Robert Hayhoe and Nicole D’Aoust Join McCarthy Tétrault to Advance Charities and Non-Profits Focus as Part of Tier 1 Tax Practice
We are pleased to welcome Robert Hayhoe and Nicole D’Aoust to the firm as partners in our new Charities and Non-Profits Group, part of our National Tax Group. Based in Toronto, Robert and Nicole bring complementary and distinguished experience advising charities, non-profits, and foundations. Robert, who will lead the group, will work closely with Nicole to deliver tailored legal support to clients across Canada, including those with cross-border operations and international reach.
As the largest tax law team in Canada, we are proud to expand our national offering with dedicated capabilities in the charitable and non-profit space. The integration of our new Charities and Non-Profits Group into our full-service Tax platform marks a significant expansion of our capabilities, and strengthens our ability to deliver comprehensive support in this area. Philanthropic organizations will benefit from access to our unparalleled bench strength in tax-exempt structuring, compliance, and audits, as well as streamlined service on complex cross-border matters. With this addition, we are now the only Canadian law firm with lawyers ranked Band 1 in both Tax and Charities/Non-profits by Chambers and Partners.
With decades of experience advising large, complex tax-exempt organizations, Robert is widely regarded as a leader in his field, including by Chambers and Partners with a Band 1 ranking in the charitable sector. He is well known for his strategic counsel on regulatory compliance, tax structuring, cross-border operations, and governance. He has acted for many of the largest charities in Canada—organizations that demand sophisticated legal service and global perspective.
Fluent in both English and French, Nicole is a highly regarded partner with a significant national profile in the sector. Known for her sound judgment and responsiveness, Nicole advises clients across Canada on a wide range of legal and tax issues, including CRA compliance, charitable receipting, social finance, and international activities. She is ranked as “Up and Coming” in Charities/Non-profits by Chambers and Partners, where clients describe her as “a strong lawyer” with “impeccable judgment” and “valuable insight.”
With market-leading expertise, Robert and Nicole bring a team-based, client-first approach that aligns with our firm’s commitment to delivering strategic and innovative legal and business solutions for our clients, wherever their business takes them. Their arrival brings new depth to our services for charitable and non-profit clients—an area of growing importance to our ultra-high-net-worth, institutional, and public company clients with philanthropic arms.
“Robert and Nicole bring unmatched depth in this space, combining technical excellence with practical insight. Their addition strengthens our ability to help clients navigate these challenges with confidence, as Canada’s go-to firm for top-tier, full-service tax and regulatory advice in the charitable sector,” said Raj Juneja, Co-Head of McCarthy Tétrault’s National Tax Group (Toronto).
“Charities and not-for-profits today face an increasingly complex regulatory environment, with heightened scrutiny, evolving tax rules, and growing cross-border considerations,” added Brett Anderson, Co-Head of McCarthy Tétrault’s National Tax Group (Calgary).
Robert and Nicole shared their excitement at joining the McCarthy Tétrault team and their shared belief that the move will help them to best support their clients in the future:
“I’m excited to join McCarthy Tétrault and build a national practice that meets the evolving needs of sophisticated tax-exempt organizations,” said Robert. “The scale of the firm’s tax practice and the depth of the firm's expertise in all other areas relevant to this sector means that we will be able to bring our clients access to the very best advice in the business.”
“Our clients are navigating increasingly complex legal environments,” added Nicole. “Our platform at McCarthy Tétrault gives us the depth and breadth to support them at the highest level.”
To learn more about how Robert and Nicole can support your organization’s mission with strategic, high-value legal advice, visit our Charities and Non-Profits Group page or their bios: Robert Hayhoe and Nicole D’Aoust
Our National Tax Group is distinguished by the range and depth of its capabilities. In addition to Robert and Nicole, we have recruited several creative and well-recognized practitioners in the last five years, allowing us to expand and deepen our offering across Canada to provide clients with the full range of advisory, transactional and litigation services.
McCarthy Tétrault’s tax expertise and knowledge of Canada’s tax regime are widely recognized. Our team is distinguished by its winning combination of exceptional experience in tax planning and tax disputes, making us a formidable presence in the courtroom and the boardroom. Helping clients navigate the tax aspects of domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, financings and securitizations, and other transactions, we bring clarity and pragmatism to complicated tax issues that could otherwise derail business goals. We also guide clients through the entire gamut of tax controversies, from audits, requests for information and objections to searches and seizures and appeals. In working with us, clients gain a team with experience on some of the most complex tax issues and precedent-setting cases across the country. Learn more about our Tax Practice.
About McCarthy Tétrault
McCarthy Tétrault LLP provides a broad range of legal services, providing strategic and industry-focused advice and solutions for Canadian and international interests. The firm has a substantial presence in Canada’s major commercial centres as well as in New York and London.
Built on an integrated approach to the practice of law and delivery of innovative client services, the Firm brings its legal talent, industry insight and practice experience to help clients achieve the results that are important to them.
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For further information, or to request an interview with a McCarthy Tétrault lawyer, please contact: media@mccarthy.ca
