ANDREA ABRAMS is a 22-year real estate veteran focusing on strategic acquisitions, development and merchandising strategies for retail and mixed-use projects around the Globe. She currently serves as Principal of International and Head of the US Office for London-based Time Retail Partners (TRP). Prior to TRP, Andrea spent a large part of her career in senior positions with US retail REIT General Growth Properties (NYSE: GGP), and has held additional positions with Valencia Hotel Group and UK agency Lunson Mitchenall. While at GGP, Andrea held various roles in Development and Asset Management, and helped launch GGP s international initiative as Vice President of GGP International Ventures between 2002 and 2005, with transactions in Brazil, Turkey and Central America. In 2005, after GGP s acquisition of Rouse Companies, Andrea became Vice-President of Mixed-use & Master Planned Communities. Andrea has advised multiple European retailers seeking to expand to the US and Latin America. SHARON ADDISON is a managing partner of the Toronto law firm of McLean & Kerr LLP and practices in the firm's commercial litigation group. She has 30 years of expertise and experience with commercial landlord and tenant matters including lease remedies, lease interpretation, injunctive relief and construction law. She has been a guest lecturer and panelist for The Canadian Bar Association, Law Society of Upper Canada, ICSC, Ontario Bar Association, Federated Press and Osgoode Professional Development Lecture Series. Sharon is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the International Council of Shopping Centres and the National Association of Industrial Office Properties. She presently holds the position of President of Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women and President of Law Firm Alliance. JEANNE BANKA is partner in the Toronto firm of Daoust Vukovich LLP, a commercial leasing law boutique, where she practises exclusively in the area of commercial leasing on behalf of landlords and tenants in retail, office and industrial properties. Prior to joining the firm in 1996, she worked for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited for fifteen years, most recently serving as its Vice-President, Legal, from 1991 to 1996, where she oversaw the drafting and negotiation of shopping centre and office leases for Cadillac Fairview s Canadian portfolio. Ms. Banka is listed by the lawyer rating service Lexpert as a practitioner consistently recommended in the area of Property Leasing and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada. She speaks and writes on commercial leasing matters and is a member (and former member of the Board of Directors) of Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women (Toronto CREW). Ms. Banka graduated from the University of Toronto in 1974, Osgoode Hall Law School in 1977 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1979. KEN BEALLOR is a partner in the Real Estate Group of Torkin Manes LLP, in Toronto, Canada. He specializes in all aspects of commercial leasing and the sale, acquisition and financing of commercial property. He acts for leading developers, landlords and tenants in retail, office, and industrial properties, including shopping centre leasing, leasing of build to-suit office and industrial properties and acting on sale and lease-back transactions. He was formerly in-house corporate counsel in charge of the real estate legal department for a leading multinational food service franchisor. Ken was most recently the Cochair of both the 2011 and 2012 ICSC Canadian Law Conferences and is a frequent lecturer and author on commercial leasing law. Ken is recognized by Lexpert as a leading practitioner in property leasing law. STÉPHANIE BEAUREGARD is a commercial real estate attorney, based in Montreal, Quebec. The majority of her practice is devoted to office, retail and industrial leasing. In 2010, after having worked in a large Canadian law firm, and having served as in-house counsel for leading property owners in Canada, she joined Delegatus Legal Services Inc., a firm with 25 lawyers. This innovative law firm offers traditional business law services, as well as consulting services, for clients who wish to retain outside in-house counsel services. Ms. Beauregard is a frequent speaker at conferences on real estate law, and she has published numerous articles. She is recognized as one of Canada's best Commercial Leasing Law lawyers in the 2015 and 2016 editions of The Best Lawyers in Canada. She was also designated as one of the key players (Incontournable de l immobilier commercial) in the field of commercial real estate, by the magazine Premières en affaires, in March 2015. ANNE BENEDETTI is a partner at Goodmans. Anne's practice focuses on municipal law matters, among other administrative law issues, for private and public sector clients throughout Ontario. She assists clients with municipal approvals involving planning, environmental, aggregate and natural resource and heritage issues. She has acted for public agencies, real estate development firms, shopping centres, private companies, charities, and individuals on official plan, zoning by-law amendments, plan of subdivision, aggregate licence, site-plan, holding symbol, part lot control and variance applications and appeals. She has appeared before municipal councils, committees of adjustment, the Ontario Municipal Board, the Conservation Review Board and the courts Her involvement with public agencies includes work with Waterfront Toronto (the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation) in connection with the redevelopment of the West Don Lands, the East Bayfront and the Central Waterfront. On behalf of Waterfront Toronto, Anne led the team of public sector parties which obtained numerous complicated approvals from all levels of government to permit the redevelopment of the West Don Lands Phase 1 and Phase 2, the site of the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games Athletes Village. Anne has also been involved with a number of significant private development Page 1
projects in Toronto including projects for Oxford Properties, RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust, and Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. In 2015 and 2016, Anne was recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada in the area of Municipal Law. In 2012, Anne was awarded the Precedent Setter Award by Precedent Magazine for excellence and leadership in her practice and her community. Anne is a frequent guest lecturer in Municipal and Planning Law at Osgoode Law School. YAN BESNER practices real estate, banking and commercial law from Dentons Canada LLP s Montreal office. He represents lenders, property owners, developers and other commercial clients in the financing, development and acquisition of immovable and movable assets. He prepares security documentation and reviews leases and other typical commercial documentation. Yan regularly represents national and international retailers and franchisors in the context of their commercial leasing needs as well as institutional entities and developers in the acquisition, disposition and financing of real estate assets.yan was recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada 2015 and 2016 as one of Canada s leading lawyers in the area of Real Estate Law, was a Lexpert Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40, 2014 Finalist and was listed in the 2015 Lexpert US/Canada Cross-Border Guide as a Corporate Lawyer to Watch. CATHERINE BRAY is a partner and member of the Commercial Real Estate Group at one of Canada s largest national law firms, Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP. She is also the National Leader of the Commercial Leasing Group at BLG. With over 25 years of experience in commercial real estate law, Catherine advises clients like the Hospital for Sick Children, Southlake Regional Health Centre, OCAD University (formerly Ontario College of Art & Design), Humber College, Loblaw and Bank of Montreal. Catherine is a member of Ontario Bar Association, American Bar Association and fellow at the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. Catherine s practice includes acquisitions, sales, financing, construction financing, ground leases and leasing. Catherine is a frequent speaker at ICSC Legal Conference and RealLeasing. A proud Torontonian, when not practising law, Catherine likes to explore Toronto. MICHAEL BROOKS is the Chief Executive Officer of REALPac (1997 2012; 2014 - ), the senior Canadian trade association for large public and institutional investment real estate companies. REALPac represents the investment real estate industry in government relations, public relations and standard setting. Michael has represented the Canadian real estate industry in all major policy initiatives with government, including property tax reform in several provinces, the emergence of real estate investment trusts and enabling legislation, real property income tax issues, telecom deregulation and building access, bankruptcy and insolvency rights of landlords, energy deregulation, energy consumption measurement, Competition Act fees and thresholds, real estate broker registration requirements, government standards and incentives for the multi-family sector, the National Building Code and building code changes, financial standards, national accounting standards (IFRS), capital markets issues re REITs, capital market regulation, governance and development charges, to name a few. STEVEN CHAIMBERG Steven Chaimberg is a Partner in the Montreal office of Miller Thomson specializing in real estate. He has been practicing in the field of commercial leasing and real estate law for more than 30 years. He has substantial experience with landlord/tenant relationships, and represents both lessors and lessees in the preparation and negotiation of offers to lease, leases, lease assignments, subleases, and other documents that may be required in such matters. His practice also includes the preparation and negotiation of real property related business agreements, as well as business matters of a more general nature such as acquisitions, divestitures, licencing and franchising. Steven has been recognized as a Leading Practitioner in the field of Property Leasing in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and has prepared the Quebec caselaw updates for the Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conferences of the ICSC from 1998 through 2015.He has frequently given conferences on landlord/tenant relationships for The Canadian Institute, Federated Press, MMPI Canada and Informa Canada. LISABETH CHANDLER no bio MIA COOPER is an Associate Vice President, Legal Counsel, at Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited. She has experience in many areas of commercial real estate including the sale and purchase of land and has negotiated retail, office, and industrial leases for Canadian Tire and its banner stores, as tenant, in addition to negotiating leases as landlord with respect to its development properties. Mia provides legal and strategic advice in connection with development, property management and construction issues that arise and directs litigation nationally in connection with Canadian Tire s real estate portfolio. Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited is a family of businesses that includes a retail segment, a financial services division and CT REIT. PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The retail segment also includes Mark's, a leading source for casual and industrial wear, and FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, National Sports, Intersport, Pro Hockey Life and Atmosphere), which offers the best active wear brands. BRAM COSTIN is a partner in our Real Property & Planning Group in Toronto. His practice covers a full range of transactions, including leasing, acquisitions, development and financing. Mr. Costin acts for both large and small developers, as well as Costco Canada and several large financial institutions. Page 2
His practice also includes insolvency and realization work related to real property. Mr. Costin has spoken at sessions of the International Council of Shopping Centres and has participated in seminars for the Law Society of Upper Canada, The Canadian Bar Association, Insight, Federated Press and The Institute for International Research dealing with commercial leasing, conveyancing and receivership. He is a member of the Board of Regents of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. He is a contributor to the Second Edition of Shopping Centre Leases (2008). He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Georgetown Law School Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute. Mr. Costin appears in all editions of Lexpert/The American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, in the area of property development. He also appears in the current edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, a guide to the leading law firms and practitioners in Canada, as a leading lawyer in the areas of project finance, property development and property leasing. He is listed as a leading lawyer in real estate in Who's Who Legal: Canada. Mr. Costin is recognized in both of the current editions of Chambers Global: The World s Leading Lawyers and Chambers Canada, in the area of real estate law. Mr.Costin is also listed in the current edition of Best Lawyers in Canada, in the field of Real Estate Law. He was named the Best Lawyers 2011 Toronto Real Estate Lawyer of the Year and 2016 Toronto Commercial Leasing Lawyer of the Year. STEVE CYGELFARB no bio DENNIS DAOUST is the co-founder of Daoust Vukovich LLP, a boutique dedicated to commercial leasing law, litigation, telecommunications access agreements, commercial real estate and construction law. He is a former Vice-President and General Counsel of the shopping centre divisions of The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in Canada and the U.S. He speaks and writes regularly on all commercial leasing law matters, and has been qualified in court as an expert witness in landlord and tenant and solicitors negligence matters. He has been named in Lexpert s Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada every year since the first publication. Called to the Ontario bar in 1974. JANET DERBAWKA is a partner in McMillan LLP s Vancouver office and is a member of the firm s Real Estate Group. Janet has over 20 years experience as a commercial lawyer with a focus on leasing, real estate acquisitions and dispositions and real estate financing. She has also acted as counsel in numerous complex business transactions involving multijurisdictional acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures. Janet has considerable experience representing clients in the hospitality, gaming, designer outlet and large format retail industries. She has acted for a wide range of international developers, real estate investment trusts, international franchises and publicly traded companies. Janet was called to the bar in British Columbia and Ontario in 1994. ALLAN DICK Is a Partner with the law firm of Sotos LLP. Sotos LLP is Canada s largest and most experienced firm servicing all franchise industry segments. His commercial litigation practice includes franchising, licensing and distribution, intellectual property, commercial leasing, commercial and corporate disputes. Allan is a registered trademark agent. He has been recognized by The Canadian Legal Lexpert directory as a leading litigator in the area of franchising since its inception. He is an International Franchise Association Legal Eagle. The Best Lawyers in Canada and various other directories also recognize Allan in the area of franchise litigation and international franchising. Has an extensive background in trial and appellate litigation and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada. Regularly advises franchisors, master franchisees, area franchisees, franchise investors and landlords on all aspects of franchising and commercial leasing and has represented both franchisors and franchisees in complex group litigation including class proceedings. Graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, in 1982. Affiliations include membership in the Canadian Franchise Association, ABA Forum on Franchising, International Franchise Association and Intellectual Property Institute of Canada. Has been a frequent author of articles and a speaker on franchising, commercial leasing and general litigation topics including on behalf of the Ontario Bar Association, Canadian Franchise Association and the ABA Franchise Law Journal. Allan is an original member of the executive of the OBA Joint Sub-committee on Franchising and is a Past-Chair of the OBA Franchise Law Section which is the successor to that sub-committee. Allan co-chaired the OBA 7th Annual Franchise Law Conference in 2007 SHELDON DISENHOUSE is a partner in the commercial leasing practice group in the Toronto office of Dentons Canada LLP. His practice focuses primarily on all aspects of commercial leasing including retail, office and industrial leasing. He acts on behalf of developers, landlords and tenants and has extensive experience in drafting and negotiating sophisticated leases and related ancillary documentation. Sheldon has spoken at numerous conferences on a variety of commercial leasing issues, including for the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada, ICSC, RealLeasing, and Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development CLE. He also contributes to numerous publications on commercial leasing law matters and is the real property editor for Legal Alert (Carswell). He is a past co-chair of the ICSC Law Conference and has co-authored articles in a number of Canada Law Book publications Distress: A Commercial. Landlord s Remedy, (Canada Law Book Inc., 2001), and Assignment, Subletting and Change of Control in a Commercial Page 3
Lease (Canada Law Book Inc., 2002), Shopping Centre Leases, Second Edition, (Canada Law Book, a division of The Cartwright Group Ltd. 2008), and Tenant s Rights and Remedies in a Commercial Lease, Second Edition, (Canada Law Book, a division of Thomson Reuters Canada Limited, 2014). Sheldon is listed in The Canadian Legal Directory LEXPERT as a leading practitioner in the area of commercial leasing, the LEXPERT American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, Woodward/White s The Best Lawyers in Canada, and Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rated. He has an LLB from Osgoode Hall Law School and a B.A. (Hons.), from the University of Toronto. He was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1983 LINDA GALESSIERE is a partner in the Litigation practice group at McLean & Kerr LLP. Her practice focuses primarily on corporate commercial litigation, property leasing disputes, and retail bankruptcy and insolvency matters. She regularly appears before the Ontario Commercial Court in retail bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings representing predominately landlord interests. Linda has represented landlords in connection with every major retail insolvency proceeding during the past 9 years including: Athletes World, Cotton Ginny, Hoop/Disney Stores, Mariposa Stores, InterTAN/Circuit City, Blockbuster, Eddie Bauer, Jacob, Linens 'N Things, Petcetera, Please Mum, Priszm (KFC), Sterling Shoes, Costa Blanca/Urban Behavior, Bargain Shop, Eddie Bauer, Movie Gallery, Mexx, Bombay, Mobilicity, Target, Comark, Sherson Group (Nine West) and Laura. Linda was also involved with the committee drafting amendments to the model insolvency orders addressing landlord concerns. She has also represented clients before the courts in multi-party creditor disputes, as well as proceedings involving minority shareholders and oppression remedies. She also advises and litigates on behalf of commercial landlords and tenants in all matters arising out of leasing contracts including the interpretation and enforceability of leases, termination and repudiation of leases, proper distress procedures and environmental issues. JORY GRAD Jory is a partner in the Commercial Leasing and Real Estate Law practice groups at Owens Wright LLP. He specializes in a broad range of commercial and retail leasing with a focus in the telecommunication industry for both landlords and telecommunication service providers. He has expertise in negotiating commercial leases for office, retail and industrial. Jory's practice also involves real estate, secured financing and corporate and commercial law. In his practice, he works on behalf of individuals, public and private corporations, financial institutions and developers. Jory has authored a number of articles on various commercial leasing matters, and regularly speaks at leasing seminars and conferences. Jory was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2005. He graduated with a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Toronto in 2004. Prior to law school, Jory received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Ontario in 1999, majoring in Statistical Sciences. JOSEPH GRIGNANO no bio CELIA C. HITCH is Director, Retail Legal Services for Oxford Properties Group, a Canadian real estate developer and owner, which owns and manages over $20 billion of real estate assets in Canada, the United States and Europe. In her role there, she practices extensively in the area of commercial leasing, as well as working on development projects. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1985 and has over 25 years of in-house experience with various owners and developers of retail, office and industrial buildings, including Cadillac Fairview and O&Y Properties. Prior to joining Oxford, she was counsel to Lang Michener LLP. She is a past co-chair of the ICSC Canadian Law Conference and a past co-chair of the RealLeasing Conference. She presents regularly at conferences run by the Law Society of Upper Canada and the ICSC. She authored two chapters of the 2 nd edition of Shopping Centre Leases, edited by Harvey Haber. MICHAEL HOROWITZ is a partner with the Commercial Leasing Group at the law firm Minden Gross LLP in Toronto. Michael s practice focuses primarily on commercial leasing transactions, including drafting and negotiating retail, office and industrial leases and ancillary documentation. Michael also acts for individuals and corporations on real estate transactions and various commercial matters. Michael is a longstanding member of the planning committee for the annual ICSC Canadian Law Conference in Toronto, Ontario and served as Co-Chair of the conference in 2008 and 2009. Michael has also participated as a panelist, moderator and round-table leader for the ICSC Canadian Law Conference. Michael has served as a panelist at the Law Society of Upper Canada s Six Minute Commercial Leasing Law programs, Lexpert s Leasing Seminars and Osgoode Hall s CLE seminar on Commercial Leasing. Michael received his LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1991. Michael is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association and the International Council of Shopping Centres. AUBREY KAUFFMAN is the past Chair of Fasken Martineau s Toronto Insolvency and Restructuring Group. He has acted as counsel in commercial disputes since 1979. He is a director of the prestigious Insolvency Institute of Canada and a past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association - Insolvency Section. Aubrey s practice focuses on advocacy matters related to national and cross border bankruptcy, insolvency and restructuring proceedings. Aubrey has acted in many high profile insolvency proceedings representing a wide gamut of stakeholders including court officers, debtors, landlords, directors, suppliers, creditors at all levels of the capital structure, and government agencies. Aubrey is certified as a specialist in both Bankruptcy and Insolvency and Civil Litigation by the Law Society of Upper Page 4
Canada and is recognized in the insolvency and restructuring area by several rating agencies including Lexpert, Best Lawyers in Canada, Chambers Global: Canada, and Who s Who Legal. MICHAEL KENNEDY is a partner at Patterson Law in Halifax. He has been practising in excess of 30 years with particular emphasis in corporate/commercial transactions, including acquisition, financing and leasing for large commercial enterprises, and P-3 developments and financings. Michael has lectured and provided presentations over the years to the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Nova Scotia Real Estate Association, the Canadian Bar Association, the International Council of Shopping Centres National Law Conference (for the past six years), and has assisted with the materials and lecturing for the Introduction to Real Estate Management Course at Saint Mary s and Dalhousie Universities. He has received Mediation Training from UPEI. CHRISTINA KOBI is a partner in the Commercial Leasing Group at Minden Gross LLP. She is recognized in The Canadian Legal Expert Directory as one of the leading property leasing lawyers in Canada. She specializes in all aspects of commercial leasing (including retail, office, industrial, telecommunications and solar panel leasing) and tenancy dispute matters. Has expertise in sophisticated and volume leasing for major developers, and in managing and coordinating major lease-related projects. Performs these services for landlords, tenants and financial institutions, developers, franchisors and franchisees, including Canada s largest grocery retailer, one of North America s leading drug store operators and the largest coffee house company in the world. She was co-chair of the ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conferences in 2010 and 2011 and she served on the Board of Directors of the Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women s Association (Toronto CREW) for a twoyear period ending March 2013. She is active as a lecturer and roundtable leader at conferences sponsored by the ICSC, CBA, LSUC and Federated Press. She is a frequent contributor to leasing publications and has co-authored chapters in the recently published Shopping Centre Leases, 2nd Edition (Canada Law Book, 2008), and Distress A Commercial Landlord s Remedy (Canada Law Book, 2001). Admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1997. KENNETH KROHMAN has a general, real estate, commercial and corporate law practice serving clients ranging from local businesses and developers to national manufacturing and retail operations. He has also represented a number of foreign corporations conducting business in Canada. Areas of emphasis for Ken are forestry, mining, real estate and business acquisitions and reorganizations. Notable experience in the natural resource sector includes: structuring and advising participants in mining joint ventures from exploration through to mine development and financing, structuring reorganizations of pulp and wood product manufacturing operations and conducting detailed due diligence investigations for acquisition of manufacturing operations in the wood fibre industry. Ken s extensive real estate experience has grown through numerous acquisitions, development and disposition transactions in both the commercial and residential sectors, as well as complex transactions for a national food store retailer. KARSTEN LEE Karsten Lee practises in the area of commercial leasing, representing developers, landlords and tenants. Karsten's practice covers all aspects of commercial leasing. He advises and assists national, individual and entrepreneurial clients with respect to all leasing-related matters. Karsten has extensive experience with drafting and negotiating commercial leases and all ancillary documentation, as well as providing advice on a broad range of leasing-related issues relating to redevelopments, real estate acquisitions and dispositions, defaults and termination. He acts on behalf of landlords, tenants, developers, property managers, lenders, franchisors and franchisees. Karsten also has extensive experience with leasing-related due diligence matters. JEFFREY LEM Jeffrey W. Lem, B.Comm (UofT), J.D. (Osgoode) and LL.M (Osgoode) was called to the bar in Ontario in 1989 and is also a solicitor-on-the-rolls in England & Wales. He is a Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law and is the Director of Titles for the Province of Ontario with the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. As the Director of Titles, Jeffrey has responsibility for and oversight of the Land Titles Act, the Registry Act, the Land Registration Reform Act, the Boundaries Act, and a number of other pieces of ancillary real estate legislation. Prior to joining the Ontario Public Service, Jeffrey practised in Toronto in all aspects of real estate lending, development, leasing, restructuring and remedies. Jeffrey was a long-time member of the Real Property Executive of the Ontario Bar Association, a President of the Association of Chinese Canadian Lawyers of Ontario, and the first Canadian lawyer inducted to the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. While in private practice, Jeffrey received Martindale-Hubbell s highest rating, AV, and was recognized for real estate in Chambers, The Best Lawyers in Canada, the Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory, and The International Who s Who of Real Estate Lawyers. Jeffrey is an editor-in-chief of the Real Property Reports, the legal editor for Building Magazine, a real estate law columnist for Law Times, and the author of both the Real Estate and the Expropriation volumes of Halsbury s Laws of Canada. Jeffrey is the proud recipient of: the Ontario Bar Association s Award of Excellence in Real Estate; the Toronto Lawyers Association s Honsberger Award for dedication to the legal profession; and the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyer s Lifetime Achievement Award. Jeffrey currently teaches real estate law at the Bora Laskin Law School at Lakehead University and, before that, was an instructor in real estate law for the Ontario Bar Admission Course and the Director of the LL.M. Program for Real Estate Law at Osgoode Hall Law School. Jeffrey continues to lecture frequently throughout Canada and Page 5
internationally on real estate law, land registration, and professional responsibility. Jeffrey currently also serves the broader legal community as a two-term elected Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada. FRASER MacFADYEN graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1985. He was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1986 and practiced there until 1989. In 1989 he returned to Nova Scotia and joined Stewart McKelvey, where he has remained ever since. His practice includes corporate-commercial, corporate finance, banking, real estate and related areas. Fraser has an extensive and varied experience in the leasing area though predominantly he has acted for landlords, often those with a property portfolio. Fraser also has extensive experience in other more general aspects of commercial practice. He advises national and international entities and their legal counsel in relation to commercial transactions and corporate finance, with an emphasis in real estate and related matters. He is a member of the CBA and NSBS. DEANNE MacLEOD is a partner at Stewart McKelvey, engaged in a broad corporate commercial legal practice. She provides corporate commercial advice to small, mid-sized and large entities in respect to matters ranging from commercial real estate, financing, mergers and acquisitions, competition law and corporate governance. Deanne graduated in 1996 from Dalhousie University with an LLB and MBA. Deanne is an active community volunteer and has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Better Business Bureau of the Maritime Provinces (2003-2005), the Board of Governors of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia from 2002-2008 (Chair in 2007-2008), the Mount Saint Vincent Alumnae Association (President 2011-2013) and the Board of Governors for Mount Saint Vincent University (currently the past Chair of the Board of Governors). SUNITA MAHANT is active in the real estate industry and is a frequent speaker at various ICSC conferences. Sunita started her career in private practice working in commercial and residential real estate. Prior to joining Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc., Sunita worked as in-house counsel for a national commercial real estate developer with a primary focus on power centres advising on commercial leasing matters. Currently, Sunita is Director & Assistant Secretary, Legal Affairs at Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc. ( IC ), one of the world s largest Canadianbased real estate development companies with over $40B of assets in the shopping centre, office and multi-residential sectors. Sunita advises the company s business in the areas of development, operations and leasing on many high-profile and large scale projects and complex deals, including the acquisition, development and leasing of Canada s largest open air outlet shopping centre, Outlet Collection at Niagara, the major redevelopment and expansion of Bayshore Shopping Centre, Vaughan Mills, and Oshawa Centre; the leasing and operations of a downtown Miami shopping centre, and new retail and office development projects in Canada, including, Tsawwassen Mills and a world-class Toronto office tower. RICHARD MASK is a partner with Parlee McLaws LLP in Calgary, Alberta. Richard s knowledge in Commercial Real Estate comprises; shopping centre purchase and sales; land assemblies, purchase and sale transactions for retail and industrial lands; free standing and shopping centre anchor tenant leasing; commercial retail tenant leasing; office building leasing; shopping centre integration; municipal development agreements; easements; restrictive covenants; non-disturbance agreements; and lease surrenders and cancellations. Richard is listed by Best Lawyers as one of the best lawyers in Canada in the area of commercial real estate and repeatedly recommended by Lexpert in the area of property leasing. Richard is also the 2010 and 2011 recipient of the International Law Office Client Choice Award for exceptional client service. MELISSA McBAIN is a partner at Daoust Vukovich LLP, a leading commercial leasing and property development boutique law firm. Melissa has dedicated her career to representing commercial landlords and tenants in a variety of commercial leasing matters. She has expertise in managing commercial lease transactions for all types of properties, including office, retail, industrial and mixed-use. Melissa s practice includes the interpretation of commercial leases and the coordination of major projects, including multi-location deals and due diligence on acquisitions. Her practice also includes telecommunications and building services arrangements. Melissa is a member of Toronto CREW (the Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women s Association) as well as an active member of the Planning Committee for the law conference of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and is a past member of the Planning Committee for Toronto s ICSC Next Generation. STEVE MESSENGER is partner with Minden Gross commercial leasing group, specializing in commercial leasing and development. Clients include North American large, sophisticated developers, property and asset managers, retailers, banks, trust companies, pension funds. ICSC Canadian Division Special Initiatives Chairman and 1998 and 2001 Distinguished Service Award recipient and Canadian Lead Ambassador. Frequently serves as expert witness on commercial leasing matters. On Editorial Board for and contributor to Shopping Centre Leases, Volumes I and II and contributor to Shopping Centre Leases Second Edition. Member of Advisory Boards of Georgetown University Law Center Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute, Commercial Lease Law Insider, Shopping Centre Management Insider and Commercial Tenant s Lease Insider. Named one of Canada s most frequently recommended property leasing lawyers by Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory and by Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 lawyers in Canada and one of the best lawyers in Canada in his practice area by Best Lawyers in Canada, as Page 6
well as one of Canada s most highly regarded individuals in Real Estate by the Who s Who Legal, Canada MARY ORMOND is a lawyer with and founder of Ormond Law, where she practices exclusively in the area of commercial leasing. Ormond Law provides cost-effective commercial leasing legal services to landlords, tenants, developers and property managers. Prior to establishing Ormond Law, Mary was the Vice President Real Estate Portfolio Management at Cara Operations Limited, where she was responsible for the management of an extensive real estate portfolio of owned and leased properties. Mary has been on the Planning Committee for the ICSC Canadian Law Conference for several years and has been a session leader and speaker at the conference many times. Mary has also spoken at other programs, including the Law Society of Upper Canada s Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer. Mary was called to the bar of Ontario in 1996. SARAH POWELL no bio JULIE ROBBINS is a Partner in the Real Estate Group at the Toronto office of the law firm Dentons Canada LLP. She is the co-chair of Dentons Canadian Region Retail Sector Group. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours from York University in 1999 and obtained her LL.B degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2003 where she graduated in the top ten percent of her class. Julie works with developers, landlords and tenants to draft and negotiate commercial leases and all related documentation as well as advising on related issues such as default, termination and relief from forfeiture. She has extensive experience with due diligence lease reviews in connection with retail chain acquisitions and shopping centre, office and industrial building dispositions and acquisitions. She is recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada (2013 2015) as one of Canada s leading lawyers in the area of Real Estate law. Julie was also repeatedly recommended by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2014 as one of Canada's leading lawyers in the area of Property Leasing. Julie is a frequent contributor to legal publications on commercial leasing topics. Julie is also a regular presenter at various industry and legal events, including the Ontario Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada and the International Council of Shopping Centers Law Conference. She has been named cochair of the ICSC Canadian Law Conference for 2015 and 2016. WILLIAM (BILL) A. ROWLANDS is a partner with the law firm of McMillan LLP. Bill practiced with Lang Michener LLP following his call to the Ontario Bar in 1984 and continued with McMillan LLP after the merger of the practices of the two firms. Received an LL.B from Queen s University in 1982. Specializes in commercial real estate, with particular emphasis on leasing, acting for both landlords and tenants. Listed as a leading practitioner in The Canadian Legal Directory LEXPERT and listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada. Co-Chair of the Law Society of Upper Canada annual Six Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer program and has presented papers at continuing education and professional seminars sponsored by the Ontario Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the International Council of Shopping Centers and others. Principal Editor of O'Brien's Encyclopedia of Forms, Leases Division, a leading Canadian resource for leasing documents. Contributor to Title Insurance, A Guide to Regulation, Coverage and Claims Process in Ontario. MARIE SAINT-AMOUR is the founder of MSA Law, a Montreal based boutique law firm established in 1990 which deals primarily in retail lease negotiations for large national retailers both in Canada and the United States. Marie has represented both landlords and tenants but acts primarily as a tenant s attorney. Called to the Quebec Bar in 1982, Marie has worked as a commercial real estate attorney for over 30 years. In addition to retail lease negotiations, her expertise includes negotiating and coordinating all leasing related documentation involved in purchase and sale transactions between retailers. Marie is a member of the Planning Committee for the ICSC s Canadian Law Conference. LAURIE SANDERSON With more than 25 years of experience, Laurie is a recognized expert in the area of commercial leasing and represents a wide variety of both private and public sector landlords and tenants. Laurie has extensive experience in ground leasing and the design build process. She is also well positioned to give strategic advice in insolvency proceedings. She is a trusted advisor to her clients on issues unique to commercial leasing, including operating cost and realty tax allocations and recovery, the appropriate selection and application of measurement standards to achieve financial objectives, subleasing, best practices for securing covenants given the unique treatment of commercial leases in bankruptcy, risk allocation and insurance matters, repair and restoration obligations, environmental due diligence both before and at the conclusion of the term of the lease, operating covenants, and radius restrictions. Laurie is included in the 2016 Best Lawyers List for Canada (for commercial leasing and real estate), Chambers Canada 2016, Chambers Global 2016 and the 2015 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1986 and received Mediation Training from Harvard Law School in 1995. Until 2013 she was a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of BOMA Ottawa. Laurie is on the Board of Directors for the United Way Ottawa and is an active member of the ICSC. JEFFREY SELBY is a Partner in the Calgary office of Miller Thomson. Jeff holds degrees in Economics and Law and practises primarily in real estate and real estate development law. He has been recognized as a Pioneer of Condominium Law in Alberta. Jeff has acted in almost every aspect of real estate Page 7
law, including subdivision, development and redevelopment, construction, financing, taxation, leasing, purchase and sale and syndication. He has represented numerous developers, financial institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, government bodies and national and multi-national corporations in a variety of real estate matters. Jeff has maintained a particular interest in retail organizations, assisting in site acquisitions (by purchase or lease) and development, and has a very significant and wellestablished practice in condominium development. Jeff has appeared before municipality councils and various administrative panels. ANTONELLA TALARICO is the National Director, Legal and Lease Administration at Crombie REIT. Ms. Talarico received her LL.B from the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law in 2004. She articled at McLean & Kerr LLP and then subsequently joined the firm as an associate after her call to the Ontario Bar in 2005. Upon leaving McLean & Kerr LLP, Ms. Talarico became in house counsel for Ivanhoe Cambridge and in 2010 returned to private practice when she joined Sherman Brown. Throughout Ms. Talarico s legal career her practice has focussed on commercial leasing negotiating and preparing a wide variety of retail leasing arrangements, acting for both landlords and tenants. Ms. Talarico is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the International Council of Shopping Centres. She has also been a roundtable leader and speaker at the ICSC Canadian Law Conference. [Talarico, Antonella] She has been a member member of the organizing committee for the ICSC Canadian Law Conference [Talarico, Antonella] since2014. DAVID THOMPSON was called to the Ontario Bar in 1989 and to the Alberta Bar in 1995. David has experience in many areas of commercial leasing law, acting for both tenants and landlords. His clients have included well-known national chains in the food service, retail and theatre industries. David has negotiated and finalized leases, offers, subleases and letter agreements (for land leases, turnkeys and pad deals) for both landlords and tenants. He has extensive experience with joint venture agreements, development agreements, cross easements and all the issues related to the development, sale or acquisition of land. David is also familiar with the particular needs of the franchise industry, including the required agreements, documentation and due diligence. ALISON TORTORICE Alison leads a legal team with a focus on commercial leasing, shopping centre management and operations, and general contract matters. Prior to moving inhouse, Alison spent several years at a full-service law firm representing both landlords and tenants in retail, office and industrial spaces. Alison speaks regularly at seminars held by the ICSC, Ontario Bar Association and Law Society of Upper Canada. She is also part of the leadership of Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women, which is dedicated to empowering women to excel, influence and lead throughout their commercial real estate career. NATALIE VUKOVICH is co-founder of a boutique dedicated to commercial leasing law and litigation, real estate conveyance and development, and building related telecommunication matters. Her practice is transaction-oriented, entailing a wide variety of commercial leasing arrangements. Actively engaged in the ICSC, RealLeasing, Georgetown University's Advanced Commercial Leasing Institute. Has lectured and written extensively on commercial leasing topics. Named in Lexpert s Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada every year since it was instituted and also identified in "The Best Lawyers in Canada". Significant experience in large-space transactions in the GTA opposite institutional office tenants, International retailers, grocery store tenants and on behalf of unique space users. B.Sc. (Math) Laurentian University (1980); LL.B. Dalhousie University (1983); Called to the Ontario Bar in 1985. SEAN WALTERS Mr. Walters is an accomplished real estate executive with over 14 years of industry experience in leasing, operations and development. Through leadership and innovation, he oversees the implementation of the strategic directions for the national leasing team, a group of dedicated professionals that is focused on exceeding the expectations of tenants and on fostering long-term partnerships and relationships. After having served within the property management team at Summit REIT, Sean joined Ivanhoé Cambridge in 2004 as Leasing Manager. He was quickly promoted to Senior Manager and to Director, Leasing. During that time, Sean was instrumental in the successful redevelopment projects of several large properties such as Mapleview Shopping Centre in Burlington, Ontario, Conestoga Mall, in Waterloo, Ontario and the expansion of Vaughan Mills, in Vaughan, Ontario. Sean is an active contributor to the shopping centre industry and has been a member of the International Council of Shopping Centres for more than 10 years. He holds a Bachelors of Commerce with Honours from the University of Guelph, Ontario. MONTY WARSH is a partner and member of Aird & Berlis LLP s Real Estate Group. Prior to joining A&B, Monty practised Real Estate with another major Canadian law firm. Monty focuses his practice on commercial leasing law and acts on behalf of landlords, tenants, lenders and property managers. He has extensive experience in drafting, negotiating and successfully concluding offers to lease and all ancillary documentation. Monty has facilitated entry into Canada by many U.S. retailers, including those in the fashion, hospitality and technology sectors. He also represents solar providers in preparing, negotiating and concluding licenses and rooftop agreements. He frequently participates as a lecturer and program leader with industry-sponsored events. Monty is also a regular panel member at Canadian Law Conferences hosted by the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). Page 8
GENEVIEVE WONG is currently Director, Legal, Real Estate Management at Oxford Properties Group in Toronto. Prior to joining Oxford, she held the role of Director, Legal Services at The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited. Oxford Properties Group is an owner, investor, developer and manager of real estate in Canada, the US and the UK with approximately $22 billion of assets under management, and is owned by OMERS, one of Canada s largest pension plans. Page 9