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Sandra Abitan - Montréal Managing Partner

Sandra Abitan

Montréal Managing Partner

Key Contact: Insolvency and Restructuring

Contact Information

sabitan@osler.com

tel: 514.904.5648

Office

Montréal

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Areas of Expertise
Bar Admission

Québec, 1990

Education
  • Université de Montréal, LL.B.
Language(s)
English, French

Sandra is the Managing Partner of the Montreal office. She has played a significant role in the development of our Montreal office over the past 16 years and has held various leadership roles within the Firm. Sandra is a recognized leader in the insolvency and restructuring practice in Quebec and nationally. Her clientele is diverse and reflective of the Canadian and international business community – global companies, financial institutions, equity participants, and court officers who have sought her advice in working through reorganizations, recapitalizations, restructurings and strategic acquisitions.

Sandra has expertise in cross border and international matters acting for a number of major private and public corporations operating in a variety of areas. She is lauded for her creative and practical approach to problem solving and finding solutions to complex business and legal problems.

Sandra is a leading lawyer in Insolvency & Restructuring and has been recognized in various publications such as The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2014-2018; The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, 2012-2018, Chambers Global: The World's Leading Business Lawyers, 2012-2018; IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, 2012-2018; Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2016-2019 and The Best Lawyers in Canada, 2006-2020. She has also been identified in Banking and Finance Law by The Best Lawyers in Canada, 2006-2020. Sandra was recognized as a Woman of Power in 2016 by Federation CJA (Montreal) and she was also named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers in Canada, 2019.

Sandra is a Past President of the Board of the Turnaround Management Association – Montreal Chapter and an active member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada in addition to other renowned organizations in her areas of expertise.

    • Bombay et Bowring, acting for Richter Advisory Group Inc. in its capacity as proposal trustee.
    • Crabtree and Evelyn (Canada) in its proposal proceedings under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada).
    • BCBG in its proposal proceedings under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada).
    • Deloitte Restructuring Inc., in its capacity as court appointed monitor in the CCAA proceedings of Devonshire Trust.
    • Sears Canada Inc. et al in its CCAA proceedings before the Ontario Superior Court.
    • Homburg Invest Inc., in connection with its $3 billion debt restructuring and recapitalization under the CCAA.
    • MEXX Canada Company, acting for Richter Groupe Conseil Inc. in its capacity as trustee to the proposal proceedings of Mexx.
    • Target Canada Co., in connection with its restructuring under the CCAA.
    • Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Canada Co., acting for Irving Oil, in connection with MM&A’s restructuring under the CCAA.
    • Laura Shoppes Canada, acting for Salus, in its capacity as senior lender, in connection with Laura Shoppes Canada’s restructuring proceedings.
    • Comark Inc.,(the owner/operator of Ricki's, Bootlegger and cleo), in its restructuring under the CCAA including the sale of its business and assets to Pacific West Commercial Corporation.
    • Danier Leather Inc., representing the joint venture of Gordon Brothers and Hilco in their capacity as liquidator.
    • Grafton-Fraser Inc., representing the joint venture of Hilco and Gordon Brothers, as liquidators, in GFI’s restructuring proceedings
    • PJ’s Pets, acting for Gordon Brothers Group in its capacity as liquidator of PJ Pets’.
    • Mabe Canada Inc, acting for Richter Groupe Conseil Inc. in its capacity as bankruptcy trustee.
    • KPMG, in its capacity as court-appointed Monitor in the CCAA proceedings of ProSep Inc.
    • Mechtronix Inc., in the context of the sale of its business under the BIA.
    • Aveos FleetPerformance Inc., in the context of its 2010 consensual out of court $800 million restructuring.
    • White Birch Paper Company, representing the debtor-in-possession lenders and first lien lenders in connection with the restructuring of White Birch under the CCAA.
    • MEGABrands Inc. and its subsidiaries, in their operational and capital restructuring implemented under the Canada Business Corporations Act.
    • ART Advanced Research Technologies Inc., in the context of its restructuring under the BIA and CBCA.
    • AbitibiBowater Inc., acting for certain senior secured term lenders in the context of  its restructuring under the CCAA.

Chambers

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2016-2019: Restructuring/Insolvency
  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Business Lawyers, 2012-2019: Insolvency & Restructuring
    • "...[Sandra] is well regarded for her representation of clients from the financial services and real estate industries in complex CCAA proceedings. "

Lexpert

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2014-2019: Insolvency & Financial Restructuring - Insolvency Litigation
  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2014-2018: Banking & Financial Institutions
  • The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, 2012-2018: Insolvency & Financial Restructuring
  • The Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers, 2013-2017: Insolvency & Restructuring
  • Lexpert Special Edition: Canada’s Leading Corporate Lawyers (2015 & 2013)

IFLR

  • IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, 2012-2019: Highly regarded, Restructuring and Insolvency

Benchmark

  • Benchmark Litigation Canada 2017: Insolvency
  • Benchmark Litigation Canada 2015: Local Star

Legal 500

  • The Legal 500, 2019: Recommended Lawyer, Restructuring and Insolvency

Who’s Who Legal

  • Who’s Who Legal: International - Restructuring & Insolvency 2017-2019
  • Who’s Who Legal: Canada - Restructuring & Insolvency 2018

Best Lawyers

  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Banking and Finance Law; Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, 2019: "Lawyer of the Year", Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law, Montréal

Expert Guides

  • Expert Guides: The Legal Media Group Guides to the World’s Leading Lawyers (2014-2018): Insolvency & Restructuring

Association of Québec Women in Finance (AFFQ), 2018: Winner of the Leadership Award

Women of Power, 2016: CJA Federation

Lexology Client Choice Award Winner (2011, 2012 & 2013): Insolvency & Restructuring (Québec)

  • Federation CJA, Co-Chair of the Women in Business Network
  • Turnaround Management Association, former President of the Board of Montreal
  • The Insolvency Institute of Canada
  • Canadian Bar Association, Insolvency Section
  • Former Member of Comité de liaison, Superior Court, Commercial Division
  • Canadian Insolvency Foundation
  • American Bankruptcy Institute, Member of the International Committee
  • International Association of Insolvency Practitioners (Insol International)

  • Co-chair of the 16th edition of the Advanced Conference on Restructuring, Insolvency and Financial Recovery, Institut Canadien, Montréal, November 29 and 30, 2016.
  • Co-author of the chapter on Directors’ Liability for LexisNexis publication JurisClasseur, April 2010 to present.
  • Chapter 15 Helps Canadian Companies Push the Envelope in Cross Border Restructurings, Journal of Corporate Renewal (Vol. 27, No. 4, May 2014).
  • “Court Terminates Director’s Charge and Refuses to Grant All-Encompassing Releases to Monitor and CRO”, post on the Weil Bankruptcy Blog (North of the Border Update), February 18, 2014 (with Julien Morissette).
  • “Interim Receiver Authorized to Borrow to Fund Debtor’s Operations”, post on the Weil Bankruptcy Blog (North of the Border Update), September 3, 2013 (with Julien Morissette).
  • “Can Management be Replaced with a Court-Appointed Monitor? A New Brunswick Court (Surprisingly) Says No”, post on the Weil Bankruptcy Blog (North of the Border Update), March 18, 2013 (with Julien Morissette).