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Through her respected leadership, deep expertise and unwavering commitment to making a positive difference in the legal and business communities and in the community at large, Godyne has demonstrated how great projects can be delivered with collaborative teamwork, diverse teams and innovative solutions.
Godyne Sibay is Senior Strategic Advisor for McCarthy Tétrault LLP, focused on three areas: business development, talent development, particularly as it pertains to business development, and firm growth initiatives, working with other leaders at the firm. Previously, she was Regional Managing Partner (Ontario), a Senior Partner of the Real Property and Planning, Projects and Infrastructure Groups and a former member of the Board of Partners. With over 35 years of experience at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Godyne has played a leading role in the firm’s delivery of strategic and innovative legal and business solutions together with an exceptional service experience, drawing upon the firm’s tremendous capacity, expertise, industry experience scale and diversity of talent.
Godyne is a trusted legal and strategic advisor and her extensive experience in project development, public-private partnerships, private and public procurement, commercial real estate, leasing, acquisition, disposition and construction has allowed her to take a leadership role in an array of challenging and rewarding projects that contribute to and strengthen our cities and communities. Significant landmark infrastructure and development projects across Canada include numerous public-private partnerships and other projects involving hospitals, power, transportation, universities, hotels, forensic facilities, police facilities, entertainment venues, condominium, commercial, mixed use and professional sports facilities. Godyne is consistently recognized for her expertise and experience in leading legal directories including in Chambers Global and Chambers Canada, the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, International Who’s Who Legal, The Legal 500-Canada, the Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law, Martindale-Hubbell and Acritas Stars.
Godyne’s experience includes representing and advising:
Infrastructure Ontario, Metrolinx, Waterfront Toronto, hospitals and other public sector entities on multiple significant P3 transactions in Ontario both before and after financial close, including:
- legal counsel to Waterfront Toronto, Quayside Project, Toronto
- lead counsel to Infrastructure Ontario and St. Michael’s Hospital on the DBF new patient care tower
- lead counsel to Infrastructure Ontario and Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital on the DBF new hospital addition
- co-lead counsel to Infrastructure Ontario and Halton Healthcare Services on their PPP facility
- co-lead counsel to Infrastructure Ontario and Humber River Regional Services on their PPP facility
- co-lead counsel to Infrastructure Ontario and Seneca College on their King Street Campus expansion
- co-lead counsel to Infrastructure Ontario and The Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning on their Phase 2 development of the Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga
- co-lead counsel on the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Athletes Village PPP DBFM project for Infrastructure Ontario and the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Bid Corporation
- co-lead counsel for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health DBFM Projects (Phases 1B and 1C)
- legal advisor to Metrolinx on a proposed re-development of a west‑end GO Station, a designated mobility hub in Metrolinx’s regional transportation plan, The Big Move, including new station infrastructure
- co-lead counsel on the following closed PPP transactions for Build Finance and DBFM projects:
- Sault Area Hospital
- Credit Valley Hospital
- Toronto Rehab Hospital
- Kingston General Hospital
- Quinte Healthcare, Trillium Hospital
- Sudbury Regional Hospital, St. Joseph’s Healthcare
- Bridgepoint Hospital
- Ontario Forensic Science and Coroner’s complex
- Women’s College Hospital
- Oakville Trafalgar Hospital
- Hurontario Light Rail Transit (DBFOM)
- Ontario Provincial Police Modernization Project for Infrastructure Ontario (17 facilities) and their respective co-sponsors
- advised PPP Canada on a review of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario federal project agreements for development of a best practice guide for federal PPP project agreements
- counsel for the addition of the Cardinal Carter Wing, the infill expansion project for St. Michael’s Hospital
Crown agencies, cultural institutions and post-secondary education providers and other public sector entities on real property development, commercial and government funding transactions, including:
- lead counsel to The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall on the phased redevelopment and expansion of Massey Hall, the iconic Toronto landmark and a National Historic Site of Canada
- lead counsel to York University on the Toronto York Spadina Subway Extension at York University Keele Campus involving the construction of the subway tunnel, two large underground and at surface stations together with a regional bus terminal facility
- lead counsel for large scale development projects for York University, one of Canada's largest universities including:
- Extension of the Spadina subway line and stations at York University
- The Accolade Project
- York University Archives of Ontario
- Executive Learning Centre located at the Schulich School of Business
- Aviva Centre (home of Tennis Canada)
- Technology Enhanced Learning Building (project with Seneca College)
- York Lanes, York University’s shopping mall with a bookstore, drugstore, medical offices and other retail and office premises
- The Village at York University, the creation of a neighbourhood of nearly 900 residential units on the south side of the main campus of the University in co-ordination with a residential developer
- counsel to Artscape, on a pro bono basis, on the development of Wychwood Barns in Toronto, a project which received a Gold Lexpert Zenith Pro Bono Award
- lead counsel for Wilfrid Laurier University in respect of the acquisition and development of properties in Brantford including Market Square and the joint development with YMCA and their new campus in Milton
- lead counsel for The National Ballet School on the redevelopment of its Jarvis Street facilities including refurbishment of Northfield House, the original Havergal College. The project was awarded the 2008 Governor General's Medal for Architecture and the 2007 American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Architecture
Private sector developers, financiers and property owners in respect of all aspects of their real estate transactions, including:
- lead counsel for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. for the development, construction and leasing of OVO Athletic Centre (formerly the BioSteel Centre and the Toronto Raptors Training Centre) a basketball practice facility in the City of Toronto located on leased public land in Exhibition Place, near Dufferin Street and the Gardiner Expressway
- lead counsel for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. in its role as project developer under a project agreement with the City of Toronto for BMO Field and its expansion, a 20,000-seat soccer stadium and home for the Toronto FC, and the RFQ/RFP process for the selection and engagement of a design-build contractor and management arrangements of the facility with the City of Toronto
- lead counsel for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. in its procurement through a Competitive Dialogue process of the BMO Training Ground and the BMO Toronto FC Academy located in Downsview Park in Toronto, Ontario
- lead counsel for Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment Ltd. for the development, construction and leasing of the Ford Performance Centre, the first community centre to be built in the Toronto area in several decades and the practice facility for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Marlies and home to the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey School
- lead counsel for the original acquisition, development, construction and financing of Scotiabank Arena (formerly Air Canada Centre), home for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, and its expansion and redevelopment and its rebranding in 2018 to Scotiabank Arena
- counsel for the disposition of Maple Leaf Gardens, former home of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- lead counsel for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in its sale of seven Canadian hotels to Oxford Properties Group, the real estate division of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) including The Fairmont Banff Springs, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, The Fairmont Vancouver Airport, The Fairmont Le Château Montebello and The Fairmont Kenauk at Le Chateau Montebello
- lead real estate counsel for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in its acquisition by an affiliate of Kingdom Hotels International and Colony Capital leading to the combination of the Fairmont and Raffles hotel portfolios (US$4.5 billion)
- lead counsel for the vendor on the sale of Agincourt Mall, Toronto
- counsel for the anchor tenant of approximately 420,000 square feet of the Bay Adelaide East office tower being the second office tower of Bay Adelaide Centre developed by Brookfield Office Properties Inc. in the downtown Toronto financial core - this new 980,000 square foot office tower is scheduled to be completed in late 2015 and designed to achieve LEED (CS) Platinum certification (Winner of the 2013 NAIOP Real Estate Excellence Award for the Office Lease of the Year)
- counsel for the anchor tenant of the Deloitte Tower (completed in 2015) in downtown Montréal and was the first privately owned and financed commercial office tower to be built in more than 20 years in Montréal, developed by Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited
- lead counsel for the acquisition, development, construction and financing of the fifth tower of The Toronto Dominion Centre now known as the Ernst & Young Tower, 100 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
- lead real estate counsel for the restructuring of Toronto District Heating Corporation and the creation of a private, for profit company, Enwave District Energy Limited
Education & Affiliations
In addition to championing unparalleled client service, innovation and talent progression at McCarthy Tétrault, Godyne has an unwavering commitment to making a difference in the legal and business communities and in the community at large, including the following:
- inducted in 2019 to the University of Ottawa’s Common Law Honour Society, a peer-selected award that recognizes those who exemplify the values of leadership, excellence, and community. Godyne endowed a real estate scholarship for law students at the University of Ottawa
- former Co-Chair of the United Way’s Women Gaining Ground (now Women United) Initiative, and a member of the driving force behind their annual fundraising campaign, the Campaign Cabinet
- member of the International Women’s Forum, an invitation only membership of diverse and accomplished women from 33 nations on six continents with a goal to advance women’s leadership locally and globally
- 2011 recipient of the WXN’s Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards and was a judge herself for many years
- two time recipient of the prestigious NNCREW International Networking Award
Committed to empowering and elevating people, as well as building stronger communities, Godyne has played leadership roles across many influential capacity-building organizations, including the following:
- Founding member and inaugural co-chair of the Toronto chapter of Women’s Infrastructure Network (WIN)
- Founding Member and Inaugural Co-Chair of the Urban Land Institute’s Women’s Leadership Initiative in Toronto and Advisory Board member. Longstanding member of Urban Land Institute (Toronto) and former Management Committee member
- Boards of both the Toronto Region Board of Trade and the CivicAction Leadership Foundation.
- Member of Minister Mulroney’s 2020 Transit Advisory Council providing recommendations for the strong economic recovery and a world class transportation system in Ontario.
- Member of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Advisory Council on Ontario’s Economic Future – 2020.
- Member of the Toronto Region Board of Trade 2020/21 Steering Cabinet for the Reimagining Recovery - a path forward for our economy and the businesses that power it and a member of the 2021 TRBOT Financial District Pilot Zone Steering Group.
- Founding Visionary and a co-chair of the Matching Initiative for The Prosperity Project Canada.
- Longstanding member of the Canadian Council of Public-Private Partnerships and was a judge for their National Awards for Innovation and Excellence in P3s.
- Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America since 2018.
- Member of the Ted Rogers School of Management Dean’s Advisory Council.
- Member of the Advisory Board for LEAP Pecaut for Social Impact Centre.
- Longstanding member of Canadian Association of University Solicitors.
- Longstanding member of Toronto Commercial Real Estate Women.
- Panelist and speaker at various industry seminars including the International Council of Shopping Centres, Federated Press, CAUS and CREW Network conferences.
- Mentor, Sponsor and Champion of so many with energy, passion and a commitment to diversity and inclusion to help them achieve their greatest potential.
- Co-author of a chapter on "Outbound Investments – Canada" in Rechtshandbuch Immobilien-Investitionen.
- Judge of the Canadian Law Awards (2020/2021)
Godyne’s career started with a BSc in 1980 from the University of Toronto and LL. B. in 1983 from the University of Ottawa. Called to the Ontario Bar in 1985.
Prix et distinctions
Chambers Global
Leading Lawyer: Projects - PPP & Infrastructure – Canada
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Leading Lawyer: Infrastructure Law; Project Finance
Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure
Leading Lawyer
The Legal 500 - Canada
Leading Lawyer: Infrastructure and Projects
Who's Who Legal
Leading Lawyer: Government Contracts
IFLR 1000 Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms
Highly Regarded: Project Development, Banking, Project Finance, M&A
The Women's Executive Network (WXN)
Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women
Urban Land Institute (ULI) Toronto
Women's Leadership Champion
Legal Media Group's Expert Guides
Leading Lawyer: Women in Business Law
Legal Media Group's Expert Guides
Leading Lawyer: Real Estate
Best Lawyers in Canada
Leading lawyer in the areas of project finance law and real estate law
Acritas Stars
"Stand-out lawyer"