Here are Canada’s top asset securitization lawyers based on Lexpert’s extensive yearly peer review. Check out the complete list of the country’s most recommended lawyers and law firms in the field by visiting our practice area rankings.
In our survey, the asset securitization practice includes acting for and advising asset originators, dealers, trustees, agents, liquidity lenders, credit enhancers, rating agencies and other participants in all matters relating to the structuring and implementation of asset securitization transactions. These transactions include:
- Structuring and establishing special purpose vehicles to purchase or otherwise acquire and administer assets from one or more originators and issue asset-backed securities to finance such acquisitions
- Structuring and documenting the acquisition of such assets and the issuance of such securities and ensuring compliance with all registration and other requirements
- Documenting any liquidity facilities required to finance such special purpose vehicles and any external credit enhancement facilities required to support their acquisitions
- Advising rating agencies on the efficacy of the structures employed
- Providing opinions to various interested parties in connection with various aspects of the foregoing
Learn the different types of asset securitizations in Canada.
Most frequently recommended asset securitization lawyers
Michael Burke
Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the bar: 1988
City: Toronto
Michael Burke is a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. He devotes his practice to transactional matters in the securitization and asset-based lending and leasing areas and on the development and modernization of wholesale and retail lending and leasing programs for vehicle and equipment lessors, financiers and suppliers. In the area of securitization, Burke advises sellers, purchasers, liquidity lenders, credit enhancers, trustees and rating agencies in connection with domestic and cross-border securitization transactions. He also acts for Canadian finance and insurance companies in purchasing or selling lease portfolios and in establishing domestic and cross-border private securitization and bulk purchase programs. Burke regularly writes and speaks at conferences and seminars on securitizations, equipment and consumer leasing and secured transactions. He is a member of Canadian Finance & Leasing Association’s Board of Directors and its Legal Committee, member of the board of regents of the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers and the chair of the Personal Property Security Law Committee of the Ontario Bar Association. Burke was also a member of the Legal Committee of the US Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, a first for a Canadian lawyer.
Michael K. Feldman
Law firm: Torys LLP
Year called to the bar: 1984 (ON); 2001 (New York)
City: Toronto
Michael K. Feldman serves as a partner at Torys LLP. He specializes in corporate and commercial law, with an emphasis on structured asset-backed financing, securitization, private mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, secured lending, aircraft financing and derivatives. Feldman has represented issuers and underwriters on various public and private securitizations and sellers and conduit sponsors on asset-backed commercial paper transactions. He also boasts extensive experience in the broad financial services industry involving numerous asset classes, including residential and commercial mortgages, auto loans and leases, personal lines of credit, credit cards and trade receivables.
Simon R. Fitzpatrick
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the bar: 1996
City: Toronto
Simon R. Fitzpatrick is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Toronto office. His practice is focused on structured finance. Fitzpatrick boasts extensive experience in acting for single and multi-seller securitization conduits, originators issuers, liquidity providers, credit enhancers, underwriters and investment banks. His experience involves several transactions in Canada, the UK and the US, covering a wide variety of asset classes, including residential and commercial mortgages, credit cards, instalment sales contracts, lease receivables, trade receivables, collateralized loan obligations, lines of credit and student loans. Fitzpatrick worked three years in London, UK, practising with a prominent US firm in the area of structured finance.
Richard J. Fullerton
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the bar: 1998
City: Toronto
Richard J. Fullerton is a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP’s banking and financial services practice group and securitization and structured finance specialty group. His practice covers many areas of corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on corporate finance, securitizations, private business acquisitions and divestitures and financial institutions work. Fullerton has acted for clients on a variety of corporate finance matters including both public offerings and private placements and public and private securitizations, with an emphasis on covered bonds and public securitizations. He has also acted on behalf of issuers and underwriters with respect to initial public offerings, new issues and bought deal financings. He also has extensive special products and structured finance experience.
Marc J. MacMullin
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the bar: 1990
City: Toronto
Marc J. MacMullin is the head of the national financial services group and a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Toronto office. His practice focuses on financial institutions and capital market transactions and structured finance transactions, including new issuer transactions, covered bond programs, cross-border transactions, marketplace lending and asset-backed programs. MacMullin has acted as lead counsel on numerous public structured finance transactions and global covered bond programs for issuers and underwriters. He boasts extensive experience in single-seller and multi-seller securitization transactions for various asset classes, including credit card receivables, equipment leases and loans, commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities and trade receivables.
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Dean C. Masse
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the bar: 1999
City: Toronto
Dean C. Masse is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Toronto office. He devotes his practice to securitization, structured finance and securities transactions, including single-seller, multi-seller and cross-border securitization transactions and asset-backed programs. Masse acts for issuers, sellers, purchasers, dealers, trustees, liquidity providers and credit enhancers in various public and private securitization and structured finance transactions involving a variety of asset classes, including credit card receivables, residential and commercial mortgages, home equity lines of credit, auto loans, equipment loans, retail instalment contracts and trade receivables. He boasts extensive experience acting for issuers and dealers in connection with prospectus offerings, private placements, covered bonds programs, medium-term notes programs, commercial paper programs and continuous disclosure matters. Masse has spoken at several conferences on various securitization and covered bonds topics.
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Mark E. McElheran
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the bar: 1997
City: Toronto
Mark E. McElheran is a partner at Stikeman Elliott LLP’s financial products and services, capital markets and securities groups. His broad corporate finance practice includes public and private securitization, structured finance, banking, secured financing and derivative products transactions. McElheran represents a range of market participants, including domestic and foreign banks, investment dealers, issuers and investors. He has spoken on a range of topics at industry conferences pertaining to asset securitization, credit derivatives and collateralized debt obligations, secured lending and financing and personal property security laws.
Peter E. Milligan
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the bar: 1983
City: Toronto
Peter E. Milligan has been a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP since 2002. He devotes his practice to securitization and structured finance with an emphasis on creditor’s rights. Milligan has provided advice to buyers, sellers, credit enhancers, liquidity lenders and rating agencies in connection with these transactions. Recent transaction types he has been involved in include automobile and equipment loans, leases and wholesale assets, credit card receivables, residential and commercial mortgages and trade receivables. Milligan has provided advice in connection with all categories of financing transactions. Throughout his career, he has practised banking and financial services law. He has also taught commercial law at Osgoode Hall Law School for several years.
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Mary Jeanne F. Phelan
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the bar: 2000 (QC); 2000 (New York)
City: Montréal
Mary Jeanne F. Phelan is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Montréal office. She is a banking and finance law expert, focusing on commercial lending, asset securitization, structured finance and derivatives. Phelan advises on cross-border loan syndications, factoring and securitization of receivables, derivatives, debt restructuring and secured transactions. In the area of structured finance and asset securitization matters, her experience includes acting for originators, purchasers, conduits and underwriters in transactions involving many classes of receivables. She also has extensive experience in covered bond transactions and commodity and inventory finance structures. In the area of commercial lending, Phelan has broad experience acting for lenders and borrowers in corporate and acquisition financings, asset-based lending, receivables finance, mining, wind farm, health facility and other project financings, equipment financing and leasing, Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act restructurings and debtor-in-possession financing.
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Dirk E. Rueter
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the bar: 1992
City: Toronto
Dirk E. Rueter is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Toronto office. His practice focuses on structured finance, including asset-backed financings, collateralized loan obligations, covered bond issuances and derivative transactions. Rueter’s securitization practice covers a broad range of asset classes, including auto and equipment loans and leases, residential and commercial mortgages, floorplan and trade receivables and esoteric assets. He has extensive experience in domestic and cross- border public and private securitization transactions. Rueter has participated in and spoken at several industry conferences in Canada and the US in the areas of securitization and structured finance.
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Constantine Troulis
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the bar: 1987
City: Montréal
Constantine Troulis is a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. He focuses on banking and financial services and commercial real estate. Troulis has broad experience on a wide range of matters, including national and cross-border asset-based and syndicated lending transactions, asset securitizations, covered bond financings, equipment financings and leasing, debt restructurings, financing and real estate aspects of wind power projects, commercial real estate acquisitions, property development, real estate financings, and commercial real estate leasing. His practice also extends to advisory work on commercial and regulatory matters.
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