Simon is a corporate lawyer and is shortlisted by every major Canadian and international legal guide, including Chambers Global, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Euromoney Expert Guide and Best Lawyers in Canada as one of Canada's leaders in real estate law.
He has acted on some of Canada's largest dollar value real estate transactions and on many of the country's landmark commercial, retail, sports and entertainment and residential projects.
Simon was featured in the September 2014 issue of Lexpert magazine as lead real estate advisor to a consortium in respect of 2013's largest commercial real estate transaction, the acquisition of all Primaris Real Estate Investment Trust properties. In 2012 he acted as counsel to the purchaser of a $2-billion industrial real estate portfolio comprised of more than 400 properties. More recently, he was the lead real estate advisor to a significant landlord group in connection with the insolvency proceedings related to Target Canada, the largest Canadian retail insolvency in recent history.
Simon advises many of Canada's most sophisticated real estate investors on private equity matters, fund formation, joint ventures, income trusts, the purchase and sale of real estate assets and real estate companies, property development, banking and mortgage lending, structured finance and asset securitization, corporate finance, mezzanine and participating debt structures, infrastructure, public/private partnerships, pension fund real estate investment, senior living facilities, mortgage and loan servicing and enforcement, and on real estate issues in bankruptcy and insolvency.
In recent years, Simon has acted as senior advisor on some of the more notable new development financings in Toronto, including Cumberland Terrace, the Bay-Adelaide Centre, the Trump Tower, and the 75-storey Aura condominium project, which is currently the tallest residential building in Canada. Across the country, Simon has also acted on large portfolio transactions, including the acquisition and financing of ING's industrial portfolio and the privatization of both Atlas Cold Storage and Versacold.
Complementing Simon's real estate practice is extensive deal experience in public/private partnerships, the creation of pension-fund eligible investments, and the financing of regulated facilities such as gaming, infrastructure healthcare and long-term care projects. In addition, Simon has acted for government or quasi-government interests, including most notably, as advisor to Waterfront Toronto in connection with the development of Toronto's waterfront lands.
Simon has represented clients in the financing or sale of a significant number of Canada's landmark commercial, entertainment and retail properties, including Toronto's 2 Bloor and Cumberland Terrace, Bay Adelaide Center, Trump Tower, Primaris Shopping Centre portfolio, Scotia Plaza, Brookfield Place, TD Centre and First Canadian Place, Montreal's Eaton Centre, Ottawa's Rideau Centre, Saskatchewan's Midtown Plaza and Calgary's Scotia Plaza and Palliser Square. Simon has also represented lenders or purchasers in connection with various sports and recreation facilities including in connection with the 2010 Olympic games, Toronto's Ricoh Centre and Niagara Falls Casino.
Simon is called upon regularly to write, speak on or moderate panels on matters of commercial real estate and real estate investment in Canada or by Canadian investors abroad.