Bennett Jones
Craig Garbe is an experienced corporate and commercial lawyer with a focus on transactions related to commercial real estate. He acts for a number of investment funds, real estate investment trusts, lenders, and institutional investors on some of the largest acquisitions, dispositions, co-ownerships, financings, joint ventures, and development projects in the country. Craig has been recognized numerous times in Lexpert magazine, including for his representation of one of the joint acquisition purchasers of the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, his role in the structuring and implementation of the $3.9-billion acquisition of Osisko Gold Corporation by Yamana Gold Inc. and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd., and his involvement in the $4.5-billion acquisition and plan of arrangement between H&R Real Estate Investment Trust, Primaris Retail Real Estate Investment Trust, KingSett Capital Inc., the Ontario Pension Board, and RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust.
Craig regularly acts in connection with development and public private partnership transactions for infrastructure, housing, and health care projects in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. Most notably, Craig acted for the developers of the Providence Care Hospital Project in Kingston, Ontario and the renewal initiative for single room occupancy residences in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Craig also provides advice to clients in respect of gaming and casino law, and has acted for a number of proponents participating in the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation's Modernizing Land Based Gaming initiative.
In addition to Craig's experience with financing, acquiring, and selling real property, he also counsels clients in respect of complex land transfer tax and structuring issues, regularly acts for both landlords and tenants in commercial leasing matters, and has worked with both lending and borrowing clients to complete significant offerings of commercial mortgage bonds.
Craig is a member of the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, and the American Bar Association.