Brian Kelsall's practice focuses on corporate project finance with particular emphasis on international and domestic project finance, structured finance, public private partnerships and infrastructure development. He also has extensive banking law, securitization and mergers and acquisitions experience.
Brian's experience includes acting as lead counsel for lenders, sponsors and investors in a variety of sectors including infrastructure, telecom, energy, oil and gas and mining.
Brian regularly advises participants in respect of projects in Canada in the infrastructure, mining, energy, power and real estate sectors. Recent transactions in which Brian acted as lead counsel include advising the lenders on Infrastructure Ontario's Windsor Essex Highway PPP Project, St. Joseph's Hospital PPP Project, the Disraeli Bridges PPP Project in Manitoba and advising the Federal Government on its Communications Security Establishment Canada Long Term Accommodation Project. Brian has also advised on various international project finance transactions (including acting for institutions in the GSM financing for Mobifon S.A. in Romania, at the time the largest private sector financing in Romania, and the GSM financing for Vodafone Albania, at the time the largest private sector financing in Albania, as well as acting for international financial institutions and syndicates of commercial lenders on the development and financing of a port terminal in Georgia, a port in Argentina, a mine development in Turkey, on oil and gas project financing in the state of Gujarat, India, multiple GSM projects in Eastern and Central Europe, and major eucalyptus pulp manufacturing facilities in Uruguay and Brazil).
Brian has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Project Finance Lawyers in the World (Best of the Best) and is independently nominated and recognized both in Canada and internationally as a leading practitioner in Project Finance and Banking Law, in the following publications:
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Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada
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The Legal 500 (U.K.)
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Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
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The Best Lawyers in Canada
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International Who's Who of Project Finance Lawyers
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Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Project Finance Lawyers
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Euromoney's Guide: The Best of the Best
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International Financial Law Review
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Legal Business - Legal Experts Report - UK
Honours and Awards
- UK Legal Experts 2011 - Projects, energy and natural resources (including PFI)
- Ranked by Chambers Global Guide 2011, 2012 for Projects: PPP & Infrastructure
- Recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada 2011 as a leading practitioner in Banking Law and Project Finance Law
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2010, 2011: most frequently recommended, Project Finance
- Listed in Legal Experts 2010, published by Legal Business, as authority in Projects, Energy and Natural Resources
- Listed in Legal Experts 2011, published by Legal Business, as an authority in Projects, Energy and Natural Resources (including PFI)
Membership/Affiliations
- Member, Canadian Bar Association
- Member, Law Society of Upper Canada
- Member, Law Society of England and Wales
- Member, International Bar Association