Catherine H. Kim*

Catherine specializes in estate and trust planning, as well as estate administration. For more than a decade, her practice has been dedicated to estate and business succession planning and advising on matters such as wealth preservation, probate minimization and incapacity planning. Catherine is recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada for Trusts and Estates and Tax Law, and by the Canadian Lexpert Directory for Estate & Personal Planning. She is currently an adjunct professor at UBC’s Allard School of Law where she teaches wills and estates law.

Catherine’s background in tax equips her to navigate various income tax and regional real estate tax issues and provide comprehensive solutions that complement her expertise in estate and corporate law. She works with accountants, investment professionals and other advisors to implement proactive and practical solutions for individuals, owner-managers of small and medium-sized businesses and professionals of various disciplines.

Catherine’s expertise includes:

• Advanced estate and probate planning with tools like multiple Wills and alter ego/joint partner trusts
• Setting up family trusts and advising on ownership structures for income tax and succession planning
• Implementing estate freezes as a strategy for business owners considering a sale or transfer to the next generation, while minimizing taxes arising on death
• Advising on corporate governance and preparing shareholders’ agreements

Catherine also advises executors on the various matters that arise over the life cycle of an estate. In addition to obtaining probate and administration grants, she advises executors on issues such as the distribution of assets, beneficiary rights, executor remuneration and tax considerations.

Catherine has completed the CPA Canada In-Depth Tax Course (2016 to 2019). She also served on the board of directors for the AWF Association of Women in Finance and on the executive of the Canadian Bar Association’s BC subsections. Catherine is a regular presenter at continuing education seminars and conferences for lawyers, accountants and financial advisors. 

Catherine joined Boughton Law as a summer student in 2011 and was called to the British Columbia bar in 2013. She obtained her law degree in 2012 from UBC’s Allard School of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree (Psychology) in 2007 from UBC.

Professional Activities

• Adjunct Professor, UBC Allard School of Law
• Governance Director and Secretary, AWF Association of Women in Finance, 2017 to 2019
• Member, Canadian Tax Foundation
• Member, Canadian Bar Association, Taxation Law and Wills & Trusts subsections
• Member, Vancouver Bar Association
• Member, Canada Korea Business Association
• Doyle’s Guide 2026, Leading Wealth, Estates & Succession Planning Lawyers, BC

Speaking Engagements

Presenter, Planning for Probate for Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia‘s Wills, Estates & Trusts 2025 Conference, October 2025

Panelist, “How to Plan for Assets Across Canada: A Deep Dive into What to do When Your Clients Own Assets in BC, Quebec, and Nova Scotia” for STEP Canada Toronto Branch Seminar, March 2025

Presenter, Estate Planning for Persons with Disabilities for Beneficiaries for Advocis Estate Planning Summit, October 2024

Presenter, “Planning for People with Disabilities” for the Pacific Business & Law Institute‘s Estate Planning 2024 seminar, January 2024

Presenter, “Considerations When Choosing Your Decision-Maker” for the Pacific Business & Law Institute‘s International Issues in Tax & Estate Planning seminar, May 2023

Presenter, “Wills and Estates Update” for the Chartered Professional Accountants of B.C. (CPABC) Vancouver Chapter, February 2020

Presenter, “Employment, Family, Tax and Estates Law” for Dress for Success, August 2019

Presenter, “Exit Strategies: The Purchase and Sale of a Business” for The Entrepreneur Conference, April 2017

Presenter, “Buy-Sell Agreements – Legal Considerations and Funding” for HollisWealth and Luft Financial, September 2015

Panelist, “Employees vs. Contractors: What your Business Should Know”; Spacekraft Presents: Creating Genius Global Entrepreneurship Week, November 2015