Michael H. Lieberman
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Related services and key industries
Key industry sectors
Biography
Michael Lieberman practises commercial real estate law and regularly advises clients in the real estate, corporate, financial, transportation, mining, energy and cannabis sectors regarding a wide range of real property matters. Mr. Lieberman’s practice encompasses a broad scope of transactional work, such as purchases and sales, financings, leasing and joint ventures, as well as the real estate components of broader M&A transactions.
His experience includes assisting clients with acquisitions and dispositions of office, hotel, multi-residential, industrial and retail properties, property portfolios and infrastructure projects, including solar, wind and hydro-electric generating facilities, hydrocarbon storage facilities, pipelines, an airport passenger terminal and airport hangars. Mr. Lieberman also assists mining companies with acquisitions, dispositions, financings, joint ventures and title opinions relating to the various forms of mining property tenures. He also has experience assisting energy companies with the acquisition, disposition, development and financing of rooftop and ground‑mount solar and wind generating projects.
During his law studies, Mr. Lieberman participated in an exchange program with the University of Hong Kong.
Professional experience
Collapse allLL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, 2005
B.A.(Hons.), York University, 2001
- Ontario 2006
Mr. Lieberman has acted recently for clients in the following matters:
- Hexo Corp. on its acquisition of Newstrike Brands Ltd. for $263 million, including various production facilities
- Parmalat Canada on its acquisition of Kraft Heinz Canada ULC's Canadian natural cheese division for C$1.62 billion, including its Ingleside, ON, production facility
- Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited in its acquisition of Helly Hansen, a leading global brand in sportswear and workwear based in Oslo, Norway, for C$985 million, with a global footprint of more than 100 owned and leased properties, including distribution centres and retail locations
- FTI Consulting Inc., as court-appointed monitor in the CCAA proceedings of Sears Canada Inc. and its affiliates, with respect to real property matters, including the divestiture of the company's owned and leased stores
- HSBC Bank Canada on a $93 million acquisition financing facility in favour of Timbercreek 4Q Urban Redevelopment LP for a large real estate portfolio acquisition (7 properties valued at approx. $133 million)
- Brookfield Business Partners L.P. and its institutional partners in acquiring Loblaw Companies Limited's gas station operations for a purchase price of approximately C$540 million. The acquired gas station network is one of the largest in Canada and includes 213 retail gas stations and associated convenience kiosks adjacent to Loblaw-owned grocery stores across the country. The gas stations will be rebranded as Mobil as part of an agreement with Imperial Oil, marking the introduction of the Mobil fuel brand into Canada
- Acquisition by Maple Tree (Freehold) Inc. and Maple Tree (Leasehold) Inc. of the HSBC office building at 70 York Street in Toronto, ON, from Brookfield Office Properties Canada LP for C$110 million
- Sale by Ivanhoe Cambridge of 14 retail and office properties to Cominar REIT for approximately C$1.6 billion, as well as the sale to RIoCan REIT of a shopping plaza in Hamilton, ON, for approx. C$22 million
- Sale by City Centre Terminal Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Porter Aviation Holdings Inc., of the passenger terminal at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to Nieuport Aviation Infrastructure Partners GP
- TransAlta Renewables Inc. regarding a C$442 million bond offering for its indirect wholly owned subsidiary, Melancthon Wolfe Wind LP, secured by a first ranking charge over all assets, including three wind generating facilities located in Ontario situated upon approximately 200 properties
- “Due Diligence and Title Opinions” (co-author), Ontario Bar Association: Natural Resources and Energy, Mining 101 - Your First Joint Venture, May 2010.
- “Condominium Vehicles Explained” (co-author), Law Society of Upper Canada: 6th Annual Real Estate for Law Clerks, October 2007.
- “Building a Client Base and Networking” (co-author), Law Society of Upper Canada: New Lawyer Practice Series - Real Estate, December 2007.
- "Top Ten Items for Tenant's Checklist in Reviewing Landlord's Form of Offer" (roundtable co-host), Internation Counsel of Shopping Centres (ICSC) Canadian Law Conference, Toronto, March 27, 2019.
- “Planning and Policy, Municipalities and Brownfield Development,” Canadian Environmental Conference and Trade Show (CANECT), Vaughan, ON, May 8, 2018.
- "Drafting and Negotiating Subleases" (roundtable host), ICSC Canadian Law Conference, Toronto, April 30, 2018.
- "Security for Leases" (roundtable host), ICSC Canadian Law Conference, Toronto, May 1, 2018.
- "Lawyers' Obligations in Sending, Receiving, and Holding Funds" (panelist), Commercial Real Estate Transactions 2017, Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto, September 19, 2017.
- "Planning and Policy, Municipalities and Brownfield Development," CANECT, Toronto, May 2, 2017.
- "Environmental Law 101" (roundable co-host), ICSC Canadian Law Conference, Toronto, April 27, 2017.
- "File Management for a Commercial Real Estate Transaction: Best Practices and Critical Steps," Commercial Real Estate Transactions 2016, Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto, September 13, 2016.
- "Planning and Policy, Municipalities and Brownfield Development," CANECT, Toronto, April 26, 2016.
- "Subordination, Non-Disturbance and Attornment" (roundable host), ICSC Canadian Law Conference, Toronto, April 21, 2016.
- Canadian Bar Association
- Law Society of Upper Canada