Greg brings a combination of legal expertise and business acumen to our clients’ complex matters. They consider Greg to be an “incredible lawyer” and value that “he’s not just a lawyer, he’s a great business advisor – he’s outstanding.”
Chambers Global
Known for his strategic and insightful advice, Greg acts on many of the most notable commercial real estate transactions and development projects in Canada and internationally.
For more than 35 years, he has advised clients on a broad range of commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, development projects, project financing, commercial leasing, REITs, private equity funds, workouts, strategic planning and corporate matters.
Leading Canadian and international real estate owners, investors and developers turn to Greg for his “great business sense” and “responsive” manner, with one client saying, “I think he is the best real estate lawyer in Canada.” (Chambers Canada 2017)
Greg is on the board of trustees of SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust.
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted for Frontside Developments L.P., a joint venture between Cadillac Fairview and Investment Management Corporation of Ontario, in the sale of a 30% interest in the development site located at 160 Front Street West, Toronto, to The Toronto-Dominion Bank. Also acted for Cadillac Fairview, as the manager and co-owner, in the joint venture and management arrangements for the development. As one of the most significant developments in Toronto, it will consist of a 46-storey office tower (with 1,200,000 square feet of office space and 12,000 square feet of retail space) in the heart of downtown Toronto. The office space has been fully leased to Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acting for Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in a joint venture with Shape Properties and another investor for the development of a multi-phase mixed-use project in Richmond, British Columbia, which is expected to include the single largest residential development in Richmond's history as well as substantial integrated commercial components.
SmartREIT
Acted for SmartREIT in its $1.1-billion acquisition with Strathallen Acquisitions Inc. of OneREIT.
20 VIC Management Inc.
Acted for the shareholders of 20 VIC Management Inc., one of Canada's leading commercial real estate management firms, in the sale of 20 VIC to Cushman & Wakefield.
Cadillac Fairview Corporation
Acted for Cadillac Fairview Corporation in the sale of a 50% non-managing interest in its Vancouver portfolio, including CF Pacific Centre and 12 office towers, to Ontario Pension Board and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
Ivanhoé Cambridge
Acting for Ivanhoé Cambridge in connection with its development of an integrated multi-tower office complex/public transit hub development straddling both sides of Toronto's Union Station rail corridor. A highly visible pair of innovative office towers on a 3 million square foot downtown campus, Bay Park Centre is the result of a joint effort between global real estate leaders Ivanhoé Cambridge and Hines, and the last remaining office development with a commercially renowned Bay Street address.
SmartCentres REIT and the Penguin Group of Companies
Acting for Penguin Investments Inc. (formerly SmartCentres Realty Inc.) in connection with the multi-billion dollar development of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre - a planned downtown for the City of Vaughan of almost 6 million square feet. This is one of the most important master planned communities in Canada - a transit-rich, high-density, fully urban, mixed-use community being built in the suburbs of Toronto.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Acted for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) in its $1.175-billion acquisition of a 50% interest in Canadian office portfolio from Oxford Properties Group (Oxford). Oxford will continue to manage the properties on behalf of the partnership. The transaction brings the total size of the jointly owned Oxford-CPPIB office portfolio to over 12 million square feet.
Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc.
Acted for a subsidiary of Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc. in connection with the sale of its majority interest in Bentall Centre, one of the largest office complexes in Canada, to Maple Red Financial Management Canada Inc. in what is reported to be the biggest commercial real estate transaction in Vancouver history.
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted for Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in connection with the sale of a 30% non-managing interest in the Toronto-Dominion Centre and a concurrent sale of 30% interest in an office development site at 16 York Street to the Ontario Pension Board.
Mitchell Goldhar, SmartCentres and Walmart
Acted for Mitchell Goldhar, SmartCentres and Walmart in connection with the sale of the SmartCentres platform to Calloway REIT for $1.16 billion.
Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc.
Acted for Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc. in the sale of its 50% interest in two Ontario shopping centres, Quinte Mall in Belleville and Devonshire Mall in Windsor, to The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) for approximately $240 million.
Spear Street Capital, LLC
Acted for Spear Street Capital, LLC in connection with its $305-million purchase of the majority of BlackBerry Limited's real estate holdings in Canada, including its global headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario. BlackBerry sold more than 3 million square feet of space as well as vacant lands, and leased back a portion of the space.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Acted for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in connection with its joint venture with WAM Development Group and Walton Group of Companies to develop a 250-acre industrial site in northwest Edmonton, Alberta. CPPIB's initial equity commitment is approximately $200 million for phase one of the development, representing an 85% interest in the joint venture.
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in connection with its $650-million purchase of the Hudson's Bay downtown Toronto flagship retail complex and the Simpson's Tower located at 401 Bay Street. HBC will lease the entire retail and office complex back for a base term of 25 years with renewal options for a term of just under 50 years.
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in connection with the full surrender by Sears Canada Inc. of its leases at four shopping centres, and the partial surrender by Sears of its lease at a fifth shopping centre, for a total consideration of $400 million.
Wal-Mart Canada Realty Inc. and SmartCentres Realty Inc.
Acted for Wal-Mart Canada Realty Inc. and SmartCentres Realty Inc. in connection with the sale of four shopping centres located in Ontario to Calloway Real Estate Investment Trust and its affiliates for approximately $232 million.
Wal-Mart Canada Realty Inc. and SmartCentres Realty Inc.
Acted for Wal-Mart Canada Realty Inc. and SmartCentres Realty Inc. in connection with the sale of one shopping centre located in Ontario and one shopping centre located in British Columbia to Retrocom Real Estate Investment Trust and its affiliates for approximately $61 million.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Acted for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in connection with the sale to Ivanhoé Cambridge of a 50% interest in Carrefour de l'Estrie shopping centre located in Sherbrooke, Québec, which is the largest shopping centre in Québec's Eastern Townships region, and the resulting joint venture.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Acted for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in connection with a 50/50 Canadian retail joint venture with Oxford Properties Group. As part of the transaction, CPPIB acquired a 50% interest in the approximately 1 million square foot Upper Canada Mall, in Ontario, from Oxford Properties Group, and Oxford Properties Group acquired a 50% interest in the 1.5 million square foot Les Galeries de la Capitale shopping centre, in Québec, from CPPIB.
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in connection with its US$150 million investment in Terranum Corporate Properties, a Colombian commercial property development business.
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in connection with the sale of two shopping centres, Regent Mall and McAllister Place in New Brunswick for $318 million.
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited in the sale of Georgian Mall in Barrie, Ontario to RioCan REIT for $318 million.
Commerz Real Investmentgesellschaft mbH
Acted for Commerz Real Investmentgesellschaft mbH in connection with its sale of its 50% interest in four prominent shopping centres located in Canada to Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc. for $508 million.
WalMart Canada Realty Inc. and SmartCentres Realty Inc.
Acted for WalMart Canada Realty Inc. and SmartCentres Realty Inc. in connection with the sale of two shopping centres located in the greater Toronto area and one shopping centre located in each of Saskatoon and the greater Montreal area to The Great-West Life Assurance Company and its affiliates for approximately $202 million.
Wal-Mart Canada Realty Inc.
Acted for Wal-Mart Canada Realty Inc. on their most significant real estate transactions in Canada, including the formation of their real estate joint venture with SmartCentres and the sale of 62 retail centres across Canada in 10 transactions for sale proceeds in excess of $2.5 billion.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Acted for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in connection with its joint venture with the Westfield Group. CPPIB's equity investment is US$1.8 billion, representing a 45% interest in the joint venture.
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
Acted as Canadian counsel to The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited and its affiliates in connection with investments in Brazil, including the $500-million investment in Multiplan Empreendimentos Imobiliários S.A., one of the leading developers, owners and operators of shopping centres in Brazil.
SmartCentres Management Inc.
Acted for SmartCentres Management Inc. in connection with the development of the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, a major mixed-use development, including a new transit hub on an approximately 100 acres site in the City of Vaughan, Ontario.
Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc.
Acted for Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc. in the sale of a 50% interest in Southgate Centre, Edmonton for $264.5 million to Ontario Pension Board and the joint venture agreements with the Ontario Pension Board.
OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund
Acted for OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund in connection with its acquisition of a 50% interest in the office building at 777 Bay Street, Toronto and a 90% interest in the office building at 1075 Bay Street, Toronto from Canderel for a total purchase price of $288 million, and the joint ventures in respect of those properties.
Canada Lands Company CLC Limited
Acted for Canada Lands Company CLC Limited in connection with a long-term lease to Ripley Entertainment Inc. for a world-class aquarium with up to 150,000 square feet of space to be located at the base of the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario.
Runnymede Development Corporation Limited
Acted for Runnymede Development Corporation Limited in connection with the sale of a $91-million portfolio of shopping centres to RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust.
Canada Lands Company CLC Limited
Acted for Canada Lands Company CLC Limited in the sale of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Complex, a 7.4 acre mixed-use development in downtown Toronto, to Oxford Properties Group. The complex includes the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the 277 Front Street office tower, the Intercontinental Hotel, and a 1,200-stall parking facility.
Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc.
Acted for Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc. in the sale of its five Canadian shopping centres to Primaris Retail REIT for an aggregate price of approximately $572 million.
Century 21 Department Stores
Acted for Century 21 Department Stores in its $27-million acquisition of a commercial retail building in downtown Montréal.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Acted for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in its acquisition of a 36.9% interest in the Mayflower partnership for a total equity investment of US$350 million. The Mayflower partnership owns a portfolio of 13 regional malls located in the United States, which has a total value of approximately US$2.03 billion.
Cadillac Fairview Finance Trust
Acted in the private placement of Cadillac Fairview Finance Trust debentures in the aggregate amount of $2 billion and a subsequent private placement of debentures in the aggregate amount of $600 million.
The Cadillac Fairview Corporation
Acted for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation in the sale of Erin Mills Town Centre, Erin Mills Town Plaza and surrounding development lands to Ontario Pension Board for $370 million.
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited and Ivanhoe Cambridge
Acted for co-owners, Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited and Ivanhoe Cambridge, in the sale of Cataraqui Town Centre to Primaris Retail REIT for approximately $168 million.
OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund
Acted for OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund in connection with its acquisition of seven regional shopping centres in southwestern Ontario, together with approximately 350 acres of development lands in the Greater Toronto Area, from affiliates of Forecast Inc.
Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc.
Acted for Ivanhoé Cambridge Inc. in its acquisition of the interests of The Mills Corporation in three shopping centres located in Vaughan, Ontario, Glasgow, Scotland and Madrid, Spain for US$988 million.
