Torys' practice group is routinely called upon by boards of directors and senior management to act on restructuring and insolvency mandates across a range of sectors, among them financial services, retail, pharmaceuticals and mining. The practice is jointly directed by David Bish, who has experience handling bankruptcy proceedings, proposals, wind-ups, liquidations, reorganizations, restructurings and receiverships; and Tony DeMarinis, who focuses on negotiated workouts, recapitalizations, distressed investments and acquisitions, and court proceedings under the federal CCAA. Also noted are Scott Bomhof; litigator Jeremy Opolsky; and Adam Slavens, who is lauded by one client as ‘practical, experienced and technically sound’. All lawyers mentioned are based at the Toronto office.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Well-rounded team that has the depth across all areas of law that could be required in a complex restructuring scenario. Restructuring team is well-respected for being both practical dealmakers as well as technical insolvency specialists.’

  • ‘Adam Slavens is an up-and-coming restructuring lawyer who is the future leader of the Torys restructuring team. Adam is practical, experienced and technically sound - the qualities of a high-performing restructuring lawyer for companies, as well as other stakeholders in restructuring scenarios.’

  • ‘Adam Slavens is a pleasure to deal with. He is responsive and knowledgeable about complex insolvency matters.’

Key clients

  • Bank of Montreal
  • JT Canada
  • Ernst & Young
  • Sheldon Libfeld and Jay Libfeld, co-owners of The Conservatory Group
  • Jenny Coco and Rocky Coco / Coco Paving
  • Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
  • Telus Health (formerly LifeWorks)
  • Arctic Canadian Diamond Company
  • The Cadillac Fairview Corporation
  • KSV Kofman
  • Tarion Warranty Corporation
  • Medical Pharmacies Group
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • FTI Consulting Canada
  • Board of Directors of Great Panther Mining
  • NFI Group
  • KPMG
  • Alvarez & Marsal Canada
  • Macquarie Capital
  • Orion Mine Finance

Work highlights

  • Assisted Bank of Montreal with its acquisition of the AIR MILES Reward business of LoyaltyOne as part of its restructuring proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.
  • Advised Telus Health in respect of the ongoing administration of Stelco's defined benefit pension plans following its insolvency and CCAA restructuring.
  • Acted for JT Canada as the lender in the receivership proceedings of JTI-MacDonald, a Canadian division of Japan Tobacco International.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

David Bish, Tony DeMarinis

Other key lawyers

Scott Bomhof, Jeremy Opolsky, Adam Slavens