In this episode of Insider Interviews with Epok Advice, we sit down with Martha Simmons, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at Fourthlane Partners, a leading multi-family office and OCIO serving ultra-high-net-worth families and foundations across Canada. Martha shares her unconventional journey from academia to wealth management, drawing on her deep background in dispute resolution, governance, and family dynamics. Formerly the Winkler Professor of Dispute Resolution at Osgoode Hall Law School, she brings a thoughtful and disciplined lens to helping families navigate complexity, risk, and long-term decision-making.
Our conversation explores fourthlane’s evolution toward an institutional-grade OCIO model, why Canadian families are increasingly seeking global diversification and independence in investment management, and what today’s wealthy families care about most—trust, clarity, and peace of mind in an uncertain world. Martha also discusses the role of technology and compliance in scaling client service, common pitfalls in conflict and decision-making, and where she sees the future of advice, multigenerational wealth, and cross-border planning heading next.
