Mark Schmidt

Partner

Co-chair, Canadian Real Estate Group

About

Bar admissionsBritish Columbia, 1989

EXPERIENCE

Counsel to Rural Stores, an owner/operator of numerous shopping centres in the Lower Mainland of BC in connection with all aspects of their operations, including, financing, leasing, acquisitions and dispositions
Counsel to Conway Richmond, an owner operator of numerous shopping centres in the Lower Mainland of BC in connection with all aspects of their operations, including, financing, leasing, acquisitions and dispositions
Advised Parkview Enterprises in connection with the financing, development and sale of an 82 unit high-rise residential project in North Vancouver
Advised Garibaldi Springs Development in connection with a multi-stage mixed-use residential and commercial strata development in Squamish
Acted for Mountain Equipment Co-operative in connection with the development of stores in Victoria, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Kelowna, Calgary, Edmonton, Kitchener, Laval, Quebec City and other locations
Acted for Viacom Canada in connection with the development of Paramount Place Vancouver, Silver City Richmond, Silver City Coquitlam, Silver City Metrotown, Colossus Langley and other multi-screen theatres
Counsel to Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club in connection with the development and sale of Sagebrush Golf Club
Advise Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in respect of the Shangri-La Vancouver and the Shangri-La Toronto Hotels

Counsel to Pacific Coast Terminals with respect to operational matters and the $200 million expansion of its Port Moody terminal to handle potash, canola oil and glycol
Acted for Maher Terminals in connection with the $600 million expansion of the Fairview Container Terminal in Prince Rupert. BC

Advised a consortium led by Babcock & Brown with respect to the Alberta Schools Project in Calgary and Edmonton, including its UK bank financing, at the time being the largest-ever Canadian schools P3 transaction and Alberta's largest social infrastructure P3. This project was awarded the “North American Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year” by Project Finance Magazine (Euromoney) (NY)
Advised Brascan Corporation (now Brookfield Asset Management) with respect to the sale of Cascadia Forest Products to Western Forest Products Ltd. for approximately $200 million
Acted for Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. in connection with the $170 Million sale of its remaining 25% Interest in Island Timberlands Limited Partnership
Canadian Counsel to West Corporation with respect to the acquisitions of Synrevoice Technologies, Connexon Group, Intrafinity Inc. and Positron Public Safety Systems
Counsel to The Oppenheimer Group with respect to the sale transaction to Total Produce
Counsel to GroupHealth, one of Canada's leading providers of group insurance, employee benefits, dental insurance and disability management, with respect to the acquisitions of GroupSource LP

Advised Bell Canada with respect to the 2010 Winter Olympic telecommunications obligations
Advised Microcell Connexions Inc. (Fido) with respect to their network build out in BC and other parts of Western Canada
Counsel to Tata Communications in connection with their Canadian operations, including the disposition of various assets

Represented Brookfield Renewable Power in connection with the acquisition of Powell River Energy Inc.
Represented Fiera Axium Infrastructure in purchase of GE Energy interests in Toba Montrose and Dokie 1 Facilities
Advised BluEarth Renewable in connection with the acquisition of the Tyson Creek Hydroelectric Project

Counsel to Island Timberlands, a private timberlands business and the largest holder of private timberlands in British Columbia
Advising Western Forest Products on financing, real property, and related commercial matters

Languages

Education

LL.B., Dalhousie University, 1988

B.Comm., (Honours), The University of British Columbia, 1988

Awards

Memberships And Affiliations

Member, Law Society of British Columbia
Member, Canadian Bar Association
Member, Vancouver Law Firms Solicitors Legal Opinions Committee
Contributor, The Real Estate Practice Manual, a publication of the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C.