Kenneth R. West DC Metro Ontario

Ken is an internationally recognized litigator and arbitrator with proven expertise in valuation disputes. A proven knowledge leader in property tax issues he has counseled some of the largest companies in North America.

Ken has been involved in many complex property tax and valuation cases, often using his skills as a litigator and knowledge of alternative dispute resolutions to resolve matters effectively and efficiently. Ken knows that planning for the worst in litigation often leads to the best during settlement negotiations.

He has worked with property owners on valuation matters in many jurisdictions across the US and Canada, always applying his valuation knowledge and data driven approaches to advance efficient, focused and creative results.
include:

• Major litigation for large auto assembly facilities in Canada resulting in significant refunds.
• Successful appellate court decisions regarding the assessments of large pulp and paper facilities.
• Successful in mediation of Canada’s second largest brewery resulting in a $3,000,000 settlement.
• Advising clients on ad valorem tax consequences during due diligence stage of real estate transactions.
• Conducted hearings for several sawmill properties, including complex negotiations with local officials.
• Litigating valuation disputes for major industrial properties with millions in refunds.
• Resolved the appeal of a horse racing and casino facility without the need for litigation resulting in over $1,000,000 in tax refunds.
• Advising a provincial government on property tax legislation and jurisprudence.
• Part of a trial team that determined the standard for valuing golf courses for assessment in Ontario.

Ken has advised on VAT tax issues and potential litigation and is knowledgeable on other state and provincial tax issues such as nexus and residency disputes.

A distinguished speaker, Ken has lectured on property tax valuation and dispute resolution issues all over the world including in Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Malaysia. Ken has been asked to appear during educational sessions for property tax tribunal members on multiple occasions. Recently co-presenting a hotel property tax webinar for AAHOA. For several years Ken was the program director at Osgoode Hall Law School’s week-long program on Expert Valuation Witnesses.

Ken earned a certificate in adjudication for administrative agencies, boards and tribunals from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2016 and a Certificate in Negotiation from the Harvard Law School, Program on Negotiation in 2017. Ken was Board Certified in Civil Litigation by the Law Society of Ontario in 2014.

Ken is keenly interested in the advancement of the legal profession recognizing that innovation and technology will continue to change how matters are resolved and how attorneys interact with clients, opposing counsel and the courts. Ken is at the forefront of change in the legal profession, sitting as a sub-group co-leader for the DC Bar’s Global Legal Services Committee.

A focus on simplicity, clarity and the principles of effective dispute resolution have made Ken a force in federal, state, and local tax litigation in both the US and Canada.