Mario M. Caron

Biography

Mario M. Caron heads our Real Estate Team. His focus is on sales and acquisitions, project financing, commercial leasing and municipal taxation. He also has a more general commercial practice that involves representing corporations upon start-up and in major transactions such as acquisitions and joint ventures.

Mr. Caron acts on behalf of several Canadian and foreign corporations and regularly advises a number of financial institutions, particularly in the areas of real estate development, project financing and the establishment of tax-driven vehicles for the holding of assets. He regularly represents property owners and tenants in litigation involving municipal assessments of industrial and commercial properties.

Year of Call

• Quebec Bar 1984

Law School

• LL.B., Université Laval/University of Western Ontario, 1983

Selected Client Work

Recent transactions in which Mr. Caron has been involved include:

• sale of 1981 McGill College by SITQ to Industrial Alliance, Insurance and Financial Services Inc.
• sale 2001 McGill College by SITQ to Cominar Real Estate Investment Trust
• development of McGill University Medical Simulation Centre
• development of a megacentre ( Mégacentre Rive-Sud) in St Romuald, Quebec for Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc.
• sale by Abitibi-Bowater of private timberland in Quebec to Société générale de financement du Québec 
• sale by Abitibi-Bowater of private timberland in New Brunswick to J.D. Irving Limited
• acquisition by McGill University of the Renaissance Hotel (part of the La Cité complex in Montréal) and conversion into halls of residence
• negotiation of lease for the Alouettes football club at the McGill University Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
• acquisition of Sears Canada's interests in Place-Vertu shopping centre by Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc. as part of the ongoing redevelopmnt of the property
• creation of the private trust Fonds de Placement immobilier BB
• development, acquisition and financing of major real-estate projects in downtown Montréal, including Le 1250 Boulevard René-Lévesque, Place Ville Marie, Le 1000 De La Gauchetière and Tour Bell Canada

Speaking Engagements

• Insight
• The Canadian Institute
• Urban Development Institute of Québec

Rankings and Recognitions

• Best Lawyers in Canada - Real-Estate Law: Property Development, 2008
• Repeatedly recommended in the area of real property development by the Canadian legal directory LEXPERT
• Since 2006 the National Post has ranked him as one of the best lawyers in Canada in the area of real property development

Memberships and Activities

• Advisory Committee of the Faculty of Law of Université Laval
• Centre d'entreprises et d'innovation de Montréal
• International Council of Shopping Centers
• Urban Development Institute
• Canadian Bar Association