Elias Benhamou is a partner specializing in commercial law, with a strong emphasis on secured financing and real estate. His practice focuses principally on secured (syndicated) lending, structured financing and asset-based lending, on behalf of borrowers and lenders, as well as on commercial real estate acquisitions, development, construction and leasing. The balance of his practice consists of diverse commercial transactions such as joint ventures, private mergers and acquisitions and the negotiation of research, license and collaboration agreements on behalf of biotech companies.

Elias has implemented secured financings in connection with several large merger and acquisition transactions and take-overs and in connection with acquisitions of mortgage and real estate portfolios across Canada. Elias has recently acted for a bank syndicate in the refinancing of Gildan Activewear Inc. In addition, Elias was in charge of the secured financing aspect of the public offering of an income fund, SFK Pulp Fund, and was principally responsible for the commercial and real estate facets of the creation and initial public offering of the Alexis Nihon REIT, a Quebec real estate investment trust. Elias just concluded the acquisition of a large portfolio of industrial properties of Alexis Nihon REIT by Cominar REIT from Homburg Invest Inc.

Elias is recognized in the Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory as a repeatedly recommended practitioner in property development and listed in The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of real estate law. He has received one of the highest ratings given by Martindale-Hubbell.

Elias is a member of the Urban Development Institute and is often called upon as a lecturer and panellist. In addition, he is the coordinator of the Montréal office's commercial real estate group and sits on the firm's committees on opinions, associate evaluation and space planning. Elias is a trustee and administrator of the DHC/Art Foundation for Contemporary Art.

Elias obtained his B.B.A. from Bishop's University and completed his combined LL.B./B.C.L. at McGill University. He joined the firm as an associate in 1989 and became a partner in 1997. Elias is fluent in both English and French.

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