About Gary

Gary’s practice is focused on business law, corporate finance, commercial real estate transactions and immigration law. Gary represents local, national and international clients in PEI in matters involving financings, mergers and acquisitions, foreign direct investments, startups, reorganizations, commercial real estate development, and business immigration law.

Gary has been consistently recognized as a leading lawyer in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for his practice in the areas of Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Finance & Securities and Property Development. He has also been listed in the 2018 Lexpert Special Edition on Canada’s Leading Corporate Lawyers published in The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine. Gary has also been ranked by Best Lawyers™ in Canada for his immigration law practice. Some of Gary’s recent significant transactional experience includes the following:

  • Acquisition of a district energy heating and cooling facility by a publicly traded company
  • Representing a publicly traded real estate investment trust in connection with its property development initiatives in PEI
  • Acquisition and financing of a PEI-based bioscience company by a multinational pharmaceutical company
  • Advising lenders on various international revolving credit private equity funds established under the limited partnership laws of PEI
  • Secured financing transaction for a company with operations in Atlantic Canada, involving borrowers and guarantors in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.

Gary is a member of the Law Society of Prince Edward Island, the Canadian Bar Association and the International Bar Association. He obtained his LL.B. from UNB Law School, and Masters in International Business Law from the London School of Economics. Gary is actively involved in his community, and has served on a number of community and charitable organizations, including:

  • Chair, Board of Governors, Law Foundation of PEI
  • PEI Branch Chair and National Executive Committee Member, Canadian Bar Association Immigration Law Section
  • President, Rotary Club of Charlottetown Literacy Foundation
  • Regional Ambassador, Atlantic Cancer Research Institute
  • Council Member, Law Society of PEI
  • Past Chair, Provincial Easter Seals Society Fundraising Campaign
  • Past Director, Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Past Director, PEI Division of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award – Young Canadians Challenge
  • Past Director, Music PEI
  • Past Director, Indian River Music Festival
  • Past Director, United Way of PEI
  • Past Member, PEI Division of the Canadian Red Cross Capital Campaign Cabinet

Awards & Recognitions

  • Repeatedly Recommended by The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory for Corporate Commercial Law (2023)
  • Repeatedly Recommended by The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory for Immigration Law (2023)
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® Canada for his practice in Immigration Law (since 2021).

Education

  • LL.M., London School of Economics (1993)
  • LL.B., University of New Brunswick (1992)
  • B.Sc. (Bio.), Bishop's University (1988)
  • Canadian Securities Course (honours) and Canadian Investment Manager Designation, Canadian Securities Institute (2004)

Bar Admissions

  • Nova Scotia (1994)
  • Prince Edward Island (1995)
  • New Brunswick (2018)

Languages

  • English