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Simon P. Crawford

Partner

Partner | Email

T: 416.777.4815

Email

Toronto

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Crawford Simon
 
  • Recent Experience
  • Recent Recognition
  • Insights, News & Events
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T: 416.777.4815


Email

Toronto

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  • Education
  • Bar Admissions
  • Recent Experience
  • Recent Recognition
  • Insights, News & Events
  • Related Services
  • Recent Experience
  • Recent Recognition
  • Insights, News & Events
  • Related Services

Simon Crawford is shortlisted by every major Canadian and international legal guide, including Chambers Global, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Euromoney Expert Guide and Best Lawyers in Canada, as one of Canada's leading real estate lawyers, and is listed in the 2018 Lexpert ALM 500 comprehensive guide to Canada’s top legal talent, as one of the 500 most frequently recommended lawyers across Canada, in any ranked discipline, as determined by annual peer survey. Simon was recently accepted as a Fellow for ACMA (American College of Mortgage Attorneys). 

He is among a small handful of lawyers in Canada who are called upon regularly to lead and structure the country’s largest and most complex real estate bids and transactions, and has been a key advisor and strategist in developing, trading, financing, and tailoring the ownership and joint venture structures for many of the country's landmark office, commercial, retail, sports and entertainment, infrastructure and residential projects and portfolios.

Chambers Canada

"Simon Crawford is a highly respected lawyer with a broad commercial real estate practice. He has an excellent track record handling a range of high-profile mandates, including purchases and lending. Interviewees laud his solution-driven approach and say: 'He's creative and very responsive,' adding: 'He's excellent with clients.'"

In 2017, Simon was the lead advisor on transactions valued in excess of $4 Billion, including the acquisition of approximately $1.2 Billion in commercial mortgages from Home Capital/Home Trust. In 2016 he was the lead advisor in connection with the acquisition of one of Toronto’s landmark skyscrapers, Scotia Plaza. In 2015, he was the lead real estate advisor to a significant landlord group in connection with the insolvency proceedings related to Target Canada, the largest Canadian retail insolvency in recent history. Simon was featured in the September 2014 issue of Lexpert magazine as lead counsel to a consortium in respect of 2013's largest commercial real estate transaction, the acquisition of all Primaris Real Estate Investment Trust properties. In 2012 he acted as counsel to the purchaser of a $2 Billion industrial real estate portfolio comprised of more than 400 properties.

Simon advises many of Canada's most sophisticated real estate investors on private equity matters, fund formation, joint ventures, income trusts, the purchase and sale of real estate assets and real estate companies, property development, banking and mortgage lending, structured finance and asset securitization, corporate finance, mezzanine and participating debt structures, infrastructure, public/private partnerships, mortgage and loan servicing and enforcement, and on real estate issues in bankruptcy and insolvency.

In recent years, Simon has acted as senior advisor on some of Toronto’s more notable new developments and financings, including Cumberland Terrace, the Bay-Adelaide Centre, the Trump Tower, and the 75-storey Aura condominium project, which is currently the tallest residential building in Canada. Across the country, Simon has also acted on large portfolio transactions, including the acquisition and financing of ING's industrial portfolio and the privatization of both Atlas Cold Storage and Versacold.

Chambers Canada

"Simon Crawford is noted as an 'excellent lawyer' by sources, who go on to say: 'He's highly responsive, pragmatic as opposed to dogmatic, and helps to get things done.'"

Complementing Simon's real estate practice is extensive deal experience in public/private partnerships, the creation of pension-fund eligible investments, and the financing and trade of regulated facilities such as gaming, infrastructure healthcare and long-term care projects. In addition, Simon has acted for government or quasi-government interests, including most notably, as advisor to Waterfront Toronto in connection with the development of Toronto's waterfront lands.

Simon has represented clients in the financing or sale of a significant number of Canada's landmark office, commercial, entertainment and retail properties, including Toronto's 2 Bloor and Cumberland Terrace, Bay Adelaide Center, Trump Tower, Primaris Shopping Centre portfolio, Scotia Plaza, Brookfield Place, TD Centre and First Canadian Place, Montreal's Eaton Centre, Ottawa's Rideau Centre, Saskatchewan's Midtown Plaza and Calgary's Scotia Plaza and Palliser Square. Simon has also represented lenders or purchasers in connection with various sports and recreation facilities including in connection with the 2010 Olympic games, Toronto's Ricoh Centre and Niagara Falls Casino.

Simon is called upon regularly to moderate panels for the commercial real estate community, is a prolific writer and speaker on developments in real estate law, is a frequent lecturer for the Law Society of Upper Canada for the continuing education of the real estate bar.

Education

University of Toronto, BA, 1994, with honours Osgoode Hall Law School, LLB, 1997 

Bar Admissions

Ontario, 1999

Recent Experience

Freed Developments Ltd. in its approximately $330-million acquisition of a portfolio of real property assets of including Horseshoe Valley Resort, Deerhurst Resort and some additional lands from Skyline Investments, together with the purchase of the portion of Muskoka Bay Resort it did not already own.
KingSett in the purchase from the Huntley group of a portfolio of industrial properties located in the GTA. 
KingSett in the sale of its 100% interest in the first three floors of the Aura Tower, located at 388 Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, to the Ikea group of companies.
Lead Real Estate Counsel to a significant landlord group, in the Target Canada insolvency.
December 02, 2015 - Lead Counsel to Canderel and KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No. 5, in the acquisition of 1243 Islington Avenue, Toronto,, a 107,824 square foot office building located at Islington Avenue and Bloor Street West, Toronto. http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/canderel-kingsett-capital-venture-into-west-end-office-market-2078726.htm
November 18, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Canadian Real Estate Income Fund LP and its partner, in its acquisition of 2 Bloor Street West, a 455,371 square foot, 34-storey Class A office tower located at Yonge & Bloor, Toronto.
November 18, 2015 - Lead Counsel to KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No. 5 and its partner, in its acquisition of Cumberland Terrace, a 3-level, 83,045 square foot retail complex located on Cumberland Street from Bay Street to Yonge Street, Toronto.
September 18, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No. 5, in its acquisition of 25 Dyas Road, a 75,000 square foot flex office building in Toronto.
September 02, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No. 5, in its acquisition of 1802 Centre Avenue, a 225,000 square foot industrial building located in central Calgary.
September 01, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No. 5, in its acquisition of an 80% joint venture interest in Surrey City Centre, a 10 acre development property in downtown Surrey.
August 07, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Canadian Real Estate Income Fund LP, in its sale of 2335 Speers Road, a 260,830 square foot industrial building in Oakville.
June 30, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Canadian Real Estate Income Fund LP, in the sale of the East Village Development Site, located in Calgary.
June 10, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Real Estate Growth LP No. 5, in its acquisition of 1601 and 1635 Tricont Avenue, two industrial buildings totalling 258,000 square feet in Whitby.
April 08, 2015 – Lead Counsel to KingSett Canadian Real Estate Income Fund LP, in the sale of 875 Middlefield, 335 and 345 Passmore, three industrial buildings totalling 282,561 square feet in Scarborough.
Lead Real Estate Counsel to a purchaser consortium, in 2013's largest commercial real estate transaction, the acquisition of a $3+ Billion Shopping Centre portfolio.
Senior Counsel in the development and financing of Aura, the tallest Canadian condominium project.
Lead Real Estate Counsel to the purchaser, of a $2 Billion industrial portfolio.
Senior real estate counsel in the privatization of two income funds, Atlas Cold Storage and Versacold.

Recent Recognition

Chambers Canada
Ranked, Real Estate
Ranked, Real Estate – Ontario
Chambers Global The World's Leading Lawyers for Business
Ranked, Canada, Real Estate

The Legal 500 Canada
Leading Lawyer, Real Estate
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Most Frequently Recommended, Property Development
Repeatedly Recommended, Property Leasing
Best Lawyers in Canada
Recognized for Real Estate Law
Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada
Ranked, Property Development
Lexpert Special Edition
Recognized as a leading Infrastructure lawyer in Canada
Who's Who Legal: Canada
Recognized, Real Estate

Insights, News & Events

Announcements

177 Bennett Jones Lawyers Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023

March 03, 2023
       

Announcements

Twenty-One Bennett Jones Lawyers Recognized in 2023 Lexpert ALM 500 Directory

February 06, 2023
       

Blog

Requisitioning the Closure of Open Building Permits

January 30, 2023
       

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