Robert Schwartz

Robert has extensive experience in a broad spectrum of real estate-based transactions. He acts on commercial, industrial and multi-residential acquisitions and sales; structuring, and negotiating joint ventures/partnerships involving all types of real estate, including condominium and shopping centre developments; all forms of financing including mezzanine, construction and permanent mortgage lending and equity participation for borrowers and lenders; construction and lease-back transactions; 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

Representative work

• 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 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
• 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 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 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

Lectures

• Co-Author and Presenter (with Tamara Katz) of “Wrong “Quisitions”, Right “Quisitions”: All Things Requisitions – Drafting and Response”, 23^rd Real Estate Law Summit, Law Society of Ontario (2026)
• Co-Author and Presenter (with Tamara Katz) of “Co-Ownership of Property”, 22^nd Real Estate Law Summit, Law Society of Ontario (2025)
• Co-Author and Presenter (with Tamara Katz) of “Commercial Agreements of Purchase and Sale”, 21st Real Estate Law Summit, Law Society of Ontario (2024)
• ICSC Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conference – Roundtable Speaker (2005-2025)
• 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)
• Instructor – Law Society of Upper Canada, Bar Admission Course, Real Estate Section (1988-2005)