WEL Team
Founding Partner
Kimberly A. Whaley Founding Partner
Kimberly is the Founding Partner at WEL PARTNERS. She practices in the areas of Estate, Trusts, Fiduciary Litigation including Power of Attorney Disputes, Guardianship, Claims for Support, and Elder Law. Kimberly also mediates estate, trust and related matters.
Kimberly is designated as a Certified Specialist in Estates and Trusts Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada and is recognized as a leading practitioner by Chambers, Lexpert, Lawday, Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell and Canadian Lawyer. Kimberly has held various board and executive positions with the OBA and CBA and is Past Chair of the CBA Elder Law Section and Chair of the OBA Elder Law Section. Kimberly is a frequent lecturer and has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, Queens University and Western University. View profile
Partners
Bryan Gilmartin Partner
Bryan Gilmartin is a Partner at WEL Partners where he practices exclusively in the areas of estate, trust, power or attorney, capacity, and guardianship litigation. Bryan joined WEL Partners as a Summer Student in 2018 working throughout his law school years. Upon his graduation, he returned as an Articling student and then as an Associate following his call to the Ontario Bar in 2020. Bryan has worked on matters at all levels of court, including the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. View profile
Nima Hojjati Partner
Nima is a Partner at WEL Partners. Nima is an experienced trial and appellate litigator with a practice focused on estates, power of attorney disputes, contested capacity issues, fiduciary duties, mental health law, and constitutional law. Nima has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario, and he regularly advocates at the Toronto Estates List. Nima completed his Juris Doctor at Queen’s University and was called to the Ontario Bar in 2018. Nima is fluent in French and Farsi. View profile
Lawyers
Gabriella Banhara Lawyer
Gabriella first joined WEL Partners as an Articling Student in September of 2023 after completing her Juris Doctor at Queen’s University. She was called to the bar in 2024. Before joining WEL Partners, Gabriella was a summer student at an international tax boutique in New York City. During this time, Gabriella developed an interest, as well as experience, in estate and trust matters. View profile
John E. S. Poyser Senior Litigation Lawyer
John is a Senior Litigation Lawyer with WEL. He has been a lawyer since 1987 and, over the last twenty years, has limited his practice to matters arising out of gifts, wills, trusts and other wealth transfers. He obtained his Ontario call to the Bar in 2016. He is also licensed to practice in Alberta and Manitoba. His Ontario practice through WEL is limited to estate litigation. He challenges and defends the transfer of wealth by will, gift and trust, and provides consultations to lawyers from other firms who are pursuing legal action in those areas. View profile
Joanna Weiss Lawyer
Joanna joined WEL Partners in March 2024 as a lawyer. Prior to joining WEL Partners, Joanna was a lawyer at boutique law firms that specialize in mental health litigation, estate, trust and capacity litigation, and professional negligence. Joanna was called to the Ontario Bar in 2013. View profile
Firm Counsel
Mark Handelman Firm Counsel
Mark Handelman, Firm Counsel, was called to the Ontario Bar in 1978. Until 2001, he practised law in London, Ontario, including civil litigation, criminal defence and prosecution. He was one of Ontario's first members of the Official Guardian Child Representation Program. Mark was appointed to the Consent & Capacity Board in 1998 and became a Vice Chair and Senior Lawyer Member in 2000. View profile
Albert H. Oosterhoff Firm Counsel
Albert Oosterhoff, Professor Emeritus, Faculty of Law at the Western University, Firm Counsel, has taught at: the University of Windsor and Western University in the areas of Wills, Trusts, and Property Law. He taught Trusts for a number of years as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto. He also held positions as Associate and Acting Dean at Western. Professor Oosterhoff has been in private practice and has written numerous articles, comments and books in the areas of Wills, Estates, Trusts, and Property Law. View profile
Articling Student / Students
Chhavi Monga Articling Student
Chhavi is an Articling Student with WEL Partners. She joined the firm in September of 2024 after completing her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law. Chhavi holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (with Honors) from the Schulich School of Business. Before joining WEL Partners, Chhavi interned at a boutique immigration firm, along with working for the Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) under the Windsor Chapter. View profile
Oliver O'Brien Student
Oliver joined WEL Partners in October of 2022 as a Student. Oliver holds a Masters in Law from University College London, a Qualifying Law Degree from the University of Kent (United Kingdom) and has recently completed his Legal Practice Course from the University of Law, London. Oliver has a particular interest in wills and estates, as well as the relationship between law and medical ethics, including end-of-life decisions, capacity and consent. Legal areas that play an important role in family life. View profile
Law Clerks
Birute Lyons Law Clerk
Birute has over twenty-five years of experience in the legal profession as a law clerk administering estates, preparing/managing power of attorney and estate accounts, and providing cost-effective and personalized paralegal services. View profile
Bibi Minoo Estate Clerk
Bibi has been working with Kimberly Whaley since 2002 in the capacity of Estates Clerk and Administrative Assistant. Bibi earned her stripes working for the Ministry of the Attorney General for over 13 years. She started in the accounting department of the Sheriff’s Office, where she was responsible for all accounts receivable and payable. She then transferred to the Estates Department, where she worked under the direct supervision of the Registrar for more than 10 years. View profile
Tracey Phinnemore Law Clerk
Tracey joined WEL Partners in September 2018 as a Law Clerk bringing over 25 years experience as a law clerk specializing in estates, trusts and tax. View profile
Office Management
Lisa Tracey Office Manager
Lisa Tracey is the office manager of WEL Partners. As office manager, Lisa oversees all non-legal services provided within the office and is responsible for the operations of the Firm. Lisa has over 20 years of office management experience in the areas of finance, human resources, and facilities.
Christin Craig Client Relations Coordinator
Christin has joined WEL Partners upon graduating with Honours from the Law Clerk Program at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology. Christin brings her experience working at Intake and Reception for Legal Aid Ontario. She is our first point of contact for new client related inquiries.
Charlie, Office Pup
Charlie is our beloved office Australian Labradoodle. She joined the firm in October 2019 and oversees all things puppy.