Irv D. Laskin*

Irv focuses his practice on acting for banks and other lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured financing and leasing transactions. Irv's clients include financial institutions, merchant banks and other lenders, and a mix of borrowers who are engaged in financing transactions at the local, national and international level.

Irv has been involved in the financing of an extensive range of businesses including aircraft, forest and mining products, merchant banks, hotels, oil and gas products, real estate developments, newspapers, high technology products and operations and national retail chains. These financings often have cross-border components to them and have included syndications and participations with government and other lending institutions acting for the lead or secondary lender. He has drafted financing and leasing documents utilized by lenders and lessors in the ordinary course of their businesses. He regularly provides advice to clients on the establishment of their internal lending and borrowing guidelines, regulatory and compliance matters and the structuring of financing transactions and is also often asked by his clients to lecture and give seminars on a range of banking and financing issues.

Recognition and Ranking

• Martindale-Hubbell International Law Directory: BV Peer Review rated
• Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for banking law

Bar Admissions

• Ontario (1982)
• British Columbia (1984)

Education

• University of Alberta (B.A., 1975)
• Osgoode Hall Law School (LL.B., 1980)

Representative transactions include acting for:

• HSBC Bank Canada as agent and for the syndicate of HSBC Bank Canada, Canadian Western Bank, Royal Bank of Canada and Alberta Treasury Branches with respect to project and infrastructure financing on a multi-towered real estate project in Calgary, Alberta
• HSBC Bank Canada as agent and for the syndicate of HSBC Bank Canada, Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Rabobank Nederland, Canadian Branch with respect to working capital and term financing extended to Canada’s largest dairy farm operation
• Business Development Bank of Canada, and for HSBC Bank Canada and Canadian Western Bank with respect to term financing extended on Indian lands in British Columbia
• HSBC Bank Canada with respect to working capital financing extended to one of Canada’s largest pulp producers
• HSBC Bank Canada with respect to working capital and term financing extended to one of Canada’s largest helicopter operators carrying on business in Canada and U.S.
• HSBC Capital (Canada) Inc. with respect to mezzanine financing extended to some of British Columbia’s leading real estate developers and manufacturers
• Business Development Bank of Canada with respect to various term financing transactions
• Bank of East Asia (Canada) with respect to term and real estate financings