Cassels

Canadian Corporate Law Firm

Osgoode Hall Law School

Stephanie Roberts

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Stephanie Roberts is a partner in the Intellectual Property Group at Cassels. Stephanie is also a Registered Trademark Agent. Her practice includes various aspects of intellectual property law and related areas, with a focus on trademarks. She provides opinions on the availability of new trademarks, prosecutes trademark applications, conducts opposition and cancellation proceedings before the Trademarks Opposition Board and advises clients on protection and enforcement strategies. Stephanie regularly assists and advises clients on matters relating to copyright, licensing, domain name disputes, as well as on a range of corporate, commercial and contractual matters. She also has experience advising clients on compliance with various regulatory requirements, including alcohol labelling and licensing, advertising and marketing, and product packaging and standards. Stephanie also advises clients and has experience assisting in a variety of litigation matters.

Stephanie was the recipient of the Newton-Rowell Entrance Scholarship and the Charles Edward Woodrow Award for academic achievement from Osgoode Hall Law School. Stephanie also received the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada’s Educational Foundation Prize for achieving the highest overall mark in the 2014 Trademark Agent Examination.

While attending law school, Stephanie developed not only her advocacy skills, but also a client-centered approach to the practice of law. As a member of IP Osgoode, she acted as a Fellow for the IP Osgoode Innovation Clinic, providing pro bono services to assist startup companies to protect their intellectual property. She also volunteered with Osgoode’s Community and Legal Aid Services Program (CLASP) and Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS). Stephanie was also a member of the Cassels team that partnered with OCAD University’s Imagination Catalyst incubator program. Prior to joining Cassels, Stephanie practiced at a boutique IP firm. Away from the office, Stephanie enjoys travelling and exploring Toronto’s great restaurants.

Meghan Rourke

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Meghan Rourke is an associate in the Litigation Group at Cassels. Meghan has a broad corporate and commercial litigation practice and offers experience in a variety of areas including class actions, product liability and contract disputes. Meghan also advises clients on a variety of regulatory matters, including matters before the Canada Energy Regulator. Before joining Cassels as an associate, Meghan summered and articled with the firm.

Meghan completed her J.D. at Osgoode Hall Law School. During her time at Osgoode, she served as the Dean’s Fellow for Professor Jamie Cameron’s first year criminal law class and acted as a Research Assistant. She also ran sessions in elementary and high schools on the law of consent for the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). In the fall of 2016, Meghan spent a semester in Scotland at Strathclyde University.

Prior to law school, Meghan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Justice Studies with a minor in Legal Studies (with Highest Distinction) from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. During her undergraduate studies, she acted as a Research Assistant to two professors and served as President of the Student Law Association.

Andrew Salem

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Andrew Salem* is a partner in the Real Estate & Development Group at Cassels. Andrew practices in the areas of commercial real estate, property development and commercial leasing. He represents clients on all aspects of real property purchases and sales and financing transactions, with a specialization in transactions relating to development projects. He also has a very active commercial leasing practice, acting for both landlords and tenants on all types of leasing transactions. Andrew has acted for a wide range of clients, including property developers and investors, federal and provincial government agencies, municipalities, universities, financial institutions, restaurant and retail chains, energy companies, large manufacturers, railways and many others.

Andrew’s representative experience includes:

Purchases, Sales, Financing and Joint Ventures

  • Acting for property owners and developers on all aspects of commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions and financing transactions
  • Acting for developers of multi-phase and mixed-use projects, including land assembly, financing, municipal agreements, Land Titles Act applications, joint venture/co-ownership agreements and management agreements
  • Representing clients on all aspects of joint venture arrangements and agreements for the ownership and development of property
  • Acting for owners and developers in connection with development management agreements, cost sharing agreements, reciprocal easements and municipal agreements
  • Advising on land transfer tax aspects of commercial real estate transactions

Commercial Leasing 

  • Representing landlords and tenants on commercial lease transactions (including letters of intent, offers to lease, leases and related agreements) for retail and shopping centre sites, including construction and development aspects for new-build lease transactions
  • Acting on ground leases and subleases for mixed-use development projects
  • Acting for landlords and tenants in connection with leases, subleases and related agreements for hotel sites and sports and entertainment complexes
  • Acting for universities (as both landlord and tenant) in connection with leasing and licensing matters for office, retail, institutional and laboratory-related uses
  • Advising on lease-related matters arising from COVID-19 impacts, including rent deferral agreements, rent reduction agreements and applicable legislative changes and government assistance programs

*Services provided through a Professional Corporation

Derek Ronde

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Derek Ronde is a partner in the Litigation Group at Cassels and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Class Actions Group. Derek has a wide-ranging corporate-commercial litigation practice. He has significant experience in a multitude of areas including class proceedings, franchise litigation, product liability, securities litigation, employment litigation, contract disputes, regulatory investigations, injunctions and other commercial litigation practice areas. He is recognized as a leader in his field by such authorities as the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Best Lawyers in Canada, and Chambers Canada which notes that “clients find him ‘quite thoughtful and practical’ and ‘strong and persuasive in court.’ ”

His experience includes acting for:

  • A Canadian franchisor in the successful defence of a $100 million class action over rebates brought by franchisees
  • Corporate defendants on a variety of class proceedings
  • A minority shareholder in the successful challenge to a multi-billion-dollar plan of arrangement
  • An international consulting firm in a variety of regulatory-related matters and class proceedings
  • A Canadian manufacturing company in a variety of dealership actions and arbitrations

Stefan Politano

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Stefan Politano is a partner in the Capital Markets Group at Cassels. Stefan’s practice focuses on corporate and securities transactions including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, reverse takeovers, private placements and public offerings of equity and debt securities. He also assists clients with the preparation and negotiation of commercial agreements and corporate documents. In addition, Stefan advises directors, management and shareholders in the context of day-to-day corporate governance matters, securities regulatory compliance, continuous disclosure obligations of public issuers and management fiduciary duties.

Stefan completed his J.D. at Osgoode Hall Law School in 2016. Prior to law school, Stefan obtained his Bachelor of Commerce degree in Business Management from the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University.

Alexander Pizale

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Alexander (Alex) Pizale* (he/him/his) is a partner in the Capital Markets Group at Cassels, and serves as Co-Chair of the firm’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Group. Alex practices corporate and securities law with a focus on mining law and related commercial transactions, including expertise with streaming, option and joint venture arrangements.  He also has extensive experience in advising issuers with respect to National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.  In addition to mining, he represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including real estate, cannabis, technology, blockchain and cryptocurrency. He acts as counsel to clients at all stages, from private startups to large cap public companies and investment banks in a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions, including business combinations, take-over bids, corporate finance and stock exchange listings. He also advises issuers with respect to general corporate and securities law matters, including commercial agreements, continuous disclosure (including ESG), compensation plans, corporate governance, and stock exchange-related matters. For this work, Alex is recognized as a leader in his field by Lexpert.

Select merger and acquisition transactions include acting for:

  • Yamana Gold Inc. in its US$1 billion sale of its Chapada mine to Lundin Mining Corp.
  • Lundin Mining Corporation in its US$1.8 billion acquisition of the Candelaria Mining complex; and its $648 million gold and silver stream transaction with Franco-Nevada Corporation
  • Hecla Mining Company in its $796 million acquisition of Aurizon Mines Ltd.
  • Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. in its US$500 million acquisition of a gold and palladium stream from Sibanye Gold Limited’s Stillwater mining complex in Montana; its new precious metals purchase agreement with First Majestic Silver Corp. on the San Dimas mine following the completion of the plan of arrangement whereby First Majestic acquired Primero Mining Corp.; and its US$390 million acquisition of a cobalt stream from Vale S.A.’s Voisey’s Bay mine
  • Yamana Gold Inc. in its metal purchase agreements with Sandstorm Gold Ltd. providing for an advance payment of $148 million; and its copper purchase agreements with Altius Minerals Corporation providing for an advance payment of $60 million

*Services provided through a Professional Corporation