Ira Berg is a partner at Goodmans. His practice focuses on commercial real estate and property development law.
Commercial Real Estate
Ira's practice covers all aspects of commercial real estate acting for owners, developers, landlords, tenants, purchasers and vendors and involves the planning, drafting and negotiating of a wide range of commercial real estate contracts and agreements.
Real Estate Finance
Ira has extensive experience in complex real estate financing transactions, acting for borrowers, syndicates, banks and trust companies.
Public/Private Infrastructure Projects
Ira has extensive experience in public/private infrastructure projects. Ira along with another senior partner at Goodmans lead the legal team for the private sector development of the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Athletes' Village project. He was one of three principal lawyers at Goodmans involved in the structuring, negotiation and documentation, on behalf of the Province of Ontario, of the C$1 billion toll road project known as Highway 407 which is the first all electronic toll road in the world. Ira was also involved in the privatization and sale of Highway 407 which was completed for $3.107 billion. In addition, Ira was extensively involved in the design/build transaction for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation on the Queen Elizabeth Way widening as well as one of the principal lawyers at Goodmans involved in the structuring, negotiation and documentation, on behalf of the Province of New Brunswick, of the Fredericton-Moncton toll highway project. He was one of the two principal lawyers retained by Infrastructure Ontario and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in connection with the design, build, finance, operate and maintain project for the 23 service centres located on Highways 400 and 401 in the Province of Ontario. He developed the precedent agreements used by Infrastructure Ontario for build finance and transit projects in Ontario. Ira is currently acting on behalf of the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation in connection with various infrastructure projects being undertaken by the Corporation.
Ira has lectured at the Young Lawyers Division of the Canadian Bar Association and has taught the Real Estate Section of the Ontario Law Society Bar Admission course.
Ira is recognized as a leading lawyer in the area of real estate by Euromoney's Guide to the World Leading Lawyers, Best Lawyers in Canada and Chambers Global, in the area of project finance by IFLR 1000, and in the area of construction by PLC's Which Lawyer? and the PLC Cross-Border Construction and Projects Handbook. Ira was recognized as a leading infrastructure lawyer in the September 2012 Lexpert Special Edition on Canada's Leading Infrastructure Lawyers in the Globe & Mail's Report on Business Magazine.
Professional Affiliations
Law Society of Upper Canada
Canadian Bar Association
Ontario Bar Association
The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships