Yan A. Besner
Aug 23, 2016
Osler is pleased to welcome George Valentini and Yan A. Besner to our National Real Estate Practice Group. They join an experienced team dedicated to delivering clear, practical and results-oriented legal advice to our clients on all aspects of commercial real estate law.
“George and Yan are both exceptional real estate practitioners and ideal additions to our team,” said Heather McKean, Chair of Osler's Real Estate Practice Group. “Their skills and expertise are a great complement to our deep bench of highly proficient practitioners and will significantly support our continuous efforts to meet our clients’ evolving needs.”
An accomplished strategic advisor, George has more than 30 years of experience in the Canadian commercial real estate sector, including extensive involvement as legal counsel on some of the most transformational transactions in the Canadian real estate market. George spent the past three years as Executive Vice-President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the Dream Unlimited group of companies and Real Estate Investment Trusts, a leading Canadian real estate company with more than $15 billion in assets under management in North America and Europe. During that time, the company engaged in several key growth initiatives. Based in Osler’s Toronto office as counsel, George provides valuable insight to our clients on commercial real estate matters.
Yan joins Osler as a partner, practicing real estate, banking and commercial law from our Montréal office. He offers strategic advice on acquisitions, dispositions, financing and leasing transactions to real estate companies and clients with core real estate assets critical to their businesses. Dedicated to delivering outstanding legal solutions, Yan represents lenders, property owners, developers and other commercial clients. He has extensive experience in representing national and international retailers, including businesses involved in franchising, regarding their commercial real estate needs.
Since 2015, Yan has been recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada in the area of Real Estate Law. He is “Repeatedly Recommended” in Property Leasing by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2016, and was listed as a “Corporate Lawyer to Watch” in the 2015 Lexpert US/Canada Cross-Border Guide. Yan is a frequent speaker at the International Council of Shopping Centers and at the Association of Corporate Counsel of America. His arrival reflects our commitment to support clients’ growth objectives both in the Québec market and nationwide.
Osler’s Real Estate Group is widely recognized by all of the leading Canadian and North American surveys of real estate lawyers, including Chambers & Partners, Lexpert, The Legal 500 and Best Lawyers in Canada. From our offices in Toronto, Calgary and Montréal, our real estate lawyers provide integrated advice to our clients in connection with all aspects of commercial real estate, to achieve an outcome consistent with our clients’ business objectives.
For more information, contact Heather McKean, Chair of Osler's Real Estate Practice Group, at 416.862.6612 or at hmckean@osler.com