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Donald G. Bird

Senior Counsel

Vancouver
[email protected]
604.640.4175

Expertise

Don has acted for lenders and borrowers in commercial and corporate loans for more than 30 years, with an emphasis on secured transactions to both public and private borrowers.

He has extensive experience in syndicated and cross-border lending.

Don's practice also includes regulatory advice to financial institutions and structured finance transactions, as well as general corporate commercial transactions.

Within BLG, Don is the former National Leader of the Banking and Financial Services Group (2015-2020) and the former Regional Managing Partner of the Vancouver office (2011-2015). He also served as a regional group leader of the Financial Services Group and regional leader of our Business Department, which includes the Financial Services Group

Donald provides legal services through a Law Corporation.

Experience

  • PayBright Inc., one of Canada’s leading buy-now-pay-later providers, in connection with its $340 million acquisition by Affirm, Inc., a leading U.S.-based “buy now, pay later” platform.
  • Acting for BMO as the agent for a syndicate of secured lenders in the Journey Energy debt restructuring.
  • The Government of Canada in its $4.5 billion acquisition of the Trans Mountain and Puget Sound Pipelines, and related terminals, including pipeline construction financing.
  • Finning International Inc. in their $1.3 Billion global credit facility with a syndicate of international banks.
  • A syndicate of international lenders in their financing in excess of $500 million for port terminal facilities and their expansion in British Columbia.

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Solicitors’ Legal Opinions Committee of British Columbia (since 2015)
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Past executive member, Banking Law Subsection of the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Former member of the Board of Governors (since 2011), Business Council of British Columbia
  • Former Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2024 (and since 2006) edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Banking and Finance Law)
  • Recognized in the 2024 (and since 2020) edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing, Banking & Financial Institutions, Corporate Commercial Law).
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A
  • Recognized in the 2022 (and previous editions) of IFLR1000 – The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms (Banking)
  • Recognized in the 2023 (and since 2020) edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Energy
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition of Who's Who Legal: Canada (Banking).
  • Recognized in the 2020 edition of Lexpert®/ROB Special Edition on Canada’s Leading Infrastructure Lawyers.
  • Selected by peers for inclusion in the 2020 edition (and since 2006) of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Banking & Finance)
  • Fellow (since 2013) and Regent (2016-2020), American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers

Bar Admission & Education

  • British Columbia, 1988
  • LLB, University of Toronto, 1987
  • B.Comm. (Hons.), University of British Columbia, 1984