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About Garth

Garth's practice is focused on the acquisition, development and financing of commercial real estate and infrastructure projects.

Garth advises numerous Canadian and foreign-based institutional clients, including pension funds, life insurance companies, real estate investment trusts, utility companies and Crown corporations, in connection with the acquisition, disposition, leasing and financing of their commercial and industrial properties.

For his infrastructure practice, Garth assists clients in structuring major design-build-finance-operate projects in the transportation sector as public-private partnerships, and on the real estate and construction aspects of various energy-related infrastructure projects.

Select Experience

Qualified as an expert witness in the Court of King's Bench of Alberta regarding solicitors' standard of conduct in real estate transactions

Some recent representative transactions include advising:

  • The Purchaser on the acquisition of The Bow office tower in Calgary, Alberta and Bell Creekbank Campus in Mississauga, Ontario

  • A German open-ended real estate fund on its C$500-million+ acquisition of the commercial portion of Stantec Tower in Edmonton, Alberta

  • IG Mackenzie Real Property Fund (formerly Investors Real Property Fund) on its C$140-million acquisition of an office building in downtown Calgary, Alberta, and related assumption of the existing mortgage facility

  • GWL Realty Advisors Inc. and its investor clients on:

    • The C$105-milllion purchase of First & Jasper, a redeveloped class "A" office and retail complex in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, and related mortgage financing

    • The C$178-million sale of an undivided 50% interest in Gulf Canada Square, a 1.15 million square foot premier class "A" office and retail complex in downtown Calgary, and a related assumption of the existing mortgage facility

    • The C$65-million refinancing of Watermark Tower and the C$150-million refinancing of Gulf Canada Square

  • A major pension fund on the acquisition of a number of development properties in Leduc, Edmonton, and St. Albert, Alberta

  • A consortium on its bid for and successful closing of a design, build, finance and operate agreement for Southeast Stoney Trail (the Calgary Ring Road) in Calgary, Alberta

  • Various consortia on bids for design, build, finance and operate/maintain agreements for multi-school projects in Alberta and a road project in Winnipeg, Manitoba

  • A major Canadian energy company in connection with the construction of a C$230-million expansion of a gas processing facility in Alberta

  • Various foreign and domestic institutional lenders on construction and term financings of commercial and industrial properties

Awards & Recognition
  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business (2016–2025: Real Estate – Alberta; 2018–2020: Real Estate – Nationwide)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2012–2025 (Real Estate Law)

  • The Legal 500 Canada (2023–2025: Leading Partner – Real Estate; 2022: Real Estate and Construction; 2017 and 2019–2021: Recommended – Real Estate)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2018–2024: Consistently Recommended – Property Development; 2024: Consistently Recommended – Property Leasing; 2018–2023: Repeatedly Recommended – Property Leasing; 2015–2018: Repeatedly Recommended – Infrastructure Law)

  • Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure 2024

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada – 2012 and 2015–2023 (Real Estate)

  • Who's Who Legal: Global Leader – 2020 and 2022 (Real Estate)

  • Best Lawyers: "Lawyer of the Year" 2020 (Real Estate Law, Calgary)

Professional Activities

Garth is a member of The Law Society of Alberta and a member of the Commercial Real Estate and Construction Subsections of the Canadian Bar Association. He is also past chair of the Government Affairs Committee of the Calgary chapter of NAIOP - The Commercial Real Estate Development Association.

Education

Admitted to the Alberta Bar – 1987
JD, University of Calgary – 1985

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