Sandra Nissan

Senior Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Toronto
Canada
T:+1 416 216 3965
Toronto
Canada
T:+1 416 216 3965
Sandra Nissan

Sandra Nissan

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Biography

Sandra Nissan practises in the areas of infrastructure and debt finance with a focus on project finance, secured and unsecured lending, public-private partnerships and infrastructure development.

She has extensive experience advising on and leading public-private partnership and infrastructure projects across numerous industry sectors, including healthcare, justice and transportation (including rail, light rail and tunnels) using a variety of project procurement and delivery methods. Sandra acts for public authorities, consortia and lenders on P3 and infrastructure projects, and her experience includes a number of innovative and complex first-of-kind infrastructure projects, including the first major justice P3 in Ontario to reach financial close as well the first infrastructure project procured in Ontario under the alliance contracting model. Sandra also has experience advising on many aspects of syndicated secured and unsecured lending, acting on behalf of both lenders and borrowers, and also provides ongoing corporate and commercial law advice to clients.

Professional experience

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LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, 1997
B.A., York University, 1994

  • Ontario 1999

Sandra has recently acted on the following matters:

  • Lakeshore West Infrastructure Improvements Project – Advised Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx on a $443-million project to design, build and finance station and in-corridor improvements at multiple sites along the Lakeshore West line in Ontario
  • 401 Tunnel RER Project – Advised Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx on a $116.9-million design, build and finance project to construct two rail tunnels under highways 401 and 409 in Ontario
  • SmartTrack Stations Projects – Advising Metrolinx in connection with the construction of King-Liberty Station, St.Clair West-Old Weston Station and Finch-Kennedy Station, each being delivered under a construction management at-risk model
  • Union Station Enhancement RER Project – Advised Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx on a project to increase capacity at Union Station through construction of new tracks and platforms and a new station concourse. This project is the first project in Ontario procured using the alliance contracting model
  • Finch West LRT Project and Waterloo LRT Project – Advised Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx on a $2.5-billion project to design, build, finance and maintain an 11km light rail transit line in Toronto, Ontario; and advised the Region of Waterloo in connection with the design, build, finance, maintenance and operation of a light rail transit project in Waterloo, Ontario
  • Courthouse Projects – Advised Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Attorney General in the structuring, procurement, negotiation and settlement of project documents in connection with the following design, build, finance and maintain projects: Durham Consolidated Courthouse Project ($334 million), Quinte Consolidated Courthouse Project ($247 million), Elgin County Courthouse Project in St. Thomas, Ontario ($249 million), Thunder Bay Consolidated Courthouse Project ($248 million) and the Waterloo Region Consolidated Courthouse Project in Kitchener, Ontario ($379 million)
  • Woodstock General Hospital Project – Advised Infrastructure Ontario and Woodstock General Hospital Trust on a $685-million project to build, finance and maintain a hospital in Woodstock, Ontario. Sandra was involved in negotiating the funding agreement, project agreements and other related ancillary documents and leading the hospital through the project's procurement and competitive phase
  • Royal Jubilee Hospital Project – Advised the syndicate of lenders in connection with the $206-million Royal Jubilee Hospital P3 project, a 500-bed in-patient accommodation building in Victoria, British Columbia
  • William Osler Health Centre – Advised the 75% private sector owner and primary funding/financing partner on a PPP/PFI for the construction of a new hospital in Ontario. This project was the first major healthcare P3 transaction in Canada to reach financial close
  • Debt Finance – Counsel to numerous lending syndicates, in numerous syndicated loan transactions and credit facilities to among others, Osmington Inc., Rolls-Royce Canada Limited, First Asset Management Inc., Toronto Hydro-Electric System Limited and CanWest Global Communications Corp.

 

  • Chambers Canada, Nationwide: Projects: PPP and Infrastructure, Chambers and Partners, 2023-2025 
  • Legal 500 Canada: Infrastructure Projects (Leading Partners), 2024-2025
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2020-2021, 2023-2024: recommended in Infrastructure Law; 2021-2022: recommended in Project Finance 
  • International Financial Law Review 1000, Canada: Project development; Project finance (Highly Regarded), 2020-2023
  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business, 2015: Projects: PPP & Infrastructure

 

  • Canadian Bar Association 
  • Law Society of Upper Canada