter, “The Delights and Dangers of Dabbling as an Executor and Trustee”, CBA Annual Professional Development Conference
January 14, 2011
Presenter, “Autism and Estate Planning – Part II – Planning for the Parents of an Autistic Child”
November 23, 2010
Presenter, “Autism and Estate Planning – Part I – Planning for the Autistic Child”
November 09, 2010
Co-presenter, “Shareholder Rights in the Context of Freezes, Trust Distributions and 21 year planning”, Cidel Conference, September 2010
Co-presenter, “Tax Efficient Probate Avoidance”, STEP Atlantic Branch
February 25, 2010
Presenter, “Uses of Trusts in Estate Planning”, CBA (PEI Branch and Law Society of PEI)
January 29, 2010
Presenter, “Tax Planning for the Owner-Manager”
May 13, 2009
Co-presenter, “Incapacity”, STEP Atlantic Branch
November 27, 2008
Presenter, “Tax Planned Will”, CBA WET Subsection
November 03, 2008
Co-presenter, “Estate Planning and Planned Giving”, St. FX Presentation
Presenter, “Undue Influences”, Canadian Association of Gift Planners
September 25, 2008
Presenter, “Uses of Trusts in Estate Planning”, CBA Young Lawyers Section
December 05, 2007
Presenter, “Executors Accounts and Taxation of Costs”, Wills, Estates and Probate for Legal Support Staff
October 19, 2007
Co-presenter, “The Tax-Planned Will”, NSBS Lunch and Learn
September 26, 2007