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Our Code of Conduct

Our Code defines how we serve - anchored in strategy and early insight to reduce risk, protect capital, and shape stronger outcomes.

Message From Our Managing Partner

During my tenure at our firm - and throughout its ~20-year history - we've stayed grounded in our purpose: to help private business leaders navigate high-stakes tax disputes with clarity, control, and strategic precision.

We built this firm on a simple idea: superior outcomes begin with early insight and unwavering execution. That belief defines our role - positioned early to prevent escalation and reinforce key positions, and fully engaged if a dispute arises.

This Code of Conduct defines how we serve: with unfiltered advice, strategic thinking, and disciplined execution. We don’t just resolve disputes - we shape the positions early and help clients stay ahead throughout the tax dispute trajectory.

— Natalie Worsfold, Managing Partner

2025-03-19 Natalie Wordsfold Headshot_reduced

Counter Tax Litigators’ Code of Conduct

Strategic, Relentless & Ethical, Always.

We hold ourselves to the highest professional and ethical standards because our clients trust us with their most complex and high-stakes tax disputes. Our reputation and results depend on rigorous legal strategy, intellectual honesty, and an unwavering commitment to excellence and integrity.

This Code reinforces our commitment to full compliance with all laws and regulations, including the Law Society of Ontario’s Rules of Professional Conduct, and our dedication to adhering to the principled and ethical billing standards advanced in the writing of The Hon. Alice Woolley.

Relentless Advocacy, Uncompromised Integrity

We take on complex tax disputes with a strategic and relentless approach. We outthink and outperform by executing with precision, discipline, and credibility.

  • We challenge the CRA with sharp, well-reasoned advocacy, not tactics that undermine our clients’ position in the long run.
  • We maintain credibility with the courts and opposing counsel – our arguments are based on the law, facts, and logic, never misrepresentation or distortion.
  • We take extreme personal responsibility for the quality of our work and the outcomes we deliver.
Ethical Boundaries: We Win the Right Way

Our reputation is an asset. We safeguard it by:

  • Declining any action that compromises our integrity, regardless of potential gains.
  • Operating within legal and ethical frameworks—we do not cross ethical lines for tactical advantage.
  • Holding ourselves accountable to the highest professional and ethical standards, internally and externally.
Professionalism in Litigation & Reputation Management

We protect and strengthen Counter’s reputation with every interaction. We commit to:

  • Conducting ourselves with the highest level of professionalism in every engagement—with clients, opposing counsel, and the courts.
  • Avoiding unnecessary conflict—our focus is winning the argument that matters.
  • Communicating with clarity and control, ensuring our firm remains synonymous with elite tax dispute resolution.
Intellectual Honesty & Precision in Strategy

Winning requires clear thinking and rigorous execution. We approach every case with:

  • Intellectual honesty—we confront weaknesses in our case early, so we can solve them.
  • Analytical precision—our legal strategy must be sharp, structured, and aligned with the best path forward.
  • No ego in the work—the best idea wins, no matter where it comes from.
Commitment to Continuous Improvement

We believe in deliberate, continuous refinement—of our skills, strategy, and systems. We:

  • Constantly seek smarter, more effective ways to win.
  • Push ourselves and each other to raise the bar on the quality of our work.
  • Invest in professional development—not for its own sake, but because excellence requires it.
Commitment to Clients: Clarity, Strategy, and Results

Our clients depend on us to make smart, strategic moves in their tax disputes. We commit to:

  • Providing clear, direct, and unfiltered advice, ensuring our clients make informed decisions.
  • Developing complete, integrated strategies that maximize the probability of success.
  • Maintaining absolute discretion—confidentiality is not just a rule; it’s foundational to how we operate.
  • Taking on only the cases where we add significant value and our approach aligns with the client's needs.

Our Standard
is Clear

At Counter Tax Litigators, we are defined by how we think, how we act, and how we win. This Code reflects the principles that guide our work and our reputation in the legal profession. These standards inform every decision we make – ensuring the level of rigour and integrity that defines our work.

Recognition

For nearly 20 years, our leadership in Canadian tax controversy and litigation has earned consistent recognition for expertise, results, and client trust.

Framework Graphic 1 – representing Counter Tax Litigators' integrated approach to client service, combining advanced systems and deep legal expertise to resolve high-stakes tax disputes.

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