Atty. Clare E. Burns
Clare Burns is a senior trusts and estates litigator. She served as the Children's Lawyer for the Province of Ontario from 2003 to 2008 pursuant to an Order-in-Council appointment.
Alternative Dispute Resolution & More Attorney · Serving Toronto, ON · 35+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About Clare E. Burns at a Glance
Clare E. Burns is a trusts and adr attorney based in Toronto, Ontario, practicing at WeirFoulds LLP. They have 35+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1991. Admitted to practice in Ontario, Law Society of Ontario (1991). Educated at Osgoode Hall Law School (—, 1988). Recognitions include Lawyer of the Year — Trusts and Estates, Toronto (Canada) (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Alternative Dispute Resolution (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Trusts and Estates (2026). Serves clients in Toronto, ON and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Clare E. Burns
- Clare Burns is a senior trusts and estates litigator
- She served as the Children's Lawyer for the Province of Ontario from 2003 to 2008 pursuant to an Order-in-Council appointment
- As the Children's Lawyer, Clare's office was responsible to investigate, advocate, protect and represent persons under the age of 18 in proceedings before the courts and tribunals of Ontario
- In this role, she supervised more than 11,000 cases including variations of trust, will challenges, passings of accounts, guardianships and all kinds of dependant's relief matters
- She also developed expertise in personal injury matters
- As the Children's Lawyer, Clare appeared in the Ontario Superior Court and the Court of Appeal for Ontario on behalf of children
- Notably she was counsel for the child in A. (A.) v
- B. (B.), the case which determined that a child could have more than two parents
- Prior to her appointment as the Children's Lawyer, Clare's private practice was restricted to civil litigation
- She appeared at the Ontario Superior Court (including many appearances at the Estates List), the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Tax Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada and on various matters dealt with by way of ADR both in Ontario and internationally, pursuant to ICC Rules
- Significant commercial litigation briefs included: Bank of Montreal ats Bourgeois (concerning allegations related to the operation of the Bank's managed futures business), Nesbitt Burns Inc. ats Ukrainain (Fort William) Credit Union Limited (concerning allegations of negligent derivates trading)
- Exxon Chemical Company ats Lubrizol (motor oil patent infringement)
- and Lurgi AG ats Cominco (concerning allegations of negligent construction of a lead smelter)
- Significant briefs in trust and estate litigation included: acting for estate trustees on passings of accounts seeking approval of commercial transactions involving assets with a value in excess of Cdn $1 billion
- and acting for a major trust corporation defending allegations that it failed to obtain an adequate rate of return on trustee investments
- In the three years prior to her appointment as the Children's Lawyer, Clare was designated by Lexpert as a Leading Practitioner of Estate Litigation
- Outside the firm, she is actively engaged in the profession and broader community
- She has been a Director of The Advocate's Society and Vice President of the National Association of Public Trustees and Guardians
- Clare has taught estates, children's law and trial advocacy at the University of Toronto Law School, Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Western Ontario Law School
- Clare has spoken widely in a variety of venues and has published many professional papers
- She is a Past Director of World Literacy of Canada and About Face Craniofacial Family Society
- She received an Ontario Volunteer Award in 2002
Practice Areas Explained
Clare E. Burns's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Clare E. Burns handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in Toronto.
Trusts in Toronto
Clare E. Burns is one of 103,428 trusts attorneys indexed nationally. Browse trusts attorneys in Ontario →
Mediation & Arbitration in Toronto
Mediators and arbitrators for civil, commercial, family, and employment dispute resolution.
Clare E. Burns is one of 73,315 adr attorneys indexed nationally. Browse adr attorneys in Ontario →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in Toronto
Practicing law in Ontario. Legal matters in Ontario are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in Toronto are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate Ontario state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in Ontario brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this venue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in Ontario courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Toronto Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a Toronto-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional Ontario attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Toronto or all attorneys in Ontario.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in Toronto Choose Clare E. Burns
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Clare E. Burns's practice in the field of trusts and adr.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
Clare E. Burns brings 35+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering trusts and adr, Clare E. Burns can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in Toronto
A Toronto-based practice means Clare E. Burns attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
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