A leading real estate lawyer, Graham brings decades of experience helping clients navigate the real estate industry through business-minded counsel focused on optimal opportunities and outcomes for clients.Co-head of Torys’ Commercial Real Estate Practice, Graham is known for his extensive experience in commercial real estate and infrastructure transactions, including real estate joint ventures, acquisitions, divestitures, project finance, development, leasing, construction and secured lending.Graham regularly acts for public and private businesses in some of their most complex and transformational real estate transactions. He brings market insight and real estate experience through his longstanding work in the seniors housing, retail, office and hospitality sectors.
Torys
The real estate group at Torys draws on the combined experience of teams in Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary and New York, to advise owners, investors, developers, government bodies and lenders (including Metrolinx, The Toronto-Dominion Bank, TD Securities) on projects involving joint venture ownership, large-scale multi-use developments, energy and infrastructure projects and phased development arrangements, from initial inquisition through development, management and disposition. The practice is led by Sabrina Gherbaz and Graham Rawlinson, who both bring experts to acquisitions, joint ventures and project finance. Other key figures include Andy Gibbons, who brings strength to matters involving energy projects and public-private partnerships; Simon Knowling, who heads real estate investment trust (REIT) group; and Rose Bailey, who provides extensive experience in commercial real estate, renewable energy assets and securitizations. Senior partner David Dell retired in December 2022. All lawyers mentioned work in the Toronto office.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Torys is a law firm that values client relationships and top-of-the-line service and responsiveness. Their advice is typically reasonable and practical and is thoughtful to the business and risk appetite of their client. They are efficient and have a deep substantive knowledge of both the legal and business of corporate real estate.’
'Simon Knowling: the best at strategy, structuring and negotiations. Graham Rawlinson focuses on the details of a transaction and highlights and quantifies all risks for the business deal to be altered. Noreen Bhanji is a very strong document drafter, negotiator and closer of deals.'
Key clients
- McMaster Innovation Park
- Metrolinx
- Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust
- Hawthorne Canada
- 123Dentist Inc.
- Connor, Clark & Lunn Financial Group
- The Toronto-Dominion Bank
- TD Securities Inc. and the syndicate of underwriters
- Ontario Power Generation Inc.
- The City of Pickering, Ontario
Work highlights
- Acted for McMaster Innovation Park, a wholly-owned subsidiary of McMaster University, in its proposed C$2bn development of the McMaster Innovation Park (MIP).
- Advised Metrolinx on multiple high-profile matters across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, including its proposed sale of 433 Front Street West, the proposed acquisition of a portion of 1319 Bloor Street West from KingSett and the development of a new SmartTrack GO station.
- Advised Ontario Power Generation in the C$200m sale of its 76 acre property located at 800 Kipling Avenue in Toronto and in the negotiation of its related leaseback of a portion of the property.
Lawyers
Leading individuals
Next Generation Partners
Andy’s deep real estate knowledge and insight into the energy and infrastructure industries help inform and guide clients in their most important and complex real estate projects and transactions.Andy’s practice focuses on commercial real estate law, with an emphasis on energy projects, infrastructure and public-private partnerships. Andy acts regularly on behalf of developers, consortiums, lending syndicates and government authorities on project construction, development and financing, as well as acquisitions and dispositions. He also has experience advising on the real estate components of M&A transactions, REITs and other securities law matters.