Robert Schwartz

Executive Summary

Robert has extensive experience in a broad spectrum of real estate-based transactions, with an emphasis on complex and challenging matters. He acts on commercial, industrial and multi-residential acquisitions and sales; all forms of financings, including mezzanine, construction and permanent mortgage lending and equity participation for borrowers and lenders; complex joint ventures; construction and lease-back transactions; condominium development; non-profit housing development; life lease transactions; and commercial leasing for landlords and tenants. He also has particular expertise in structuring transactions that involve the disposition and acquisition of partially developed commercial properties, in which the sellers continue to develop, operate and manage the properties. He has also been involved in many transactions that involve portfolios of properties across the country.

Expertise

• Business and Corporate Commercial
• Commercial Real Estate

Representative Work

• Acted for asset manager on the acquisition and financings of 2 major shopping centres in Alberta and Ontario, including contractual obligation to build out to completion
• Acted for developer on the acquisition and financing and joint venture involving a major condominium site in downtown Toronto
• Acted for landowner on joint venture and financings of multi-phased condominium project in Toronto consisting of over 2,600 units
• Acted for landowner on joint venture and financings of condominium project in midtown Toronto, involving the negotiation of a reciprocal easement and cost sharing agreement among the residential, retail and rental replacement components
• Acted for developer on a partnership involving an office and residential condominium project in downtown Toronto
• Acted for landowner on the negotiation and sale of re-development site in midtown Toronto to leading developer
• Acted for developer on joint venture and sale and build out of shopping commercial/retail plaza in Stoney Creek
• Acted for developer on acquisition, partnership and financing of major condominium re-development site in downtown Toronto
• Acted for U.S. public company on negotiation of the disposition of a contaminated site
• Acted for non-profit group in dispute involving land use rights flowing from land lease
• Acted for asset manager on severance and sale of a surplus parcel of land formerly comprising part of shopping centre and subsequent sale of the shopping centre, including negotiation of reciprocal operating agreement
• Acted for asset manager/pension funds on the acquisition and disposition of a major commercial/retail centre in Nova Scotia
• Acted for a developer in the negotiation of the purchase of a major condominium assembled site in Toronto
• Acted for joint venture partner on sale of part of their interest in apartment building portfolio to major pension fund
• Negotiated a property management agreement with a condominium corporation for a large branded condominium project in Toronto
• Acted for a group of property owners in the negotiation and sale of their lands for 
  re-development to a leading condominium developer in Toronto
• Acted for asset manager on the negotiation, remediation and sale of lands to a major U.S. big box retailer
• Acted for major international retailer in the negotiation of a flagship store lease in Toronto
• Acted for public company on the acquisition of a portfolio of 8 industrial properties in Nova Scotia
• Acted for asset manager/pension funds on the acquisition of a major commercial/retail centre in Nova Scotia
• Acted for asset manager/pension funds on the acquisition of a large commercial/retail/office complex in New Westminster, B.C.
• Acted for asset manager/pension fund on the acquisition of a 1.4 million square foot industrial property in Ontario
• Acted for public company on the acquisition and financing of a portfolio of 7 industrial properties in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec
• Acted for public company on the acquisition and financing of a portfolio of 4 industrial properties in Ontario
• Acted for asset manager/pension funds on the acquisition of a portfolio of 12 commercial retail properties in Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia
• Acted for property owner in the negotiation of an option to lease/lease to a power plant in Ontario
• Acted for property owner on the sale of a portfolio of 9 multi-residential buildings in Toronto
• Acted for property owners on the sale of a portfolio of heritage office buildings in Toronto, including the “Flatiron Building”
• Acted for asset manager/pension funds on disposition to a U.S. REIT and continuing development and lease-up of four major entertainment-based commercial/retail centres in Ontario
• Acted for pension fund on disposition of portfolio of commercial/industrial/office properties across Canada.

Lectures

• Instructor - Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, Real Estate Section (1988-2005)
• ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conference - Roundtable Speaker (2005-2023)
• Speaker, “Leverage: What You Need to Know about Financing for the Next Twelve Months”, Canadian Apartment Investment Conference (2016)
• Panelist and Presenter of “Life Cycle of a Lease”, ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conference (2014)
• Co-author (with Tamara Katz) of “Introduction to Sunset Issues-Terminating and Delivering Up Without Regret”, ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conference (2014)
• Co-Author and Presenter of “Hints from the Hinterland-Tread Carefully Outside of Ontario; things are different there!”, ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conference (2013)