Kori Williams is a partner in the Banking & Specialty Finance Group at Cassels. Kori possesses strong and established knowledge and experience in a wide range of financing and debt transactions with a particular emphasis on acting for borrowers and lenders in various financing matters including bilateral and syndicated lending, asset-based lending, acquisition financings, franchise financings, cross-border financings, project financings, renewable energy projects, mezzanine financings, inter-creditor arrangements, and real estate financings. Kori has been recognized as a leader in his field by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Best Lawyers in Canada since 2019.
Kori acts for a number of financial institutions as well as other public and private entities in the financial services, resource, manufacturing, energy, and retail industries.
Kori’s representative work includes:
- Bank of Montreal: Advising the Bank as administrative agent for a syndicate of lenders to Element Financial Corporation and Element Financial (US) Corp in a US$8.5 billion amended and restated senior secured credit facility to finance the acquisition of fleet assets in the United States, Australia and New Zealand from General Electric Capital Corporation.
- Bank of Montreal: Advising the Bank, as lead arranger and administrative agent, in connection with the establishment of syndicated credit facilities for Constellation Software Inc., a Canadian public company with worldwide operations, including a US$300 million operating facility and a US$350 million bridge acquisition facility to assist the borrower in acquiring Total Specific Solutions (TSS) B.V., a Netherlands company.
- Bank of Montreal: Advising the bank as administrative agent for a syndicate of lenders to Element Financial Corporation and Element Financial (US) Corp in a US$8.5 billion amended and restated senior secured credit facility to finance the acquisition of fleet assets in the United States, Australia and New Zealand from General Electric Capital Corporation.
- Canadian Chartered Bank: Acting as counsel to the administrative agent and the lenders in connection with the C$215 million project financing for the development, construction, ownership and operation of the 58.32 MW Bow Lake wind power project. The Bow Lake wind power project is owned by a limited partnership with the Batchewana First Nation and BluEarth Renewables as limited partners and currently represents the largest economic partnership between a First Nation and a wind energy developer in Canada.
- Canadian Chartered Bank: Advising the Agent on an approximately C$300 million syndicated credit facility in favour of one of Canada’s largest waste disposal companies.
- Canadian Chartered Bank: Advising the Bank in connection with C$70 million franchise finance facilities for one of North America’s largest franchisees of fast casual restaurants.
- Confidential client: Acting as counsel to the lending syndicate on Element Financial Corporation’s US$585 million senior syndicated revolving credit facility and a US$600 million syndicated bridge credit facility to support the acquisition of leased railcars and the acquisition of a leased helicopter portfolio from GE Capital. These transactions are part of Element Financial’s US$2-billion vendor finance program with Trinity Industries.
- Element Financial Corporation: Acting as counsel to the lenders in a C$1.5 billion amended and restated senior credit facility related to the acquisition of PHH Arval, PHH Corporation’s North American fleet management services business.
- MUFG Union Bank, N.A., Union Bank – Canada Branch and SMBC: Advising the agent and a syndicate of lenders on a C$121 million project financing to be used for the development, construction, ownership and operation of a 40 MW wind power energy generation facility of Grand Valley 2 Limited Partnership in Ontario.
- National Bank of Canada: Acting as counsel to the administrative agent and the lenders providing credit facilities in the aggregate amount of C$215 million for the development, construction and commissioning of 4 solar projects in Ontario totaling 38.5 MW. The financing is also to be used in connection with the subsequent acquisition of the solar projects by BluEarth Renewables Inc. from CSI Solar Project 16 Inc.
Prior to joining Cassels, Kori was a partner in the Toronto office of a global firm.
