Keith Burrell, K.C. is counsel in the Vancouver office practising in the Real Property & Planning Group. Since joining the firm in 1978, Keith has focused on commercial real estate matters.

Keith’s practice involves extensive work with major real estate developers, both local and offshore, as well as real estate investors seeking commercial income properties and providing subordinated debt facilities. Although he has experience in all aspects of real estate development, financing work and structuring workout arrangements, he has a particular expertise in representing developers of large residential and mixed use projects engaged in presale activity. His work in this area has been recognized and adopted by other real estate professionals in BC. Many of the projects with which Keith has been involved have been structured as partnerships or joint ventures of one form or another. As a result, he has developed extensive experience in preparing and negotiating documentation required for such transactions as well as ancillary management and other service agreements.

Keith’s recent experience includes:

• acting for the purchaser of the Bentall 5 Building, Vancouver (the largest single asset property purchase ever in Vancouver);
• acting for the subordinated lender in connection with the restructuring and recapitalization of the Evelyn Drive, West Vancouver project including related bankruptcy proceedings;
• acting for a co-owner in connection with the amalgamation of interests and ongoing co-ownership of a major Richmond shopping centre;
• acting for the construction lender in connection with the Vancouver 2010 Athletes Village project and on the subsequent sale of the loan;
• acting for the lender in numerous subordinated debt transactions;
• acting for the purchaser of a portfolio of five shopping centres;
• acting for the vendor on the sale and leaseback of a nine building portfolio;
• acting on the purchase and subsequent sale of the HSBC Bank Building, Vancouver;
• acting for the Province of British Columbia (represented by BCBC) in the limited tender and sale and leaseback of two office building for $64 million;
• acting for the purchasers of Semiahmoo Shopping Centre, West Oaks Mall, CanWest Shopping Centre and Kingsgate Mall;
• acting for the vendor of Vancouver Island Technology Park;
• acting for the vendor of Hillside Shopping Centre;
• acting for the purchaser of a two building office and retail complex in downtown Vancouver;
• representing the purchaser in the turnkey purchase of the Metropolitan Towers (Vancouver) residential complex;
• acting for the developer of the Resort on Blackcomb from its inception;
• structuring the local and offshore presales of in excess of 7,500 residential units (many with joint venture or partnership structures);
• acting for the purchaser of the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria; and
• representing the developer of the Four Seasons Whistler Resort.

Keith attended the University of British Columbia and obtained a B.Comm with an Urban Land Economics option in 1977 and an LLB in 1978.

Keith has been an active member of the Urban Development Institute including serving on the Institute’s Board of Directors from 1991 to 1993. He is also a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Law Society of British Columbia. He was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2005.