Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use | Canada

Borden Ladner Gervais has a national real estate department with a significant footprint in Ontario. The team is especially well regarded for its prowess in municipal and land use planning, frequently assisting large municipalities with expropriations, OLT hearings and approvals. It is equally well versed in matters relating to infrastructure project development, as well as handling office, condominium and industrial mandates. The commercial real estate group serves major institutional clients and has notable experience of complex financing, transactions and leasings. The firm's notable clients also include funds, developers, portfolio managers and healthcare companies.

Goodmans has a widely revered Ontario land use and zoning practice, acclaimed for regularly assisting developers with approvals and other land development matters in the City of Toronto and Greater Golden Horseshoe. Its clients in this area include government bodies, municipalities, major developers and advocacy groups. The group is also very well respected for assisting public and private companies with significant real estate transactions, including large portfolio acquisitions and complex financings. It represents an impressive roster of pension funds, asset managers, REITs and other institutional players.

Cassels Brock & Blackwell is a respected Toronto-based law firm with an impressive aptitude for development approvals, re-zoning applications and other land use planning matters. The team offers extensive expertise assisting REITs, institutional investors and commercial lenders with transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing and commercial leasing mandates. It also regularly acts on joint venture developments and portfolio transactions. The team acts for clients in an array of sectors, including energy, education and hospitality.

McCarthy Tétrault is universally recognised as a real estate powerhouse in Toronto, offering the full suite of services to financial institutions, pension funds, REITs and large infrastructure developers. The team is admired for its expertise in substantial transactions and joint venture formation work. It is also well regarded for its experience in construction and bond financing agreements. In addition, the firm assists clients with development projects, representing them in obtaining re-zoning and site plan approvals, including appearing before the OLT.

Loopstra Nixon advises clients on contentious and non-contentious land use matters, including representing them before the OLT and assisting with redevelopment applications and planning approvals. The law firm acts for both municipalities and developers. The team also advises on zoning by-law amendments.