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About Pamela

Pamela is one of Canada’s leading corporate restructuring professionals. She has extensive expertise as a strategic business leader, advising major corporations and their key stakeholders in complex transactions.

Pamela has worked in numerous industries, domestically and across the border, including commercial real estate, transportation, manufacturing, energy, hospitality and retail, among others. She is experienced in all areas of corporate restructuring, including both the litigation and commercial aspects of workouts, reorganizations, receiverships and other enforcement of security.

Pamela has appeared at all levels of court across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Select Experience

Some of the cases on the public record in which Pam has been involved include acting for:

  • The court-appointed monitor in the CCAA and US Chapter 15 proceedings of the Pride Transportation Group, involving multiple lenders and over C$2-billion in secured debt

  • The court-appointed monitor in the CCAA proceedings of JTI-Macdonald Corp., involving over C$600-billion of claims asserted against it and the Canadian tobacco industry

  • Carillion Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Carillion plc, one of Canada's largest integrated construction support services and facilities management enterprises based in Ontario, which at the time of the commencement of its CCAA proceedings employed approximately 7,500 individuals across Canada

  • The Plan Administrator for the Sears Canada Pension Plan in the CCAA liquidation of Sears Canada

  • The monitor in the CCAA proceedings of certain Urbancorp condominium developments

  • The lending syndicate in the CCAA proceedings of Endurance Energy Ltd.

  • The lending syndicate in the cross-border CCAA/Chapter 15 restructuring proceedings of Sanjel Group

  • The monitor of Express Canada in the CCAA proceedings and liquidation of its retail fashion stores in Canada

  • The secured creditor on its successful credit bid for the Trump International Hotel and Tower

  • The monitor of Co-op Atlantic on the sale of its assets and successful restructuring plan

  • The monitor and subsequent receiver of First Leaside Group

  • The monitor of the multi-use condominium/retail development of Mady Collier Centre Ltd.

  • The debtors, Québec Lithium Inc. and RB Energy Inc., et al., in their proceedings under the CCAA

  • A Canadian securities firm on the cross-border liquidation of Montaque Capital Partners Limited

  • The debtor, Terrace Bay Pulp Inc., on its restructuring and subsequent sale process

  • The acquisition lender on the successful restructuring of Canwest Publishing Group

  • The DIP lenders, who provided the C$1-billion DIP facility in favour of Quebecor

  • Significant stakeholders on cross-border engagements, including U.S. Steel, Nortel, General Motors, Bombay Furniture, Pope & Talbot, and Destinator Technologies

  • The court-appointed receiver of Kraus Inc., Kraus Canada Inc. and Strudex Fibres Limited on the credit bid sale of the business

  • The senior secured creditor and court-appointed receiver on the insolvency and subsequent sale of The Rosseau, a luxury condominium hotel, conference centre and spa, and Canada's first JW Marriott Resort and Spa

  • The debtors in Linens n' Things Canada, SemCanada Crude, and Athletes World

  • Aircraft lessors and secured creditors on most of the Canadian airline insolvencies, including Canadian Airlines, Canada 3000, Air Canada and Skyservice

Awards & Recognition

Pamela is recognized as a leading Canadian restructuring and insolvency lawyer in the following publications:

  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2020–2025 (Band 1 – Restructuring/Insolvency)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2024–2025 (Aviation Law, Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2024: Most Frequently Recommended – Insolvency & Financial Restructuring – Financial Restructuring; 2019–2024: Most Frequently Recommended – Insolvency & Financial Restructuring – Insolvency Litigation)

  • The Legal 500 Canada – 2023–2024 (Hall of Fame: Restructuring and Insolvency)

  • Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – 2023–2024 (Litigation Star – Insolvency)

  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2020–2024 (Band 1 – Restructuring/Insolvency)

  • The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada – 2020–2024 (Insolvency & Financial Restructuring)

  • Who's Who Legal: Global – 2020–2024 (Global Elite Thought Leader – Restructuring & Insolvency)

  • Lexpert Special Edition: Litigation 2023

  • IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial and Corporate Law Firms – 2022–2023 (Restructuring and Insolvency)

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada – 2020–2023 (Restructuring & Insolvency)

  • Euromoney's Women in Business Law Expert Guide 2022 (Restructuring & Insolvency)

  • Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – 2022 Edition (Insolvency Litigation Star/Top 50 Women in Litigation)

  • IFLR1000 Women Leaders – 2021–2022 (Restructuring and Insolvency – Canada)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2020–2022 (Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law)

  • Benchmark Canada: Top 50 Women in Litigation – 2020 and 2021

  • Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – 2020 Edition (Litigation Star – Restructuring & Insolvency)

  • Benchmark Canada: Insolvency Litigator of the Year – 2019 and 2020

In 2011, Pamela received the Women in Restructuring Mentorship Award presented by the Turnaround Management Association (Toronto Chapter). In 2012, she was recognized by the Turnaround Management Association (Toronto Chapter) as a Trailblazer for Women in Restructuring.

Professional Activities

Pamela has held several executive leadership roles within the Firm for over a decade, including as a member of the Executive Committee and Practice Group Leader of the Firm's Restructuring & Insolvency group.

Outside her practice Pamela has served as a director and chair of the Policy Reform Committee and as the first woman president of the Insolvency Institute of Canada. In 2023, she was inducted as a fellow of the Insolvency Institute of Canada.

Pamela also served for over a decade on the Commercial List Users' Committee of the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario), a panel of senior practitioners and judges of the specialized Commercial List that develops model orders and best practices and serves as a liaison between the bench and bar.  She is a member and past vice-president of the Turnaround Management Association (Toronto Chapter), a past chair of the Insolvency Section of the Ontario Bar Association, and a member of the International Insolvency Institute, INSOL International and The Advocates' Society.

Pamela has been a special lecturer for the advanced business law program at Windsor Law School. In 2000 and 2007, she was retained by Industry Canada as an adjudicator for the Trustee in Bankruptcy Licensing Oral Boards. She is a frequent author and speaker on insolvency topics.

Publications
Professional Appearances
  • Panellist : Pullin’ Back the Reins: Developments in Stalking Horse Selection
    Insolvency Institute of Canada, Annual National Conference, October 20, 2023.
  • Panellist : The Future of the Insolvency Industry
    CAIRP Insolvency and Restructuring Exchange, Toronto, Ontario, September 12, 2023.
  • Panellist : Empowering Women in Business Law
    University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Business Law Society, February 9, 2023.
  • Interviewer : Guest Speaker Naheed Nenshi, Former Mayor of Calgary, Alberta
    Annual Newsmaker Event, Turnaround Management Association (Toronto Chapter), Toronto, Ontario, November 18, 2021.
  • Panel Moderator : Think the Judge will Go for This? Innovation in Court Orders
    Insolvency Institute of Canada, Annual National Conference, November 4, 2021.
  • Panellist : What are We Up To? IIC Initiatives
    Insolvency Institute of Canada, Annual National Conference, November 4, 2021.
  • Panellist : The Limits on Collective Action in Cross-border Insolvencies
    International Insolvency Institute 21st Annual Conference, New York City, October 18, 2021.
Education

ICD.D (Rotman Directors Education Program), Institute of Corporate Directors – 2021
Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1987
LLB, University of Toronto – 1985
BA, University of Toronto – 1982

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