Six MLT Aikins lawyers named in Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency & Restructuring 2024

This year, six MLT Aikins partners have been recognized as leading lawyers in the Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency & Restructuring 2024.

This new Lexpert Special Edition features Lexpert-ranked lawyers who practice corporate restructuring and insolvencies. It also features editorial articles discussing market trends in insolvency and restructuring as well as legislative developments and significant cases. Congratulations to the following MLT Aikins lawyers:

J.J. Burnell

Based in Winnipeg, J.J. practices in the area of corporate recovery and insolvency law. J.J. provides advice regarding corporate recovery strategies, debt restructuring, arrangements under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, proposals under the Bankruptcy Insolvency Act, loans, loan recovery and enforcement, liquidations, shareholder, director and employee issues, lender liability, farm enforcement including in respect of the Farm Debt Mediation Act (Canada) and mediations thereunder and applications under The Family Farm Protection Act (Manitoba) and The Farm Machinery and Equipment Act (Manitoba), as well as bankruptcy and receivership generally. She advises corporations, banks, secondary lenders, venture capital firms, monitors, receivers, trustees, shareholders, creditors and debtors.

Alain J. Gaucher, K.C.

Alain is a leading lawyer with extensive experience in the areas of personal and business succession planning, high net worth estate planning, corporate tax and shareholder agreements. Based in Saskatoon, Alain works with a broad client base of individuals, small- to medium-sized enterprises and large corporations to produce business structures and processes that are as tax efficient as possible. He has extensive experience with provincial, national and international tax issues, and also provides tax litigation advice in disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency. Alain has more than 40 years of experience, including previously being Chair of MLT Aikins. He has encountered most corporate and shareholding succession planning issues that can arise and can bring them to bear on planning objectives the client wants to achieve.

Jeff Lee, K.C., FCPA, FCA

Based in Saskatoon, Jeff represents companies in financial distress, lenders and court officers in restructuring and insolvency proceedings across Western Canada. Jeff’s insolvency experience includes assignments in the manufacturing, energy, aviation, real estate, agribusiness, hospitality, transportation, telecommunications, fish processing, construction, forest products, mining and pulp and paper industries. In his commercial litigation practice, Jeff represents parties involved in shareholder disputes, banking litigation, landlord-tenant matters and builders’ lien litigation. He has appeared before Superior Courts in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and New Brunswick, Appellate Courts in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and before the Federal Court, Tax Court and Supreme Court of Canada.

Paul Olfert

Paul provides practical restructuring, dispute resolution, and secured realization solutions to businesses, lenders, insolvency professionals and individuals. Based in Saskatoon, Paul’s experience includes commercial insolvency proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act (Canada), as well as receivership proceedings and commercial foreclosures. His focus on agricultural insolvency proceedings in Saskatchewan has given him detailed knowledge of the special realization procedures in the Saskatchewan Farm Security Act relating to farm land and other agricultural assets. Paul appears regularly before the Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench and has argued matters before the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, the Saskatchewan Director of Corporations and the Saskatchewan Registrar of Titles.

Todd M. Rosenberg, K.C.

Todd advises corporations, partnerships, pensions and individuals on tax efficient ownership structures, real estate transactions, tax loss utilization transactions, complex trust and estate planning, and the tax implications of mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, financing and corporate restructuring. Based in Saskatoon, Todd has extensive experience in planning ownership structures, acquisitions, divestitures and corporate restructuring for public and private corporations, including tax-exempt and pension corporation entities. He also deals extensively with provincial, national and international tax issues, and provides tax litigation advice on disputes with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Ryan Zahara

Based in Calgary, Ryan practises primarily in the area of insolvency and restructuring. Over his career, Ryan has been involved in numerous restructuring proceedings under the Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act. He regularly acts on behalf of secured lenders, debtors, creditors and Court-appointed officers in insolvency proceedings, including receivers, monitors and trustees. Ryan represents clients from a wide range of industries including agricultural, retail, real estate, mining, oil and gas and manufacturing.. Ryan appears regularly before the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta and the Alberta Court of Appeal and has appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also appeared before the Saskatchewan Court of King’s Bench, the Supreme Court of British Columbia and the Ontario Superior Court.

The lawyers were selected from the following Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 practice areas: Insolvency & Financial Restructuring and Corporate Tax. Also included are top-ranked lawyers in the following practice areas whom we have identified as having insolvency and restructuring experience: Banking & Financial Institutions; Corporate Commercial Law; and Litigation – Corporate Commercial.

MLT Aikins is proud of J.J., Alain, Jeff, Paul, Todd and Ryan for achieving this recognition. Learn more about our Insolvency & Restructuring practice.