Veteran real estate lawyer Kent F. Beattie has joined Baker & McKenzie as a partner in Toronto, adding 20 years of experience in high-value real property acquisitions and dispositions across Canada.
Mr. Beattie has been ranked as a leading lawyer by several directories including Chambers Global and Euromoney. He has significant experience in handling commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions (involving office, hotel and shopping centre portfolios, mixed-use commercial developments, mining properties, and railways), real estate development, secured lending, strategic alliances and outsourcing, loan restructurings and workouts, leasing and lease arbitrations.
“Kent is an excellent addition to our growing office and brings solid depth of experience to the Firm,” said Jim Holloway, Managing Partner of Baker & McKenzie’s Toronto office. “I know he will be a great asset to clients handling high-value real estate transactions, and in corporate and transactional matters with important real property issues.”
Throughout his career, Mr. Beattie has acted for clients in a variety of complex matters, including having played the principal role in bridge and project lending to a major North American race track owner and operator for proceeds in excess of US$440 million; and in the disposition of 25 hotels across Canada for proceeds in excess of $300 million. He also played a key role in the multi-billion dollar disposition program of the Canadian office portfolio of one of Canada’s largest public real estate corporations; in the sale and leaseback of Bell Canada’s office portfolio; and in the disposition of the office and mixed use commercial portfolio of one of Canada’s five chartered banks.
“We are pleased that Kent has joined Baker & McKenzie,” said David P. Hackett, Chair of the Firm’s Banking & Finance Practice in North America. “Canada is an important real estate market for many of our clients, and he will add great value to the practice with his strong skillset.”
“I’m thrilled to join Baker & McKenzie,” said Mr. Beattie. “The Firm’s deep experience in Canada and market-leading global network are an exceptional platform to grow my practice, and advise clients seeking to maximize the efficiency of their real estate portfolios.”
Mr. Beattie received his Bachelor of Laws degree (with Distinction) in 1992 from the University of Western Ontario, and his Bachelor of Arts degree (History Specialist, Political Science minor) from the University of Toronto in 1989. Most recently, Mr. Beattie was a partner with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP.
Mr. Beattie is the latest addition to the Firm’s growing Toronto office, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In recent months, several high-profile lateral partners have augmented the Firm’s capabilities for clients in Toronto, including IP lawyers Kamleh Nicola and Bill Richardson, tax lawyers Jacques Bernier and John Owen, and securities and mining lawyer Howard Burshtein.
