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Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

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The infrastructure group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP combines strong experience in acting for both private and public-sector participants on major development projects. Demonstrating comprehensive coverage of all key asset classes, the national team is active across the country on major rail, road, hospital, port and airport projects, among others. Among the senior names in Toronto, Catherine Doyle is noted for her private sector-side expertise, with a strong track record in representing lenders, developers and sponsors. Doyle is acting alongside Mark Johnson, who splits his time between Toronto and Ottawa, to advise the ONConnects consortium on its bid for the DBFOM contract for the Ontario Line – Rolling Stock Systems, Operations and Maintenance Project. Other key contacts in Toronto include procurement specialist Marianne Smith. Department head Jeffrey Merrick and Montreal group lead Alain Massicotte are additionally recommended in Vancouver and Montreal respectively.

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Key clients

  • Coastal GasLink Pipeline
  • City of Calgary
  • Aecon Concessions, Siemens Project Ventures and Keolis
  • City of Toronto
  • VIA Rail Canada
  • City of Winnipeg
  • Amico Concessions, Sacyr Concesiones SI and SNC-Lavalin Capital
  • City of Mississauga
  • Calgary Airport Authority

Work highlights

  • Advising the City of Calgary on the development of a C$5bn light rail transit line in Calgary, Alberta.
  • Advising the City of Toronto on the C$2.3bn rehabilitation of the FG Gardiner Expressway.
  • Advising the ONConnects consortium on its bid to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Ontario Line – Rolling Stock Systems, Operations and Maintenance Project in Toronto, Ontario.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Catherine Doyle

Catherine Doyle

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Catherine advises project proponents in the transportation, social infrastructure, alternative energy, power and health-care sectors on their Canadian and, in a growing number of cases, global infrastructure projects. A former banker, Catherine brings a rare combination of skills to an infrastructure deal — a thorough understanding of the public-private partnerships and infrastructure landscape, combined with top-tier project financing capabilities, which clients value deeply as they look to access capital for their projects. She also represents a variety of financial institutions in the financing of infrastructure assets, including bond underwriters, institutional investors, and both Canadian and international banks. She has extensive experience in operating and term credit facilities, asset-based financings, lease financings and structured financial products, and in structuring, negotiating and documenting domestic and cross-border financing transactions in the bank, private placement and public markets.

Alain Massicotte

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

In addition to general business law, Alain specializes in project financing, construction law, infrastructure and P3s projects. He has been involved in all major infrastructure projects, including P3 transactions in Quebec and heads Blakes' Montréal Infrastructure-P3 Group. He has acted as counsel for the governments or for agencies of Morocco, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the Solomon Islands, Ivory Coast, Congo (Brazzaville), Chad, Cameroon, Senegal, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, India and Guinea.

Jeffrey Merrick

Jeffrey Merrick

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Jeff is the Chair of the Infrastructure group and the head of the Vancouver Real Estate group. He has expertise in developing, buying, selling, leasing and financing major commercial real estate and infrastructure projects. He also has expertise in P3s and AFPs, including all aspects of major design, build, finance and operate projects working with private partners and governments. Jeff is also the Managing Partner of Blakes Vancouver Office.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Jeffrey Merrick

Other key lawyers

Catherine Doyle, Alain Massicotte, Marianne Smith, Mark Johnson, Alyssa Shivji