Jane Gourley-Davis

Real Estate and Estate Planning Lawyer

Assistant

Biography

Jane loves assisting clients whether it’s in buying their first home or selling a long-held commercial building. Jane also recognizes the privilege of assisting a client in drafting an effective estate plan or assisting family members navigate the legal process after the death of a loved one. Jane operates a very personal practice, and strives to always keep in close contact with clients to assure they are comfortable with each step of the file.

Jane is a partner with Patterson whose practice primarily focuses on the preparation of Agreements of Purchase and Sale, Leases of real property, Migration of parcels to the Land Registry system, transactions of purchase and sale of real property, as well as general estate planning for individuals. Jane also assists real estate developers navigate the process of entering into Development Agreements with the planning departments of HRM, Truro and Colchester County. Jane is a registered user of the Land Registry System.

Jane has been the primary property lawyer for both the Municipality of the County of Colchester and the Town of Westville for several years. Jane is the past Chair of the Real Property Section of the Canadian Bar Association (Nova Scotia Branch) and has presented to the Real Estate Lawyers Association of Nova Scotia (RELANS) and CBA Real Property Section on recent developments to the practice in Nova Scotia. Jane is an active member of her local community including as a Board Member of the Truro and Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity, Board Member of the Jane Norman College and as a member of the Rotary Club of Truro.

  • Regularly assisting clients with real estate transactions, including drafting and reviewing agreements of purchase and sale, leases and other documents
  • Assisting clients with residential and commercial financing, including preparing and reviewing mortgage documents
  • Advising clients on estate planning and structuring of their real property to lessen taxes
  • Assisting clients with estate administration
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Real Estate Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Truro for 2023
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for Real Estate Law, 2020 – 2023
  • Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Past-Chair, Real Property Section, Canadian Bar Association, Nova Scotia Branch
  • Board Member, Truro & Colchester Partnership for Economic Prosperity
  • Past-President, Rotary Club of Truro
  • Board of Directors, Jane Norman College
  • Past Board Member, Truro Farmers’ Market
  • Past Vice-Chair, Downtown Truro Partnership
  • Past Board Member, Colchester United Way
  • Pro Bono Student Canada member 2004-2006
  • Dalhousie Law School Community Outreach chairperson – 2004-2007
  • Co-founding member, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights, Dalhousie Chapter – 2005-2006
  • Jane has been a guest speaker to various real estate agencies on topics relating to real property. She volunteers her time to speak at a variety of conferences, including the Municipality of the County of Colchester, the NSTU, and the NSCCAU, regarding estate planning and administration. Jane has also authored several articles for presentation at professional conferences.
    • RELANS conference on Mortgages and best practices as lenders and borrowers counsel, 2021
    • RELANS conference on walls, fences and encroachments between properties, 2019
    • Presented on estate planning at the Death 101 series provided by Cindie Smith, death doula
  • Bar Admission: Nova Scotia, 2008
  • LL.B. (Dalhousie University) 2007
  • B.Ed. (Acadia University, 2002)
  • B.A. (Psychology)(Acadia University, 2000)