About

Provided by Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Blakes specializes in large-scale, complex and market-leading infrastructure and public-private partnership (P3) transactions across Canada, cross-border and internationally. Blakes lawyers have acted on an extraordinarily broad range of large-scale public and private infrastructure projects, including transit, roads and bridges, ports, health care, courthouses and office buildings, energy, power (renewable and thermal), nuclear, transmission, water and waste, airports, stadia, street lighting, and telecommunications and broadband.
 
We advise the full range of market participants in infrastructure projects, including governments (federal, provincial and municipal), equity sponsors, financial institutions, contractors, suppliers and secondary market investors.

Blakes' exceptionally broad range of experience and the depth of our practice means that we are able to anticipate and, most importantly, understand issues and problems that may arise during the course of a transaction and find constructive and practical solutions. Our public-sector clients benefit from our up-to-the-minute knowledge of issues impacting investors, lenders, builders and operators. Our private-sector clients benefit from our solid working relationship with government agencies and regulatory bodies and our insight into their positions on important issues.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Projects: PPP & Infrastructure - Nationwide - Canada

1
Band 1

What the Team is Known For

Blake, Cassels & Graydon has an outstanding team of lawyers who are heavily involved in significant infrastructure projects across Canada. The practice continues to be active on secondary market transactions involving PPPs, assisting with auctions and private negotiations. The group remains a leader in developing PPP structured agreements and related contracts by mobilising its depth of knowledge in asset classes ranging from energy, building construction and water to transportation and transit.

Work Highlights

  • Blake, Cassels & Graydon acted as counsel to the City of Calgary on the development of its Green Line LRT Project, a CAD5.5 billion light rail transit line project in Calgary.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Marianne Smith
1
Marianne Smith
1
Band 1

Marianne Smith assists a range of provincial and municipal authorities with the procurement aspects of public infrastructure projects. Operating out of the firm's Toronto office, she is experienced across a range of sectors including civil infrastructure, transportation and healthcare.

She has an exceptional knowledge base.

Marianne has a huge knowledge base, particularly in procurement law and really good commercial sense and drafting skills. She can strike a balance between the best legal and practical solution.

Marianne is very strong. She is really knowledgeable across all assets, has a good depth of knowledge and grasp on issues and is a really strong advocate for us.

Sébastien Vilder
2
Sébastien Vilder
2
Band 2

Montréal partner Sébastien Vilder frequently acts as lenders' counsel in relation to power projects, showing particular expertise covering wind farm developments.

Sébastien is an exceptional lawyer, whose deep expertise in project finance, particularly within the renewable energy sector, has been invaluable to our organisation.

Sébastien is super knowledgeable in the industry. He is always available and very pragmatic.

Alain Massicotte
3
Alain Massicotte
3
Band 3

Alain Massicotte leads the firm's Montréal infrastructure group, frequently acting for public authorities, sponsors and lenders on a range of project developments.

Alain has excellent vision.

Mark Johnson
3
Mark Johnson
3
Band 3

Toronto-based Mark Johnson is sought out for his handling of major developments in social and commercial infrastructure as well as energy sector projects, where he represents the interests of proponent consortiums, investors and Crown corporations.

He knows the ins and outs of the contracts.

Mark is very knowledgeable, practical and knows our business.

Mark is very smart and very good at what he does.

Alyssa Shivji
5
Alyssa Shivji
5
Band 5

Alyssa Shivji is establishing a respected infrastructure practice from the firm's office in Toronto. She assists clients with the development of infrastructure projects and procurement contracts.

Alyssa is fantastic and has really incredible attention to detail in drafting.

Alyssa is really good at working with the team collaboratively and taking instructions. She is available, incredibly responsive and a really good drafter.

Alyssa is a highly competent and hard-working counsel with great insight and sensitivity to our business.

Stephanie Console
U
Stephanie Console
U
Up and Coming

Stephanie Console is based in the firm's Toronto office and has a particularly strong portfolio of expertise on procurement and infrastructure projects.

Stephanie is very patient, understanding and responsive.

She understands and retains information, even on very complex concepts, with a level of competence that I have not seen before.

Paulina Balabuch
Paulina Balabuch
Associates to watch

Based in Montréal, Paulina Balabuch is an associate who is growing her project finance practice. She is well placed to assist lenders with the financing and refinancing of projects in the energy sector.

She is excellent.

Paulina is super hard-working and gets us answers very quickly. She is detailed and always available.

Ranked Lawyers at
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Provided by Chambers
Filter by
Band

Nationwide - Canada

Project Finance

Sébastien Vilder
2
Sébastien Vilder
2
Band 2
Paulina Balabuch
Paulina Balabuch
Associates to watch
Projects: PPP & Infrastructure

Marianne Smith
1
Marianne Smith
1
Band 1
Alain Massicotte
3
Alain Massicotte
3
Band 3
Mark Johnson
3
Mark Johnson
3
Band 3
Alyssa Shivji
5
Alyssa Shivji
5
Band 5
Stephanie Console
U
Stephanie Console
U
Up and Coming