Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Infrastructure; Commercial Real Estate

John works on acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, financing, development, condominium and leasing transactions involving major Canadian commercial real properties, including many of the country's most prominent retail, office and industrial developments. He is particularly experienced in helping U.S. and European clients and lawyers understand the legal and practical differences in conducting real estate transactions in Canada.

John is Co-Practice Group Leader of the Firm's Real Estate Group, made up of approximately 40 lawyers.

John is the global chair of the Real Estate Practice Group at Lex Mundi, the world's largest network of law firms with over 160 member firms. He is also the past Chair of each of the American Bar Association (ABA) Real Property Section's Special Investors and Investment Structure Group and the International Investment in Real Estate Committee. John has spoken at ABA and other industry events worldwide on cross-border real estate transactions, the Canadian real estate market and other issues of interest to industry leaders and participants. He has also spoken and presented papers on topics relevant to the real estate industry at MIPIM, the International Bar Association and the Law Society of Ontario.