Mario J. Forte

Biography

Mario J. Forte has extensive experience representing the principal participants in Canadian and cross-border corporate and financial institution restructurings and insolvencies.

Since 1987, Mr. Forte's practice has spanned all financial and other aspects of distress situations, with emphasis on restructurings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the Winding-Up and Restructuring Act and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, informal workouts, troubleshooting, reorganizations, debt enforcements, receiverships and bankruptcies. He has acted for all participants, with extensive involvement on behalf of both creditor (institutional and non-institutional, trade and landlord) and corporate clients. As a result, he has established working relationships with financial institutions, financial intermediaries and consulting, investment and accounting firms that are active in distress situations.

His industry experience includes technology, communications, financial institutions, manufacturing, retailing, oil and gas, waste management, health care, financial services, real estate, property development and mining.

Year of Call

• Ontario Bar 1987

Law School

• LL.B., Queen's University, 1985

EDUCATION

• B.A., University of British Columbia, 1981

Selected Client Work

• PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc., in the BIA/CCAA restructuring proceedings of Hemosol Corp
• Lewiscraft Corporation, in its CCAA restructuring proceedings
• RSM Richter, in the BIA/CCAA restructuring proceedings of SAAN Stores Ltd.
• GE Capital Commercial Finance Inc., lenders and debtor-in-possession lender in the Chapter 11/CCAA restructuring proceedings of Pliant Corporation
• RSM Richter in the CCAA restructuring proceedings of Tereve Holdings Ltd. (o/a "Bowring")
• Deloitte & Touche Corporate Finance Canada in the sale of the operating assets of I. Waxman & Sons Inc.;
• Denninghouse Inc., a publicly traded company and franchisor of "A Buck or Two" dollar store chain in its CCAA restructuring proceedings
• GMAC Commercial Finance Corporation - Canada, senior creditor and debtor-in-possession, financier of Tiger Brand Knitting Company Limited in its CCAA restructuring proceedings
• RSM Richter Inc. in its capacity as information officer in the cross-border Chapter 11 and CCAA proceedings of the Huffy group of companies
• Delaware Street Capital in the strategic acquisition of the Hamilton Specialty Bar Division of Slater Steel Inc.
• RSM Richter Inc. in its capacity as monitor in the cross-border CCAA and Chapter 11 restructuring proceedings of Systech Retail Systems Inc.,
• Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. in connection with the Air Canada plan of arrangement under the CCAA
• The monitor and interim receiver of the Home & Rural Appliances chain
• The Chief Restructuring Officer and Interim Receiver in the Acre T Farms Ltd. CCAA restructuring
• UBS Bunting Warburg in the IVACO Inc. CCAA restructuring
• Canada's various airport authorities in the Canada 3000 insolvency
• The National Hockey League in the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club Corporation restructuring
• Teleglobe Inc., a global telecommunications and data transfer company, in the global restructuring and sale of its legacy telecom business
• The lending syndicate in the 2001 Algoma Steel Inc. CCAA restructuring
• The lending syndicate in the CCAA restructuring of Maksteel Inc. et al
• The Canadian trustee-in-bankruptcy of Moulinex Ltd. in the global liquidation process of Moulinex S.A
• Royal Oak Mines Inc., a publicly traded gold mining company, in its CCAA restructuring proceedings
• The Bank of Nova Scotia as principal lender in the CCAA restructuring of White Rose Crafts and Nursery Sales Limited
• Gentra Inc. in the 1999 The T. Eaton Company Ltd. restructuring
• 500 employees in the restructuring of Med-Chem Health Care Limited, and the independent directors
• A prospective strategic purchaser of the assets of Med-Chem Health Care Limited
• A prospective strategic purchaser of the assets of Blue Range Resources Corp. in its CCAA restructuring proceeding
• Ernst & Young Inc., in its capacities as monitor, interim receiver and receiver in the CCAA proceedings of Philip Services Group
• The Bank of Nova Scotia as principal lender in the multijurisdictional restructuring of G.M. Pfaff AG and the Singer Group of Companies
• The compensation insurer in the liquidation of Confederation Life Insurance Company

Publications

• Mr. Forte has published and lectured widely in the areas of loan realization, insolvency issues affecting intellectual property, digital property and knowledge transfers in the technology area, as well as a variety of other insolvency topics.

Speaking Engagements

• Lectured and written widely on insolvency issues affecting intellectual property, digital property and knowledge transfers in the technology area as well as a variety of other insolvency topics

Rankings and Recognitions

• Best Lawyers in Canada - Insolvency and Financial Restructuring, 2008
• Chambers Global Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers 2005-2006
• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
• Global Counsel

Memberships and Activities

• Law Society of Upper Canda
• Canadian Bar Association
• American Bankruptcy Institute
• Insolvency Institute of Canada
• Ontario Bar Association (Executive member of Insolvency Section)
• Involved in the federal government's law reform initiatives concerning the restructuring and liquidation of financial institutions
• Consultant to the Canadian Insolvency Institute on reforms to the Winding-Up and Restructuring Act.
• Lecturer in the Law Society of Upper Canada Bar Admission Course