Faculty Biographical Information

September 13, 2016

Commercial Real Estate

Transactions 2016

Brennan Carroll is a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, practising in the Commercial Real Estate 

Group at the Toronto Office.  Brennan’s varied practice includes all aspects of transactional real estate, including agreements of purchase and sale, lending, leasing, development agreements and joint venture arrangements.  Brennan has particular expertise in real estate issues impacting the telecommunications industry as a result of acting for one of Canada’s largest telecommunications providers for most of his career. Brennan is also committed to pro bono work, including the lease for The Stop Community Food Centre at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, which was instrumental to the redevelopment of former streetcar sheds into one of Toronto’s most dynamic neighbourhood hubs.  

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Simon is shortlisted by every major Canadian and international legal guide, including Chambers Global, Canadian Legal L'Expert Directory, Euromoney Expert Guide and Best Lawyers in Canada as one of Canada's leaders in real estate law. He has acted on some of Canada's largest dollar value real estate transactions and on many of the country's landmark commercial, retail, sports and entertainment and residential projects. Simon was featured in the September 2014 issue of L'Expert magazine as lead real estate advisor to a KingSett Capital-led consortium in respect of 2013's largest commercial real estate transaction, the acquisition of all

Primaris Real Estate Investment Trust properties. In 2012 he acted as counsel to the purchaser of a $2-billion industrial real estate portfolio comprised of more than 400 properties. More recently, he is currently the lead real estate advisor to a significant landlord group in connection with the insolvency proceedings related to Target Canada, the largest Canadian retail insolvency in recent history. Simon advises many of Canada's most sophisticated real estate investors on private equity matters, fund formation, joint ventures, income trusts, the purchase and sale of real estate assets and real estate companies, property development, banking and mortgage lending, structured finance and asset securitization, corporate finance, mezzanine and participating debt structures, infrastructure, public/private partnerships, pension fund real estate investment, senior living facilities, mortgage and loan servicing and enforcement, and on real estate issues in bankruptcy and insolvency. In recent years, Simon has acted as senior advisor on some of the more notable new development financings in Toronto, including the Bay-Adelaide Centre, the Trump Tower, and the 75-storey Aura condominium project, which is currently the tallest residential building in Canada. Across the country, Simon has also acted on large portfolio transactions, including the acquisition and financing of ING's industrial portfolio and the privatization of both Atlas Cold Storage and Versacold. Complementing Simon's real estate practice is extensive deal experience in public/private partnerships, the creation of pension-fund eligible investments, and the financing of regulated facilities such as gaming, infrastructure healthcare and long-term care projects. In addition, Simon has acted for government or quasi-government interests, including most notably, as advisor to Waterfront Toronto in connection with the development of Toronto's waterfront lands. Simon has represented clients in the financing or sale of a significant number of Canada's landmark commercial, entertainment and retail properties, including Toronto's Bay Adelaide Center, Trump Tower, Scotia Plaza, Brookfield Place, TD Centre and First Canadian Place, Montreal's Eaton Centre, Ottawa’s Rideau Centre, Saskatchewan’s Midtown Plaza and Calgary's Scotia Plaza and Palliser Square. Simon has also represented lenders or purchasers in connection with various sports and recreation facilities including in connection with the 2010 Olympic games, Toronto's Ricoh Centre and Niagara Falls Casino. Simon is called upon regularly to write, speak on or moderate panels on matters of commercial real estate and real estate investment in Canada or by Canadian investors abroad.

This discussion paper is not intended to provide legal advice, but to highlight matters of interest in this area of law. If you have questions or comments, please contact Simon Crawford directly. The foregoing discussion paper does not establish any form of lawyer-client relationship with Simon Crawford or any law firm at which he is a partner or is otherwise affiliated with. The information contained in this discussion paper is public information and is not individualized legal advice. Readers should not rely on or take any action based upon this information; professional advice should be obtained. This discussion paper may contain errors or omissions and any liability for any such errors or omissions is hereby disclaimed.

 Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Rod Davidge 

  Partner, Real Estate Toronto  

416.862.4934 rdavidge@osler.com 

EducationUniversity of Toronto, LL.B. McMaster University, B.Eng. & Mgt.  Bar Admission(s) Ontario (2000) 

 Practice Area(s): Real Estate; Financial Services 

Rod’s practice involves a variety of commercial real estate matters including the acquisition, disposition and financing of commercial property, co‐ownership structures, property management, and the leasing of office, industrial and retail premises. He has also assisted with real property matters as part of corporate acquisitions and reorganizations, equity offerings and insolvency restructurings. 

Industry Recognition 

The Best Lawyers in Canada, 2017, recognized in the area of Real Estate Law. 

Chambers Canada: The World’s Leading Business Lawyers, 2016, recognized in the area of Real Estate (Nationwide). 

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2015‐2016, Consistently recommended in the area of Property Development. 

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2015‐2016, Repeatedly recommended in the area of Property Leasing. 

Expert Guides The Legal Media Group Guides to the World’s Leading Lawyers, 2015, Rising Star. 

Pro Bono / Community Work 

Ontario Bar Association, Real Property Section Executive – 2006 to 2015 (Chair – 2012‐2014) 

Notable Matters 

SmartREIT in connection with its  $1.16 billion acquisition of the SmartCentres platform, including interests in a portfolio of 24 properties  

Chartwell Retirement Residences in connection with its $254 million acquisition of five premier retirement residences  

TELUS Corporation and Westbank Corporation in connection with the $225 million first mortgage green bond financing of TELUS Garden, Vancouver, British Columbia 

Brookfield and the other issuers in connection with the $200 million first mortgage financing of Place de Ville I & II, Ottawa, Ontario 

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in connection with more than $400 million in credit facilities provided in connection with the privatization of TransGlobe REIT and in connection with numerous other credit facilities in respect of multi‐residential properties  

Royal Bank of Canada in connection with more than $200 million of credit facilities provided in respect of retirement facilities in Canada 

 

Chartwell Retirement Residences in connection with the $931 million joint venture purchase together with Welltower Inc. of 42 seniors facilities throughout Canada 

The underwriters  in connection with  the  initial public offering of Canadian Tire REIT,  involving  the sale and leaseback of 256 Canadian Tire retail operations across the country of an aggregate purchase price of approximately $3.5 billion. 

Publications/Events 

Requisitions – Affecting the Deal for Good or Bad, The Six Minute Real Estate Lawyer 2009, Law Society of Upper Canada, November 2009 (presenter). 

Doing Business 2010 ‐ Reforming through Difficult Times, The World Bank (contributor). 

Restructuring Distressed Real Estate, Guarantees in the Context of Distressed Real Estate, Ontario Bar Association, June 2009 (presenter). 

Damage and Destruction Clauses in Agreements of Purchase and Sale, The Six Minute Real Estate Lawyer 2008, Law Society of Upper Canada, November 2008 (presenter). 

 

Chris Huband Partner | Toronto

cah@blakes.com Toronto: 416-863-2758

Chris has 30 years of experience in completing commercial real estate transactions. His practice includes a wide variety of real estate matters affecting all classes of real estate assets. He is often engaged in the purchase and sale of major real estate assets and also has significant expertise with respect to mortgage financings, joint ventures and development projects. Chris also advises pension funds and their advisers concerning the various rules relating to the investment by pension funds in real estate.

Chris has a broad range of clients, including pension funds, mutual funds, life insurance companies and other institutional investors, as well as lenders, advisers, major landlords, tenants and developers. He is the co-coordinator of the Blakes Commercial Real Estate practice.

SELECT EXPERIENCE

Some recent representative transactions include:

C$460-million purchase by a Canadian pension fund of an undivided 50 per cent interest in the TD Canada Trust Tower, a 51-storey class AAA office tower in downtown Toronto

C$300-million purchase by Ontario Pension Board of a 50% interest in RBC Centre, a 41-storey class AAA office tower in downtown Toronto

C$153.8-million purchase by investor clients of GWL Realty Advisors Inc. of 151 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, a 19-storey 270,000 square foot office tower in downtown Toronto

C$249.5-million purchase by investor clients of GWL Realty Advisors Inc. of 5000 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, a 20-storey 540,000 square foot office tower in Toronto's North York corridor

C$112-million purchase by Investors Real Property Fund of a 97.5% interest in Lynden Park Mall, a 375,000 square foot regional shopping centre in Brantford, Ontario

C$202-million purchase by investor clients of GWL Realty Advisors Inc. of four unenclosed shopping centres in Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, with future development to be paid for under an earn-out structure

C$115-million purchase by Greenland Group (Canada), a prominent Chinese state-owned enterprise, of a downtown Toronto development site upon which 44 and 48-storey condominium towers are to be constructed

C$351-million sale by Ontario Pension Board of a portfolio of Mississauga industrial buildings

C$264-million purchase by Ontario Pension Board of a 50% interest in Southgate Centre, a 940,000 square foot enclosed regional shopping centre in Edmonton, Alberta

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Chris is recommended as one of the world's leading real estate lawyers by the following publications:

Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business (Band 1 in Real Estate)

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Consistently Recommended in Property Development)

The Best Lawyers in Canada (Real Estate)

Who's Who Legal Canada: Real Estate

The Legal 500 Canada

Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada

EDUCATION

Admitted to the Ontario Bar - 1985 LL.B., University of Western Ontario - 1983 M.B.A., Queen's University - 1980 B.A., Queen's University - 1978

Michael Lieberman practises commercial real estate law and regularly advises clients in the real estate, corporate, financial, transportation, mining and energy sectors regarding a wide range of real property matters. Mr. Lieberman’s practice encompasses a broad scope of transactional work, such as purchases and sales, financings, leasing and joint ventures, as well as the real estate components of broader M&A transactions. His experience includes assisting clients with portfolio acquisitions and dispositions, as well as purchases and sales of infrastructure projects, including solar, wind and hydro-electric generating facilities, pipelines, an airport passenger terminal and various airport hangars. Mr. Lieberman also assists mining companies with acquisitions, dispositions, financings, joint ventures and title opinions relating to the various forms of mining property tenures. He also has considerable experience assisting renewable energy developers with developing and financing rooftop and ground-mount solar and wind generating projects.  

William McCullough Lawyer Profile

McCarthy Tétrault LLP mccarthy.ca

TITLE

Partner

OFFICE

Toronto

DIRECT LINE

416-601-7646

E-MAIL

bmccullo@mccarthy.ca

LAW SCHOOL

Queen's University, LLB, 1982

BAR ADMISSIONS

Ontario, 1984

Biography William McCullough is a partner in our Real Property & Planning Group in Toronto. His practice encompasses all aspects of real property transactions, including secured lending, commercial leasing and the purchase, sale, financing and development of hotels, shopping centres, residential apartment buildings and condominiums.

Mr. McCullough also has extensive experience in structured finance, mortgage bond finance and securitization transactions involving commercial mortgage backed securities. He has assisted institutional lending clients in establishing their CMBS programmes, including the creation of their standard security documentation for use in commercial loan origination for loans intended to be securitized in the public market place, as well as in originating such loans. In addition, he has guided institutional lending clients through the regulatory requirements for doing commercial mortgage lending in Canada.

Mr. McCullough is listed in the field of real estate law in current editions of Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert’s Annual Canadian Legal Directory.

Mr. McCullough received his LLB from Queen’s Law School in 1982 and was called to the Ontario bar in 1984.

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Neil Shapiro 

5300 Commerce Court West, 199 Bay Street, Toronto, Canada M5L 1B9 

Direct: (416) 869‐5252    Fax: (416) 947‐0866    nshapiro@stikeman.com 

Law Practice 

Neil Shapiro is a senior associate in the Toronto office of Stikeman Elliott.  Mr. Shapiro is a member of the Real Estate 

Group.  His practice focuses on commercial real estate, construction, public‐private partnerships and infrastructure. 

Professional Activities  

Mr. Shapiro is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. 

Representative Work 

Acquisitions and Dispositions 

■ Canada Post Pension Plan in its C$40.3M acquisition of the Great Lakes Business Park  

■ LaSalle  Investment Management,  Inc. and Lotus Pacific  Investments  Inc.  in  its disposition of an  industrial property 

portfolio  

■ Capital  Automotive,  through  its  wholly‐owned  subsidiaries,  in  its  C$63M  acquisition  and  lease‐back  of  four 

dealerships from Phaeton Automotive Group 

■ Multiple  real estate  transactions  involving  individual and portfolio sales and acquisitions of property  (commercial, 

industrial, multi‐residential,  senior’s  housing,  hospitality,  development  lands)  and  related  leasing,  financing  and 

construction work  (including  for  clients  such  as Ontario  Teachers’  Pension  Plan,  AIMCo,  Bentall,  CapREIT,  GWL, 

bcIMC, Morguard, Canadian Tire) 

■ Currently  acting  for  Lowe’s  Companies,  Inc.,  the  second  largest  home  improvement  retailer  in  the  world,  in 

connection with their expansion in Canada 

P3s and Infrastructure 

■ Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation (Ontario), in connection with the development of the Right 

Honourable Herb Gray Parkway, a C$1.6B limited access parkway linking the Highway 401 with a planned new bridge 

and border crossing over the Detroit River (including drafting of the project agreement and related agreements and 

documentation, and conducting analysis and advising on procurement and construction issues that arose during the 

process) 

■ Waterfront Toronto in connection with the procurement and development of their Waterfront Innovation Centre 

■ Neptune Technology Group Canada Ltd. in connection with several RFPs and agreements with various municipalities 

across Canada, including an RFP and negotiation of the agreement between Neptune and the City of Toronto for the 

installation of automated smart water meters across the City 

■ Maritime Radio Communication System project, acting for Airwave Solutions Limited, a proponent responding to the 

RFP for a radio telecommunications network issued by the governments of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and PEI 

Securities 

■ CT REIT in its C$303M initial public offering (leasing and transfers) 

■ Regal Lifestyle Communities Inc. in its C$138.8M initial public offering 

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■ Elad Canada Inc. in its C$700M reorganization and subsequent initial public offering on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange 

Education 

University of Toronto (J.D. 2009), University of Western Ontario (Honours B.A. Economics, 2006). 

Osgoode Hall Law School (Certificate in Construction Law, 2014). 

Bar Admission 

Ontario, 2010 

 

Simon Thang, Thorsteinssons LLP. Simon’s practice focuses on Goods and Services Tax, Harmonized Sales Tax, customs law, and all other Canadian indirect taxes. Simon advises clients in a range of sectors, including financial services and investments, real property, business reorganizations, and cross-border transactions. Simon also represents clients in appeals and litigation. Simon is an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School where he teaches consumption and sales tax. Simon graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School and from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he received an LL.M in taxation.

 

Tannis was called to the bar in 2003 and practices in the areas of real

estate, corporate/commercial, and estate planning. She practiced in a

boutique firm in Toronto for three years before becoming a sole

practitioner practicing in the areas of real estate, estate planning and

corporate.

As a former Trustee for the Toronto Lawyers Association, Tannis has

been involved in advocacy and education initiatives, most notably the

moderator and presenter of continuing education programmes and writer

of articles for the TLA journal. She currently sits on the education

committee which is responsible for producing CPD programmes for

Toronto lawyers.

She is also a member of the Condominium Sub-documents Committee of the Working Group on

Lawyers and Real Estate which is responsible for producing province-wide precedent materials

for condominium transactions.

Tannis is a frequent presenter for continuing legal education programmes and, in the past, has

spoken on the issue of real estate, estates and ethics for the Canadian Bar Association,/Ontario Bar

Association, Law Society of Upper Canada, The Commons Institute, The Institute of Law Clerks

for Ontario and the Toronto Lawyers Association.

Tannis A. Waugh

Barrister and Solicitor

672 Dupont Street, Suite 304

Toronto, ON M6G 1Z6

Tel.: 416.533.2996 Ext. 28

Fax: 416.533.6634

tannis@tannisw.com

www.tannisw.com

Twitter: @tanniswaugh