Richard Higa > McCarthy Tétrault > Toronto, Canada > Lawyer Profile

McCarthy Tétrault houses a dominant transactional finance practice, which routinely advises banks and corporate borrowers across a comprehensive range of acquisition financings, asset-based lending, cross-border transactions and structured finance deals, among other matters. Richard Higa is highly regarded for transactional work, where he is recognized for his close bank-side relationships. Higa recently acted for the administrative agent (Toronto Dominion Bank) and the co-lead arrangers (Scotiabank, TD Securities, BofA Securities, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and RBC Capital Markets) on a C$4bn revolving term credit facility to Rogers Communications Canada. Other transactional specialists include Montreal-based counsel Michel Deschamps, who is additionally well versed in regulatory matters; Gordon Baird, who is particularly active in the power and infrastructure spheres; Justin Lapedus, who maintains a broad transactional practice; and Ian Mak, whose focus spans banking, finance and private equity. The firm also fields a significant regulatory offering, with Hartley Lefton recommended for his advice to banks as well as fintech and insurtech companies. Christine Lonsdale is also noted for regulatory work, while Marc MacMullin is recommended for debt capital markets — both co-head the financial services department together with Lapedus. In November 2023, structured finance and derivatives specialist François Gilbert joined in Montreal from Stikeman Elliott LLP. In May 2024, regulatory partner Ana Badour left to join EQ Bank.