David advises clients in all facets of real estate law, including commercial leasing. He regularly acts for both landlords and tenants on sophisticated lease transactions and disputes. David’s experience also extends to working with real estate developers for commercial, industrial and residential properties and projects. In addition to real estate, his robust practice also focuses on pension funds, life insurance companies and other institutional and private investors.
David acts for financial institutions and borrowers in the financing of real estate projects, including structured financing transactions involving public and private participation. Throughout his career, David has acted on numerous large acquisitions and dispositions of real property including portfolio transactions. He is also experienced in the structuring of real estate ownership through joint ventures, limited partnerships and other investment vehicles, and has expertise concerning the expropriation of real estate property.
David fournit des services juridiques par l’intermédiaire d’une société professionnelle.
Experience
Acted for Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada in the acquisition of The Village at Thunderbird Centre, a 317,000-square-foot mixed-use development in Langley, BC. The development incorporates entertainment, retail and office space as well as a residential rental complex. The purchase price was approximately $150 million.
Acted for Wesbild Holdings Ltd. with respect to the sale of a portfolio of four community shopping centres in BC (Railyard Mall, Boitanio Plaza, Clover Square Village and Garibaldi Village) to The Standard Life Assurance Company of Canada for approximately $90 million.
Acted for Sun Life on the purchase of Meadowvale Shopping Centre, a regional shopping centre in Pitt Meadows, BC for a price of $30.5 million.
Acts for Grosvenor Canada Limited, owner/developer of Annacis Business Park in Delta, BC, one of BC’s largest business parks with approximately 900,000 square feet of warehouse/industrial space. Has represented Grosvenor for 30 plus years on this project, which has involved the successive subdivision, development, leasing, financing and sale of various properties.
Acted for Sun Life on the financing of Lougheed Mall, a regional shopping centre in Burnaby, BC, for $66.5 million, and on the financing of Lougheed Village, a four-tower residential apartment complex with 528 rental units plus 21 commercial units, also located in Burnaby, BC, for $60 million.
Acted for Citizens Bank of Canada and Vancouver City Savings Credit Union on the sale and financing of a multi-unit residential development at 60 West Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC, which involved both market and non-market residential units.
Acted for Citizens Bank in providing long-term financing to Concert Real Estate Corporation in the aggregate amount of $52 million on the security of an office building at 1190 Hornby Street, Vancouver, BC and of an industrial warehouse project located in Knightsbridge Business Park, Richmond, BC.
Acted for Grosvenor Canada Limited and Manitoba Civil Service Superannuation Board in their joint venture / development, financing and leasing of “The Rise” project at Cambie Street at 8th Avenue in Vancouver, BC. This award-winning mixed-use retail/residential rental project includes Home Depot (new urban format), Overwaitea Food Group and Winners/HomeSense.
Acted for Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) on the financing of 750 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, and King’s Cross Shopping Centre, Surrey, BC, for an aggregate amount of $45 million.
Acts for Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) with respect to various real property projects and transactions.
Acts for Home Hardware Stores Limited on all real estate matters in BC, including leases, purchases, sales and developments.
Author/Speaker, various industry and legal conferences (including the American Bar Association) on topics such as real estate development, real estate financing, equity financing and participation mortgages, real estate joint ventures, drafting real estate contracts, providing effective representati...
PRÉSENTATION
Guest Lecturer (on Real Estate Law), UBC Faculty of Law.
PRÉSENTATION
National Association of Industrial and Office Properties
International Council of Shopping Centres
Mortgage Investment Association of British Columbia
Urban Land Institute
Canadian Bar Association, American Bar Association and International Bar Association
Community Involvement
BLG Reads to Kids Literacy Program for Inner-City Schools
BLG United Way Program
Little League Baseball Coach
Awards & Recognitions
Recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada® for Commercial Leasing Law (since 2006) and Real Estate Law (since 2016).
Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2015) of the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Property Leasing).
Recognized in the 2024 edition (and since 2020) of Who’s Who Legal: Real Estate.
Recognized as “Commercial Leasing Lawyer of the Year – Vancouver” in the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada®.
Named “Vancouver Real Estate Lawyer of the Year” in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada®.
Recognized in the 2019 (and since 2016) editions of Chambers Canada — Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business (Real Estate: British Columbia, Real Estate: Nationwide - Canada).
Recognized in the 2017, 2016 and 2015 editions of the Legal 500 Canada (Real Estate).
Recognized in the 2020, 2018 (and since 2015) editions of the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Property Development, Property Leasing). Also recognized in 2014 and 2013 for Property Development.
Recognized in the 2023 edition of Lexpert® Special Edition: Infrastructure