James Papadimitriou is a partner in the Montréal office, with a practice focused on real estate and financial services. He also has an active leadership in the firm's Real Property & Planning Group and acts as the Group's lead for the Québec region.
Mr. Papadimitriou advises clients on a variety of real estate acquisitions, developments, joint ventures, commercial lending transactions, real estate financings, project financings and commercial leasing transactions. He also regularly represents Canadian chartered banks and other retail operators on commercial leasing matters, and acts for landlords on leasing matters.
Mr. Papadimitriou is recognized internationally for his expertise, including in Chambers Global 2011 (as a "very efficient lawyer" and a "solid choice for acquisitions, developments and project financing") and 2012 edition (lauded as "a real problem solver, he looks to get the deal done"); Best Lawyers in Canada since 2008 (in asset-based lending and equipment finance as well as in real estate fields); LBR's The International Who's Who of Real Estate Lawyers 2011; The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (as a repeatedly recommended lawyer in asset equipment finance/leasing); and PLC's Cross-Border Corporate Real Estate Handbook 2010/11 (as a recommended practitioner in corporate real estate). He is also highly rated in Martindale-Hubbell. Mr. Papadimitriou speaks regularly at conferences and on panels for the real estate sector, and is frequently cited in the media.
Mr. Papadimitriou has practised at two other major Montréal law firms and has been in-house counsel with a major international transportation company. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Finance and Leasing Association, the Urban Development Institute and the International Council of Shopping Centres. He is also a trustee of the Jewish General Hospital Foundation and member of its governance committee.
Mr. Papadimitriou received his B.C.L./LL.B. from McGill University in 1987 and his BComm from McGill University in 1983. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1997 and to the Québec Bar in 1988.