Lori Bokenfohr is a tax lawyer in Fasken’s Calgary office. She grew up on a grain farm and attended school in a Franco-Albertan town, where her family operated a hotel business. Lori therefore developed an early appreciation of the intricacies and demands of farming and business operations. Her practice covers complex tax matters such as business structuring, corporate reorganizations, pre-sale and divestiture planning, business succession planning, executive and employee compensation, immigration/emigration, trusts, and estates.
Lori provides invaluable guidance to clients in their dealings with the Canada Revenue Agency, the Ministry of Finance, and on cross-border tax compliance issues. She completed the New York bar while on an assignment in pre-Putin Russia (1998-2000) and navigating international legal environments.
Lori lectures and publishes on tax and business issues for organizations such as the Canadian Tax Foundation, the Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA), the Canadian Bar Association, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), and the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law. She also helped launch the student Tax Court Assistance Program at the University of Calgary.
Admitted to the bar in Alberta and New York, Lori is an International Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Her professional experience includes practicing at a global law firm, working in the tax group at Ernst & Young LLP, and running an independent tax law practice in Calgary, all while balancing the demands of the corporate world with family life.
Outside of her practice, Lori is an avid adventurer, currently honing her Spanish while exploring South America. She stays fit by cycling on Calgary’s pathways and finds balance by hiking and skiing in the Rockies. Among her many professional accomplishments, Lori particularly enjoys helping clients achieve higher after-tax returns on the sale of their businesses. Lori also dedicates her time to public service, having served on the Government of Alberta Provincial Audit Committee and the Board of Directors of Legal Aid Alberta.
