Heather is a Senior Partner and past National Chair of the Real Estate Practice Group at Osler, one of the best commercial real estate law firms in Canada. Her practice encompasses a wide range of top real estate transactions and debt financing transactions, in the mixed use, retail, office, manufacturing and hospitality sectors.
Heather is keenly interested in the application of legal technologies, AI and automation in the area of commercial real estate, and led the development of Osler’s Automated Real Estate Purchase Transaction tool, a streamlined and technology-enabled process and package of services for business transactions.
She has been with the Firm since 1980. She is the author of The 2018 International Comparative Legal Guide to Real Estate, Canada chapter, as well as Purchasing Real Estate in Canada in European Lawyer. She has served on the Board of Directors of Toronto CREW and as Canada’s delegate to the U.S. based CREW Network and continues to be a member. For three years, Heather served as Managing Partner of the firm, with responsibility for business strategy and client relationship management, and as a member of the firm's Executive Committee.
Representative Work
- Target, the second largest retailer in the U.S., in connection with its establishment of operations in Canada, including the $1.825 billion acquisition of Zellers department store leases across Canada and in connection with its subsequent wind down of operations in Canada, including the auction and disposition of 21 million square feet covering 137 department stores and three million square feet of distribution centres located across the country
- General Motors in connection with GM’s purchase and development of a 7 acre parcel at 721 Eastern Avenue in downtown Toronto for its new automotive innovation campus which will include Urban Mobility and R & D spaces, Cadillac, Maven and Regional Offices and dealerships, GM’s lease of 155,000 square feet of premises at 101 McNabb Street, Markham from OP Trust for its new Automotive Software Development Centre for the development of connected, autonomous and shared vehicles, purchase of the head office in Oshawa, the sale of its manufacturing facilities in St. Catharines and Windsor for redevelopment, its successful restructuring and government financing, the GM Beacon Project (the largest and most comprehensive automotive investment in Canadian history, involving government funding from the Government of Canada and Province of Ontario), dealer network matters, GM’s cross-border syndicated credit facilities, sales of the Locomotive and Defense businesses, and the development of GM’s powerhouse project and equipment lease financing from Bank of Nova Scotia
- OMERS Realty Corporation/Oxford Properties in connection with the acquisition and financing of industrial properties, the Co-ownership of the Canada Trust Tower at BCE Place, 161 Bay Street, Toronto; 1750 Lawrence Avenue, Toronto; the Royal Bank Data Centre portfolio; and on various acquisitions and sales, co-ownerships and financings of their real estate
- Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. a U.S. based healthcare property investor, on its purchase of a nine property seniors housing portfolio in Canada for $170.5 million. The acquisition marked Sabra’s first foray into the Canadian market
- Ventas Inc. on its $980 million acquisition of 29 independent living seniors housing communities across Canada from Holiday Retirement Corp.
- Chorus Aviation Inc. in connection with its $80 million acquisition of Voyageur Airways
- Irving Oil in connection with its convenience store/gas station joint venture with Couche-Tard and with numerous credit facilities
- Hydro One Limited in its $1.66 billion Initial Public Offering
- Hydro One Inc. and Hydro One Limited in connection with syndicated loan transactions
- Chorus Aviation Inc. in connection with its $80 million acquisition of Voyageur Airways
- Irving Oil in connection with its convenience store/gas station joint venture with Couche-Tard and with numerous credit facilities
- Hydro One Limited in its $1.66 billion Initial Public Offering
- Hydro One Inc. and Hydro One Limited in connection with syndicated loan transactions
Awards and Recognition
-
Best Lawyers in Canada: Recognized in Real Estate Law
-
Legal 500: Recognized as a recommended Lawyer, Real Estate
Community Involvement
- Mentor – Toronto CREW
- Served as Director – Toronto CREW
- Served as Delegate for Canada – U.S. CREW Network
Speaking and Writing
Speaking Engagements
Published Work
- Co-author, Canada Chapter, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions of The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Real Estate published by Global Legal Group Ltd, London.
- ”Purchasing Real Estate in Canada,” European Lawyer Reference Series, Commercial Property: Jurisdictional Comparisons, First Edition (2010).
- Written and lectured on: Controlling External Legal Costs; Retirement Housing; Financing Transactions; Strategies in Lease Negotiations; Conditions in an Agreement of Purchase and Sale; Guide to the Land Registration Reform Act; and Guide to the Construction Lien Act.
Credentials
Education
- Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.B.
Languages
- English
Professional Affiliations
- Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network