Industry Recognition

Jim is widely recognized as a leader in his profession:

• Rated as the top real estate lawyer in Canada and one of the world's 11 most highly regarded real estate lawyers - Law Business Research's The International Who's Who of Real Estate Lawyers 2009

• One of the top 10 real estate lawyers in the world - Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Real Estate Lawyers 2008
• One of the top 25 real estate lawyers in the world - Legal Media Group’s The Best of the Best
• One of the leading Canadian real estate lawyers and described as "a hugely influential lawyer with the ability to attract clients and deals" - Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business
• Included in The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada
• Named in Law Business Research's The International Who's Who of Real Estate Lawyers 2008
• Cited as one of the "most frequently recommended" lawyers in real estate and as one of the "leading practitioners" in his practice area - The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
• Recognized as a "highly recommended" real estate lawyer and Blakes Real Estate Group also received a "leading" rating - PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook 2008
• Voted by peers as one of the leading real estate lawyers in Canada - The Best Lawyers in Canada 2010
• Included in Canadian Who's Who

The following significant transactions serve to highlight Jim's capabilities:

• Government of the Bahamas - US$2.4-billion proposed redevelopment of Cable Beach in conjunction with Baha Mar Developments and Harrah's
• KanAm Grund - C$400-million of acquisitions, including the Bell Canada Nuns' Island project in Montréal from Canderel (the commercial development project of the year in Montréal); the Jacobs Building in Calgary from Remington Developments; the AMEX building in Markham, Ontario, from Inland; and the acquisition of Corporate Plaza in Toronto from a European investor
• Primaris Retail REIT - C$600-million of acquisitions including Midtown Plaza, Saskatoon; Cornwall Centre, Regina; Frum portfolio located in Ontario and New Brunswick; Place du Royaume Shopping Centre, Chicoutimi, Quebec; Place Fleur de Lys Shopping Centre, Quebec; Aberdeen Mall, Kamloops, British Columbia; Westbank Shopping Centre, Westbank, British Columbia; and Heritage Place Shopping Centre, Owen Sound, Ontario
• Carillion Canada - Numerous acquisitions and joint ventures including public-private partnership (P3) infrastructure transactions in Ontario and Alberta
• Deutsche Bank - C$181-million acquisition of 5000 Yonge Street, Toronto, from Menkes Developments and its joint venture investors
• Legacy Hotel REIT - C$335-million financing of seven of its properties: the Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver; the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton; Delta Toronto East; Fairmont Chateau Laurier, Ottawa; Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth, Montréal; Delta Centre-Ville, Montréal and Delta Halifax
• Merrill Lynch - Acquisition financing to the joint venture that acquired O&Y Properties and O&Y REIT, one of the largest real estate mergers and acquisitions transactions of 2005
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce - C$1.1-billion disposition of its office portfolio in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton and Montréal, including the Commerce Court complex in Toronto and four office towers in Mississauga City Centre
• OMERS - Acquisition of Hammerson Canada Inc. and C$1.5-billion joint ventures of Square One Shopping Centre, Yorkdale Shopping Centre and Scarborough Town Centre
• MetLife - C$200-million refinancing of the St. Laurent Shopping Centre, Ottawa, owned by Morguard REIT; refinancing of Morguard REIT's office portfolio, financing of the Phase I Quartier Dix 30 Brossarde, Quebec owned by RioCan REIT and others, and the financings of other retail shopping centres owned by RioCan REIT in Québec, Ottawa, Vaughan and Kingston; joint venture with Tridel; and disposition of major real estate investments in Canada, including its interests in the Sheraton Centre, the Yonge-Eglinton Centre, 4 King Street West and 18 King Street East, Toronto
• Standard Life - Acquisitions, dispositions and financings of several properties in Ontario
• Mass Mutual - Financing of the Victoria Marriott Hotel and the Railway Lands Corporate Centre in Calgary
• Ellis-Don - Joint ventures including P3 infrastructure transactions in Ontario
• ProLogis Inc. - Numerous acquisitions and major leases of industrial properties in Ontario
• First Gulf Developments - Several shopping centre joint ventures in Ontario
• Aareal Bank AG - Acquisition financing in connection with the purchase of the Pan Pacific Hotel and World Trade Centre property in Vancouver
• FelCor Lodging Trust - Sale of four Holiday Inn hotels in Ontario
• Stargate Global Asset Management (Australia) - Canadian investment banking and asset management programs
• Richardsons Capital (UK) - Investment in Canadian real estate projects
• Landesbank Baden-Württemberg - Financing of Stampede Station, Calgary
• Lend Lease (Australia) - Canadian joint ventures, including P3 infrastructure transactions
• Düsseldorfer Hypothekenbank - Participation in the first mortgage loan secured by Pan Pacific Hotel, Vancouver
• ING Real Estate Finance - Canadian lending counsel

Jim is active in various professional organizations. They are as follows:

• Canadian Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE)
• National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)
• Canadian Hotel Investment Conference
• Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships
• Chair, Lex Mundi Real Estate Section
• Fellow, American College of Mortgage Attorneys