Ryan  Nielsen

Ryan Nielsen

Partner, Real Estate

Contact Information

rnielsen@osler.com

tel: 416.862.4873

Office

Toronto

Bar Admission

Ontario, 2009

Education

  • University of Western Ontario, LL.B.
  • University of Western Ontario, B.A. (Hons.) (with distinction)

Language(s)

English

Ryan’s practice involves all aspects of commercial property transactions, including the acquisition (including by sale-leaseback and ground lease), disposition, leasing (landlord and tenant), development, financing (including by private placement, syndicated facility, securitization, construction financing, mezzanine and equity financing, project financing and traditional mortgage financing, for lenders and borrowers), joint ventures, co-ownerships, and asset and property management of commercial real estate in the office, industrial, mixed-use, hotel, multi-family, self-storage, seniors housing and retail classes.

Ryan advises a broad range of domestic and cross-border clients including real estate investment trusts, pension funds, private equity firms, developers, financial institutions, asset and property managers, government agencies, emerging companies and telecommunication companies.

Ryan also regularly advises on real property matters as part of corporate acquisitions and dispositions (including for large M&A transactions and for emerging and high growth clients), reorganizations, gaming matters, equity offerings, mortgage enforcement, mortgage acquisitions and insolvency matters.

    • Goldman Sachs Asset Management in its US$250 million investment in Hydrostor
    • Spire Global in its $204.2 million acquisition of exactEarth
    • Drax Group plc in its announced acquisition of Pinnacle Renewable Energy
    • OPTrust and Blue Vista Capital Management’s student housing acquisitions
    • KingSett Capital on behalf of KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No.7, KingSett Canadian Real Estate Income Fund and other investors, in connection with its $4.9 billion acquisition, with Starlight Investments, of Northview Apartment REIT
    • Algoma Steel Inc. and certain senior secured term lenders in Canada in Algoma’s acquisition of substantially all the assets of Essar Steel Algoma in connection to a restructuring under the CCAA
    • Blackstone Property Partners on its acquisition of Pure Industrial Real Estate Trust for $3.8 billion
    • Sears Canada in connection with its restructuring under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act and related real property dispositions
    • PRO Real Estate Investment Trust in connection with equity offerings and various acquisitions, dispositions, mezzanine loans and financings of commercial real estate properties across Canada, including the acquisition of a portfolio of 19 retail properties across Canada
    • OPTrust in connection with various financings, acquisitions, developments and joint ventures
    • Hard Rock in its acquisition, financing and related joint venture of Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino in Ottawa, Ontario
    • Syndicate of Lenders led by TD Securities on its $400 million construction financing of a mixed use development in Toronto
    • A Pension Fund on its $700 million disposition and related joint venture of a portfolio of properties across Canada
    • TELUS on its acquisition and disposition of cell towers
    • OMERS Realty Corporation/Oxford Properties Group on its sale of a 50% interest in TD Canada Trust Tower at BCE Place and related joint venture and on various reorganizations, acquisitions, dispositions, financings and joint ventures of commercial real estate properties across Canada
    • Target Canada on its $1.825 billion acquisition of 220 Zellers store leases and its acquisition and development of distribution centres
    • Target Canada on its wind down of operations in Canada, including the auction and sale of its interests in department stores and distribution centres across Canada
    • Ventas Inc. on its $980 million acquisition and related financing of 29 independent living seniors housing communities across Canada
    • The Purchasers on the acquisition, financing and joint venture of a 50% interest in The Sun Life Building in Montréal, Québec
    • Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on various credit facilities provided in connection with various acquisitions of multi-residential properties
    • Smart Real Estate Investment Trust on various financings of commercial real estate properties across Canada
    • Bentall Kennedy on various acquisitions, dispositions and financings of commercial real estate properties across Canada
    • PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. as monitor, in connection with League Assets Corp’s restructuring and disposition of commercial real estate properties across Canada under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act
    • Homburg Invest Inc. in connection with its restructuring under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act and related real property dispositions
    • CANMARC Real Estate Investment Trust on its $160 million initial public offering and listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and on various acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, developments, leasing  and financings of commercial real estate properties across Canada, including the disposition of a multi-family residential portfolio of 23 properties
    • Dream Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust on its $155 million initial public offering and listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange and on various acquisitions and financings of industrial properties across Canada
    • Dream Office Real Estate Investment Trust on its $1.4 billion acquisition of Whiterock Real Estate Investment Trust and on various acquisitions, dispositions and financings of commercial real estate properties across Canada, including the acquisition of 24 office and industrial properties by way of plan of arrangement with Realex Properties Corp. and the $650 million first mortgage bond offering of Scotia Plaza in Toronto, Ontario
    • The bondholders on a $175 million first mortgage bond financing of Bramalea City Centre in  Brampton, Ontario
    • Osmington Inc. on its disposition of Centre on Barton in Hamilton, Ontario
    • Public Storage Canadian Properties on its financing of 50 self storage properties across Canada

  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Real Estate (Ontario)
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Recognized in Real Estate Law

  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Ontario Bar Association
  • Law Society of Ontario

  • Bar Admission Course Materials for Real Estate

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