Partner

Brigitte Gauthier is a partner in the Financing and Financial Services group. She advises Canadian and foreign financial institutions, institutional investors and other lenders, as well as borrowers in various industries on all aspects of debt financing, including syndicated loans, real estate financing, project financing, securitization and banking law.

Education

• LL.B., Université de Montréal, 1995

Ms. Gauthier has the experience to handle large and complex transactions for her clients in areas related to financing, including real estate and corporate law. She also acts regularly for various investment funds with respect to debt financing and advises several investors on implementing hybrid financing structures (debt and equity) for various projects, including real estate projects.

In addition, she has been representing one of Canada’s largest charitable foundations for several years and has handled numerous investment transactions, strategic partnerships and donations on its behalf.

Representative mandates

• Senior legal advisor to the agent and lenders in a $210-million syndicated financing to a manufacturing company seeking to acquire a new subsidiary
• Senior legal advisor to U.S., Canadian and Caymanian investment funds in establishing credit facilities totalling more than US$525 million to provide interim financing for capital requirements and to support investments in various infrastructure and other projects
• Legal advisor to various banks in various bilateral financings, including:
  • $50 million financing made available to a Quebec manufacturer and its Canadian and American subsidiaries for various acquisitions
  • $35 million financing made available to an agri-food company in the context of various acquisitions
• Senior legal advisor to a group of investors and lenders in connection with a syndicate structure offering loans totalling $151 million to be made available to cooperatives, non-profit organizations and housing authorities to build or renovate affordable housing
• Senior legal advisor to an institutional investor in setting up various unsecured loans for small businesses
• Senior legal advisor to an institutional investor in the joint financing of a not-for-profit organization to finance the implementation of a network of fast charging stations for electric cars in Quebec and the Maritime provinces
• Senior legal advisor to one of the investors and secured mezzanine lender in the hybrid financing (debt and equity) of various construction projects for seniors’ residences
• Legal advisor for the Province of Quebec for the financial services divisions of major automobile manufacturers and mortgage lenders in the securitization of their receivables and the implementation of asset-based credit facilities
• Legal advisor to a biogas cogeneration plant operator in setting up real estate agreements to create a hot water distribution network
• Legal advisor to one of the investors in a wind farm operator in negotiations related to the operator’s syndicated financing and the granting of security interest by the investor
• Senior legal advisor to a majority lender to finance the purchase of a real estate portfolio
• Senior legal advisor to a lender in establishing credit facilities in favour of a professional sports team and its operators, including the taking of securities over sports facilities and an emphyteutic lease

• 2021 CLLD

• English title
• Securing debts in Quebec: Important changes to consider
• Cash flow management by investment fund managers: considerations when setting up subscription credit facilities
• Advertising, loyalty programs and consumer credit: what’s new and what’s coming up
• The borrower-lender relationship: Why and how to nurture it during the crisis?
• Ten things you should know about the amendments to Quebec’s Charter of the French language