Heenan Blaikie strengthens its national Infrastructure/PPP and Construction
practices

TORONTO and MONTREAL , Oct. 8 /CNW/ - Heenan Blaikie has been busy this summer adding depth and bench strength to its national Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships Practice Group and Construction Practice Group. Four senior lawyers have joined the groups in recent months, Geza Banfai, Joel Watson , and Howard Krupat in Toronto and Roger Stuart in Montreal . They join a team of more than 30 lawyers in Quebec , Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta who provide advice on all aspects of infrastructure projects including public-private partnerships, project development, financing, construction, energy, government relations, procurement, litigation, labour and general corporate matters.

Infrastructure and other major projects demand highly integrated, multidisciplinary legal teams. In step with the rapid changes in these industries, Heenan Blaikie has assembled a focused team of professionals with unique skills. Whether it is the development of energy projects, hospitals and other health-related projects or highways, Heenan Blaikie's ability to provide cradle-to-grave legal and business services is now among the strongest in the country.

Ilan Dunsky and Michael Ledgett, Co-Chairs of the Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnership Practice referred to a longer-term strategy to build up the national service capabilities of the Group. "The addition of four new senior lawyers in Toronto and Montreal enhances our leadership in the infrastructure space and adds considerably to our project development and financing capabilities."

    
    Each of these new lawyers comes to the firm with a wealth of
infrastructure experience:

    -   Geza Banfai is listed in Best Lawyers in Canada and is certified by
        the Law Society of Upper Canada as a specialist in Construction Law.
        He has extensive experience in front-end contract formation matters,
        including integrated teaming arrangements and P3 mandates involving
        projects in British Columbia and Ontario, as well as handling major
        contract and lien disputes for both national and multinational
        giants.

    -   Joel Watson also acts both as a front-end advisor on the procurement,
        development and construction of commercial, industrial and government
        projects, and as a seasoned litigator with experience in large
        financing and construction disputes.

    -   Roger Stuart joined Heenan Blaikie after having served as associate
        general counsel in London in the infrastructure group of Financial
        Security Assurance (FSA), a monoline financial guarantee company. He
        has been involved in a wide array of infrastructure and public
        private partnership transactions in the United Kingdom, throughout
        Europe and all over the world.

    -   Howard Krupat specializes in litigation, particularly involving
        construction, architectural, and engineering claims and disputes. He
        also has extensive experience providing front end advice on
        construction contracts.
    

About Heenan Blaikie LLP

Heenan Blaikie is one of Canada's top national law firms with more than 500 lawyers and professionals across Canada and in Paris and Singapore . We deliver strategic legal advice and innovative business solutions in business, labour and employment, litigation, tax, intellectual property, and entertainment law. Our clients range from Canada's largest firms to start-ups, public institutions and government bodies, and multinational and international clients.

For further information: Karyn McLean, Marketing and Communications, Heenan Blaikie, T [phone], F [phone], [email protected]; Marie Remillard, Marketing and Communications, Heenan Blaikie, T [phone], F [phone], [email protected]