Peter M. Tolensky

Peter has an active commercial real estate and development practice, advising clients in a variety of corporate matters for mixed use, residential, commercial and industrial real estate projects. Peter assists with acquisitions, municipal entitlements (including heritage incentives), subdivisions (including air space subdivisions and strata titling) and multi-family and industrial strata titled project sales matters. He also provides counsel to borrowers with their acquisition, construction and other financing facilities and has negotiated a significant number of retail, office and industrial leases for landlords and tenants. Peter also plays an active role in developing appropriate corporate structures for various real estate transactions, including the formation of limited partnerships, joint ventures and bare trusts.

Recognition and Ranking

• Chambers Global: recognized in the Real Estate (Canada) category
• Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for real estate law
• Practical Law Company Which Lawyer: recommended for real estate law
• 2011 Lexpert Rising Star Award: recognized as one of Canada’s Leading Lawyers under 40
• Named, Business in Vancouver, Forty under 40 (2008)

Professional Activities

• CBA/BCLS Air-Space Subdivision Task Force, Co-Chair
• Canadian Bar Association, Vancouver Real Property Subsection, Chair (2007 – 2008)
• Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, Member (2000 – )
• British Columbia Due Diligence Deskbook, Contributing author
• Law Society of British Columbia, Member (2000 – )
• Urban Development Institute, Member and Speaker
• National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, Member and Speaker
• International Council of Shopping Centers, Member

Community Activities

• Congregation Beth Israel, Board of Directors (2008 – 2010)
• Richmond Country Club, Member
• Waterfront Club, Member
• Alpha Epsilon Pi, Lambda Omega Chapter, Alumni
• Lower Canada College Alumni Association, Class of '91, Member

Bar Admissions

• British Columbia (2000)

Education

• University of Western Ontario (B.A., 1996)
• University of British Columbia (LL.B., 1999)

Languages

• French

Examples of Peter’s recent experience include:

• Acting as lead leasing counsel for institutional and privately held landlords and tenants in connection with lease preparation, negotiations and related property management matters for regional shopping centres, power centres, enclosed malls, lifestyle centres, office tower complexes and multi-tenanted industrial parks
• Acting for various developers in connection with corporate structuring of development ventures, site acquisition, subsequent development work and project marketing and presale matters for various residential and mixed use projects throughout British Columbia, including projects using air-space subdivision and geothermal utility systems
• Acting as lead real estate counsel for pension fund in connection with its indirect acquisition of Canadian portfolio of manufactured home communities
• Acting as British Columbia counsel to mortgage lender to major ski resort operator as part of credit facilities advanced in connection with operator’s initial public offering
• Acting as British Columbia counsel to seniors care facility operator in connection with its acquisition of seniors care facility
• Acting for seller of ground-leasehold interest in Port Metro Vancouver industrial park facility
• Acting for commercial real estate brokerage in connection with preparation of standard form land assembly sales package
• Acting for industrial manufacturer in connection with sale/leaseback of its Canadian portfolio of manufacturing facilities
• Acting for buyers and sellers of various retail malls, shopping centres, office buildings and industrial buildings, including multi-unit, strata-titled properties
• Acting for British Columbia utility in connection with various real estate matters, including statutory rights of way and related tenure matters
• Acting for restaurant chain operator in connection with opening of new restaurant locations and capital raising
• Acting for buyer of cranberry farm and related farming operations
• Acting for developer in connection with development of heritage property and related heritage incentive matters including density transfers