Ben’s background & professional practice

Benjamin founded Kormos LLP in April, 2024, after establishing and leading a team of estate lawyers recognized province-wide, and in other regions of Canada, for their depth of knowledge and expertise, during his 15 years’ of previous experience at a mid-sized generalist firm.

Benjamin leads in a wide variety of community groups and charitable organizations, and he is a philanthropist.  He assists clients in their estate planning, and represents them in wills and trust litigation, and commercial litigation. He is also an arbitrator and mediator for parties in those matters.

An insatiable curiosity for learning, the ability to adapt to new situations, and a relentless dedication to creative problem solving and strategy define Benjamin’s career and approach to the law. He grew up on a grain farm in Saskatchewan, where he learned from the daily challenges of farming, and about perseverance and creativity in his strategies.

After a short journey from Saskatchewan to Alberta for his undergrad – and back to Saskatchewan to earn his law degree – Ben settled in Calgary where he established a remarkable and diverse practice.

Benjamin leads our estate services and commercial Litigation team, including estate planning and drafting, probate and estate administration, and our estate litigation group.  He is recognized for his empathy and understanding, and strategic representation, in estate litigation and commercial litigation matters.

Benjamin represents clients in a wide range of estate cases, starting from transactions before death, such as addressing pre-death transfers of land or property, power of attorney disputes, and including complex probate matters, Will interpretations, Will validity challenges.  He has extensive experience with mental capacity and undue influence issues, at all stages of an estate or business matter.

In his commercial litigation practice, businesses from international corporations to local closely-held family owned businesses, frequently consult and retain Benjamin to represent them in negotiations, mediations, arbitrations, or court matters.  He has extensive business litigation experience including in oil and gas construction disputes, contract disputes and collections, shareholder remedies, business transaction disputes, and senior staff and executive team matters.

Benjamin is confident that Kormos LLP will deliver a boutique, personalized experience to our clients, on all projects.  He knows that satisfied clients are the fruits of his team’s investment in long-term relationships of trust and value.

What motivates him to serve his community? 

Benjamin believes that growing his community is inherently rewarding, and this contribution causes ripple effects that continue beyond the eye’s perception.

During the covid-19 crisis, Benjamin served as a Canadian Bar Association Chair of the Alberta Civil Litigation and Wills & Trusts sections (Sept 2019-June, 2020). In that role, he attended the monthly briefings with the Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench and the Court’s covid-19 response team.  Benjamin is keenly interested in improving the quality and caliber of legal practice in Alberta, and ensuring that our justice system remains a shining example, globally.

He is an elected director of the Canadian Bar Association’s Alberta Board of Directors, a Trustee of the Bethany Care Society, and Chair of the Sport for Calgary Foundation, and serves on other charitable organizations contributing his strategic and governance insights.

Benjamin is a past-president of the Rotary Club of Calgary West, and is the founder of Project Inovaçao Foundation, a registered Canadian charity dedicated to delivering education and seniors care to currently economically-disadvantaged community members.

He is frequently invited to lead or contribute to subject-matter panels on estate, trusts, and elder law and complex estate litigation. He is also a recognized commercial litigation counsel and frequently consults on general business and governance matters.

The rule of law, ethics, and access to justice are cherished ideals that Benjamin understands and lives in his professional and personal life, both locally and in his international project work in countries where the rule of law is less important or is overlooked.

As a natural advocate for less empowered people, and for ‘bigger picture’ social development, Benjamin’s service to others benefits his community and the legal profession.

What are Benjamin’s interests? 

The same natural and genuine sense of empathy for others and their circumstances that are the core of Benjamin’s professional approach fuel his personal life. His taste for travel, community and experiences drive him to travel often, learn languages, and pursue his passion for humanist art and photography. He loves to discover and tell stories that connect people with each other.

Education and Professional Development

• Bachelor of Arts (Dean’s List), University of Calgary
• Bachelor of Laws (Juris Doctor), University of Saskatchewan
• Qualified Arbitrator (Q. Arb)
• Trust and Estate Practitioner (TEP)

Affiliations

• Canadian Bar Association
  • Director, Alberta Board of Directors (2023-Present)
  • Chair, Wills & Trusts Section (2019-20)
  • Chair, Civil Litigation Section (2019-20)
  • Alberta Council Member (former)
  • Construction Section
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Section
• Calgary Bar Association
• Director, Estate Planning Council of Calgary (EPCC).
• Law Society of Alberta
• Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)
• Rotary – President, Calgary West Rotary Club (2017-18)

Publications

• Legal Education Society of Alberta (Wills, Trusts & Estate, and Civil Litigation)
• International Business Law Journal
• Intellectual Property Journal
• Criminal Law Quarterly
• Alberta Law Review
• Cited in:
  • Chris Madsen, Military: Law and Operations (Aurora: Canada Law Book).
  • Adam Montgomery, The Invisible Injured (Montreal: 2017, McGill (book)).
  • Adam Montgomery, Shocked, Exhausted and Injured: The Canadian Military and Veteran’s Experience of Trauma from 1914 to 2014 (Saskatoon: 2015, Ph.D thesis).
  • Kristen Howard, Hurt People in the Courtroom: an examination of offender PTSD in Canadian criminal cases (Simon Fraser University: 2009, MA Thesis).

Languages Spoken

• Français (fluent)
• Portuguêse (conversational)
• Español (learning)

BA in with a focus primarily in Psychology (granted as General).
Usask Law ADR Course.

See: https://kormoslaw.ca/team/