BIO

Neil’s practice involves all aspects of commercial real estate, including the acquisition, financing, leasing, development and sale of residential, industrial, office and retail properties for local, national and offshore clients.

Neil has extensive experience advising clients at all stages of the development process – from rezoning through to building occupancy. He has worked on a number of complex phased and mixed-use developments for some of the Lower Mainland’s leading residential and commercial real estate developers.

Neil is the former chair of the Vancouver Real Property Section of the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association and is a contributing author to the BC Real Estate Practice Manual. He is a member of the Legal Update Commercial advisory group for the British Columbia Real Estate Association.

Neil’s recent work and projects

• Negotiating, drafting and reviewing purchase agreements (involving land, share and asset transactions) and acting for vendors and purchasers of office buildings, shopping centres and industrial properties in the Greater Vancouver area.
• Acting for commercial landlords and tenants in the negotiation, drafting and review of leases for various office, industrial, retail, warehouse and strata premises, including negotiating anchor tenant leases. He currently acts as leasing counsel for two national retail tenants.
• Acting for large developers of multi-family residential developments in the Lower Mainland, the Okanagan and on Vancouver Island, including phased and mixed-use developments.
• Advising clients on appropriate structures for real estate transactions, including joint ventures, limited partnerships and co-ownerships.
• Negotiating, drafting and reviewing acquisition and construction financing documents.
• Providing advice on large infrastructure projects, including advising the project management team on real estate matters relating to the Waterfront, Vancouver City Centre and Yaletown Canada Line Stations.
• Acting for owners of retail liquor stores, pubs and restaurants.
• Providing strategic advice to clients involved in shareholder disputes involving real estate assets, including retail liquor stores and a mortgage company.
• Providing real estate advice in commercial restructuring and receivership matters, including the Olympic Village receivership and Bear Mountain Resort.