Practice Areas
Ian Bendell is Chair of DLA Piper (Canada) LLP's Infrastructure and Projects Group and works of out of the firm's Toronto office.
With almost 30 years in the international infrastructure market, Ian has extensive experience advising on international project financing and P3 transactions, particularly in public infrastructure. He specializes in advising project companies, equity sponsors, public authorities, banks and other financial institutions around the world on the procurement, financing and implementation of major infrastructure projects.
While a partner at a City of London law firm, in addition to advising on other rail and rail related projects, Ian was one of three members of a core legal, technical and financial advisory team that advised the Dutch Government on the first High Speed Rail project to be procured as a public private partnership, the Dutch HSL Zuid project connecting Schiphol airport with the Dutch Belgian Border.
In the early 2000s, Ian successfully closed the first Canadian acute healthcare PPP - the William Osler Health Centre - as the lead advisor to the hospital authority. Since closing the William Osler project, Ian has acted for the successful proponents on a wide range of projects that have achieved financial close in Canada and internationally, including some of the most high profile infrastructure projects in the North American market. In the social infrastructure sector, Ian has led teams that have closed multiple projects, including Alberta Schools 1 and 2 in September 2008 and April 2010, the Ontario Provincial Police Modernization Project in September 2010, the Forensic Services and Coroner's Complex Project in June 2010 and the North Island Hospitals Project in June 2014, the first infrastructure project to close utilizing a rated Green Bond structure.
In the transportation sector, examples of projects Ian has led include the William R. Bennett Bridge Project in June 2005, the Kicking Horse Canyon Project in November 2005, the Golden Ears Bridge Project in March 2006, the Northeast Stoney Trail, Northwest Anthony Henday Drive and Northeast Anthony Henday Drive Projects in February 2007, July 2008 and May 2012, respectively, the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Project in February 2013, the Champlain Bridge and Eglinton LRT projects in June and July of 2015 and the Highway 427 Extension Project in March 2017.
Ian spent significant time in 2017 and 2018 leading the team that advised Rideau Transit Group, the project entity carrying out the Confederation Line LRT project in Ottawa on issues related to the expansion of the Confederation Line, including closing the financing of the enhanced Belfast Maintenance and Storage Facility for additional vehicles required to provide service on the extended LRT line. In 2018/19, Ian travelled to Sydney for four months to act for Transport for New South Wales, the Government transit authority in New South Wales Australia, where he led the DLA team that in February 2018 closed the Regional Rail Project, a AUD $1.26 billion project to replace an aging train fleet and build a new maintenance facility. Ian is also currently advising Bermuda Airport Authority in relation to the redevelopment of its international airport facilities.
Back in Canada, Ian acted for the winning joint venture that will operate and maintain the new Hurontario LRT system in Toronto, Ontario in a project that reached financial close in October 2019. In November of 2022, Ian led the team that closed the Ontario Line Rolling Stock, Systems, Operation and Maintenance Project in Toronto, Ontario, acting for the successful joint venture that will operate and maintain the new subway system.
Ian is currently active on numerous rail projects in Canada, including acting for one of the shortlisted bidders for the new Ontario Line - Pape Tunnels and Underground Stations Project and working for the VIA HFR - Technical Office on the proposed High Frequency Rail project in the Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto rail corridor.
