Lexpert highlights the leading banking and finance lawyers in Alberta based on the results of our comprehensive annual peer survey. The full roster of the province’s most recommended lawyers and law firms in the field can be viewed via our practice area rankings.
In our survey, banking law encompasses the practice of
representing domestic and international providers and consumers of debt
financing, while financial law focuses on the regulatory matters
affecting banks, insurance providers, and trust and loan companies.
Most frequently recommended banking and finance lawyers
Year called to the Bar: 1984
City: Calgary
Richard P. Borden is a senior partner at Norton Rose Fulbright
Canada LLP. He specializes in complex commercial transactions. His
practice is focused on larger-scale projects and financings primarily in
the energy sector, including oil sands, pipeline, LNG and
public-private partnership infrastructure projects. Borden’s clients
include major banks and project sponsors. He has also developed strong
relationships with key project lending specialists within the major
Canadian banks. Borden has significant experience in high-yield domestic
and cross-border financing transactions, term loan B financings and
joint venture transactions.
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Year called to the Bar: 1999 (AB); 1999 (ON)
City: Calgary
Kevin Fougere is one of the founding partners of the Torys
LLP’s Calgary office. He devotes his practice to corporate lending and
project financing. Fougere has extensive experience advising corporate
clients and financial institutions on a wide range of financing
transactions, including project financing, syndicated transactions, bond
financings, cross-border financings, acquisition financings, asset and
reserve-based lending. He focuses on financings in the oil and gas, oil
sands, pipeline, energy services and renewable power sectors. Fougere
routinely acts for major Canadian banks and international financial
institutions.
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Year called to the Bar: 1986 (AB); 1988 (ON)
City: Calgary
J. Michael McIntosh is a senior partner at Blake, Cassels &
Graydon LLP. He practises in the areas of banking, acquisition finance
and project finance. McIntosh regularly advises on cross-border
financings. His recent transactions include financings of oil sands
projects, conventional oil and gas reserves, refineries, pipelines and
power-generating assets. McIntosh was lead counsel in connection with
the establishment of syndicated credit facilities for each of Suncor
Energy Inc., Husky Energy Inc., Encana Corporation, Nexen Inc., Canadian
Oil Sands Limited, Baytex Energy Ltd., Athabasca Oil Corporation, Crew
Energy Inc., TransCanada PipeLines Limited, Enbridge Inc., Enbridge
Income Fund, TransAlta Corporation, Rangeland Pipeline Company, Canadian
Hydro Developers, Inc. and Fording Coal. He also served as lead counsel
to the lenders financing the $8.5-billion Sturgeon County refinery
being developed by North West Redwater Partnership and to the lenders in
connection with the establishment of credit facilities in favour of
Wolf Midstream Inc. to finance its acquisition of a 50% ownership
interest in the Access Pipeline from Devon Energy Corp. for $1.4
billion.
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Year called to the Bar: 1990 (ON); 1996 (AB)
City: Calgary
Joseph Palin is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Calgary
office and a member of the firm’s financial services group. He devotes
his practice to structuring and completing domestic and international
financing transactions. Palin frequently advises lenders and borrowers
as they navigate matters involving complex financing structures. He acts
as an advisor to his clients. With more than 30 years of experience,
Palin has detailed industry knowledge and established business
relationships within the oil and gas, energy services and power sectors.
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Consistently recommended banking and finance lawyers
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991
City: Calgary
Peter B. Birkness is a partner and the head of the McCarthy
Tétrault LLP’s financial services group in Calgary. With a practice
focused on corporate lending, he regularly represents lenders and
borrowers in sophisticated domestic and international debt financing
transactions, including bank credit facilities, public debt
transactions, private loan transactions, reorganizations and mergers and
acquisitions financings. Birkness also has extensive experience
representing lenders and other stakeholders in significant Canadian
restructuring matters.
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Year called to the Bar: 1985
City: Calgary
Patrick J. Brennan is a partner and the chair of Bennett Jones
LLP’s banking and financial services group. He also heads the firm’s air
finance practice group and serves as partner in the corporate
commercial department. Brennan is an expert in asset-based financing and
leasing, banking and debt financing, personal property security, debt
restructuring, aircraft acquisition and disposition, inventory
financing, commercial transactions and aviation law. He primarily acts
for airlines, aircraft lessors and financiers, oilfield service
companies, oil and gas companies, manufacturers, borrowers, banks and
other financial institutions.
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Law firm: Bennett Jones LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1994
City: Calgary
Denise D. Bright is a corporate partner at Bennett Jones LLP’s
Calgary office. Her practice is focused on secured and unsecured
corporate debt and project finance, where she acts for a variety of
public and private companies, partnerships, trusts and private equity
vehicles in their debt requirements and restructurings. Bright advises
key stakeholders on domestic and international public and private bond
and note financings, including hybrid notes, domestic and cross border
bilateral and syndicated loans, reserve-based lending, subordinated and
second lien debt, intercreditor issues and financing of takeover bids,
arrangements, amalgamations, and mergers and acquisitions. She has
extensive experience advising oil and gas producers, power producers,
utilities and oil and gas service companies. Bright’s practice also
includes venture and mezzanine finance, asset-based lending and
structured finance transactions, including synthetic leasing. Bright is a
CPA-CA and holds a CF designation from the Chartered Professional
Accountants. She is a long-term member of the firm’s opinion committee.
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Year called to the Bar: 2005
City: Calgary
Elizabeth Burton is a partner and the leader of the financial
institutions and services group at Gowling WLG’s Calgary office. She
works with a variety of financial institutions and corporate clients,
delivering strategic advice for both syndicated and bilateral financing
transactions. Burton has extensive background in financial services law
and has represented lenders and borrowers in financing transactions
across a diverse range of industries, including energy and real estate
sectors and in Indigenous business ventures. Burton regularly advises on
cross-border financings. She is also a trusted adviser in restructuring
financings, intercreditor arrangements, and corporate and real estate
matters. Burton is a member of the National Women’s Strategy Advisory
Committee of Pride at Work Canada, the National Diversity &
Inclusion Council at Gowling WLG and has previously been involved with
the Law Society of Alberta’s Justicia Project and development of its
Respect in the Workplace Model Policy. She was also a member of the
North West Calgary Community Advisory Group for the Rocky Ridge
(Calgary) recreational facility.
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Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1997
City: Calgary
Warren Nishimura is a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon
LLP. He acts as lead counsel on large-syndicated credit facilities,
including project finance primarily in the energy sector. Many of these
transactions are cross-border, predominantly involving the US, but also
Europe, Australia and Central and South America. Nishimura works
directly with the lead banks and corporate treasury departments and
regularly manages divergent views while handling in and out of court
restructurings or the financing requirements associated with mergers and
acquisitions. In addition to domestic and international banks, he
regularly advises private equity investors on their debt and quasi-debt
investments.
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Year called to the Bar: 1987
City: Calgary
Scott W. Sangster is a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin
LLP’s banking and finance team in Calgary. He participates in a wide
variety of domestic and international financial services transactions.
Sangster has extensive experience acting for all types of lenders in
debt financings, subordination and inter-creditor matters,
restructurings, forbearances, acquisitions and divestitures in numerous
industries, including the energy, real estate, transportation and
aviation sectors.
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Year called to the Bar: 1985
City: Edmonton
Darlene W. Scott is partner at Dentons Canada LLP. She served
as chair of the firm’s banking and finance group in Edmonton for more
than a decade. Scott provides legal advice to institutional and
corporate clients on commercial matters, including sales, leasing,
development, and acquisition of real estate, business and shares. She
has also represented lenders and borrowers in financing and secured
transactions for more than 30 years. Scott regularly acts for
institutional and other lenders in documenting secured transactions and
has acted for borrowers in a broad range of industries. Her experience
ranges from real estate and other asset-based lending to project and
operating financing, together with more specialized lending such as
retirement compensation arrangements. Scott also acts for developers of
commercial, residential and condominium projects.
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Law firm: Dentons Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1990
City: Edmonton
Grant Vogel is a partner in Dentons Canada LLP’s Edmonton
office. He works extensively in the areas of financial services,
acquisitions, dispositions and development of real estate as well as
general corporate commercial matters. His clients include mortgage
lenders, banks, asset-based lenders, owners and developers of real
estate. He also represents publicly traded and privately owned oil field
service businesses in domestic and cross border transactions.
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