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Miller Thomson LLP is losing one of its top commercial real estate lawyers, Leonard Gangbar, to Bennett Jones LLP.
Mr. Gangbar, 46, acts for some of the country's biggest developers and has benefited from Toronto's massive real-estate boom in recent years.
Reached on Monday, he confirmed he was leaving Miller Thomson for Bennett Jones, saying that many of his clients are looking to investments in Calgary and elsewhere in the West, where Bennett Jones is strong.
"Miller Thomson's a great firm. It's been an excellent spot for me for the past 14 years," he said. "Bennett Jones is Bennett Jones, it's a premier law firm. It's a fantastic place. The depth is tremendous around you."
He says his clients have been "supportive" of his move, which takes effect in December.
He was clearly an important partner at Miller Thomson. Mr. Gangbar, whose recent work includes acting for Minto Group Inc. on Ottawa's large Lansdowne Park redevelopment, is the co-chair of Miller Thomson's Toronto real estate practice group and its national chairman of its condominium group. He has also acted for international retailers and real-estate investment trusts.
Bennett Jones has been beefing up its real-estate practice. It recently added real-estate and public-private-partnership specialist Larry Sandrin, a former Bull House & Tupper LLP partner, to its newly opened Vancouver office.
Jeff Gray