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

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

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

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

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

Jaclyn Holdsworth Summer Student

Jaclyn is a Summer Student at WEL. Jaclyn has five years of experience working at research organizations dedicated to empowering local and global stakeholders to make research-informed decisions. She is a Juris Doctor candidate at Osgoode Hall Law School and just completed a year-long placement as a caseworker in the criminal law division at the Community and Legal Aid Services Program. Jaclyn will assist with WEL’s many ongoing files and initiatives. View profile

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

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.