Overview
Joseph Yurkovich is a native Edmontonian and a corporate tax lawyer who has made a career of keeping on top of income tax and corporate law developments. Joe’s practice focuses on corporate taxation matters, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate law. Joe has substantial experience in drafting agreements and acting for limited partnerships in a variety of industries, including several with private equity and public sector fund participants. He acts as lead counsel on successful take-over bids, shareholder proposals and multijurisdictional exchangeable securities transactions. Joe has more than 30 years of mergers and acquisitions experience as lead counsel for purchase or sale of businesses in a wide range of industries including the following: professional hockey, national travel agency, oilfield/oilsands manufacturing and services, auto and equipment dealerships, national automotive retail and service provider, IT consulting, technology and internet businesses.
Apart from his secondment to the tax group of an international accounting firm, Joe has spent his entire career with Miller Thomson. He joined the Alberta predecessor firm in 1981 and was managing partner of that firm for three years immediately prior to merger with Miller Thomson.
Joe participated in consultations with Alberta Government Services and the Corporate Commercial Advisory Committee of the Law Society of Alberta regarding the 2005 amendments to the Alberta Business Corporation Act and the legislative provisions for Alberta unlimited liability corporations.
Joe has been a panelist and presented papers for seminars and courses on income tax and business law conducted by the Legal Education Society of Alberta, the Canadian Tax Foundation, and the Canadian Bar Association, Alberta Branch.
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Professional achievements & leadership
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Law, 2019
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Lawyer of the Year, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 2018
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Corporate Governance Practice; Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Tax Law and Trusts & Estates, 2008 – 2019
- The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Corporate Commercial, 2014-2018; Corporate Tax Law, 2013-2018
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Lawyer of the Year, Corporate Tax, 2014
- The Best Lawyers in Canada – Lawyer of the Year, Mergers & Acquisitions, 2013
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, leading practitioner in Estate & Personal Tax Planning, 2010-2012
- Graduate of Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Directors Education Program, 2007
- Appointed Queen’s Counsel, 2002
Notable matters
- Experienced with structuring limited partnership, cross-border exchangeable share, and initial public offering transactions for investment in clients by public corporations, private equity and pension fund administrators, including CPPIB and AIMCo.
- Has been retained to assist other major Edmonton law firms as counsel to the Board of Directors or minority employee shareholder groups on major divestiture transactions.
Thought leadership
- Federal Budget Review, 2013
- 2010-2011 Alberta Budget Highlights, Tax Notes, July 2010
- Limited Liability Companies and Hybrids, Tax Notes, Fall 2007
- Alberta Unlimited Liability Corporations, Tax Notes, Winter 2005
- Borrowing from Authorized Foreign Banks, Tax Notes, Winter 2003
- Recent corporate and income tax developments of interest, 2003
- Non-Competition Payments Taxable as Capital Gains – The Manrell Case, Tax Notes, Winter 2002
- Taxpayer Migration – Reporting Requirements, Tax Notes, Spring 2000
Community involvement
- Director, Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance, 2015 – Present
- Vice-President, Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, 2005 -2014
- Founding Member and Vice-President, Terwillegar Riverbend Advisory Council, 2003 -2012
Professional memberships
- Member, Law Society of Alberta
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Edmonton Bar Association
- Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
- Member, International Fiscal Association
- Member, Alberta Chapter Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD.D)
- Member, Association for Corporate Growth
- Member and Past Edmonton Executive Committee Member, Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
Bar admissions & education
- Alberta Bar, 1982
- LL.B., University of Alberta, 1981