Lawson Lundell's Commercial Litigation and Dispute Resolution Blog follows new and interesting issues emerging in the legal and business communities. Our goal is to provide a source of valuable information and insight on a wide variety of matters for our readers.
Practice Expertise
- Commercial Law
- Corporate Governance
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Real Estate
Areas of Practice
- Commercial Law
- Corporate Governance
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Real Estate
Profile
Julia Winters is a partner in Lawson Lundell's Asia Pacific Group with a broad solicitor's practice in real estate and corporate commercial law.
Julia regularly advises clients on the acquisition, sale and financing of real property in a range of asset classes, including retail, industrial, office, multi-family, and wineries. She negotiates commercial leases for both landlords and tenants, and assists developer clients through various stages of the development process, helping advance projects from acquisition and structuring to completion while managing risk and navigating municipal frameworks.
Julia also frequently acts for private companies on share and asset purchase transactions, corporate reorganizations, and tax-driven restructurings. She advises clients on shareholder agreements, limited partnership agreements, and general corporate governance matters. She has developed particular expertise in navigating corporate disputes through contentious board and shareholder meetings, guiding directors and majority and minority shareholders through corporate procedures to achieve target outcomes and defend against hostile maneuvers.
Julia combines her real estate and corporate experience to support clients in transactions arising from insolvency and restructuring proceedings. She acts for purchasers, secured lenders and court-appointed receivers and monitors on the purchase and sale of land and other collateral across a variety of industries, including with respect to credit bids, reverse vesting order transactions, and the disposition of highly regulated assets to help clients maximize value in time-sensitive distress scenarios.
Julia has extensive experience working with first and second-generation Chinese clients. She works with a team of business lawyers in the Asia Pacific Group together with its paralegals and staff, many of whom speak Mandarin, to efficiently service Chinese clientele with their business law needs in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, particularly in the areas of real estate, trusts and family offices.
Julia previously served as the firm's Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer for two years, where she designed and oversaw initiatives to strengthen the firm's EDI programs. A committed mentor, she teaches the fundamentals of corporate and commercial practice through hands-on workshops for junior lawyers, articling students, and law students both at Lawson Lundell and at local law schools.
Julia regularly advises clients on the acquisition, sale and financing of real property in a range of asset classes, including retail, industrial, office, multi-family, and wineries. She negotiates commercial leases for both landlords and tenants, and assists developer clients through various stages of the development process, helping advance projects from acquisition and structuring to completion while managing risk and navigating municipal frameworks.
Julia also frequently acts for private companies on share and asset purchase transactions, corporate reorganizations, and tax-driven restructurings. She advises clients on shareholder agreements, limited partnership agreements, and general corporate governance matters. She has developed particular expertise in navigating corporate disputes through contentious board and shareholder meetings, guiding directors and majority and minority shareholders through corporate procedures to achieve target outcomes and defend against hostile maneuvers.
Julia combines her real estate and corporate experience to support clients in transactions arising from insolvency and restructuring proceedings. She acts for purchasers, secured lenders and court-appointed receivers and monitors on the purchase and sale of land and other collateral across a variety of industries, including with respect to credit bids, reverse vesting order transactions, and the disposition of highly regulated assets to help clients maximize value in time-sensitive distress scenarios.
Julia has extensive experience working with first and second-generation Chinese clients. She works with a team of business lawyers in the Asia Pacific Group together with its paralegals and staff, many of whom speak Mandarin, to efficiently service Chinese clientele with their business law needs in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, particularly in the areas of real estate, trusts and family offices.
Julia previously served as the firm's Chief Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer for two years, where she designed and oversaw initiatives to strengthen the firm's EDI programs. A committed mentor, she teaches the fundamentals of corporate and commercial practice through hands-on workshops for junior lawyers, articling students, and law students both at Lawson Lundell and at local law schools.
Languages
English
Bar Admissions
Called to the British Columbia Bar, 2013
Education
University of British Columbia, J.D., 2012
McGill University, B.A., 2008
Areas of Practice
- Commercial Law
- Corporate Governance
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Real Estate
Professional Career
Significant Accomplishments
* Led negotiations for the sale of a grocery‑anchored retail centre to one of Canada's largest private companies, including in respect of the vendor's post‑closing capital project obligations to maximize sale value, and installation of municipal transit infrastructure on the lands to drive traffic to the shopping mall.
* Advised the developer of a multi‑phase, mixed‑use master‑planned community along a major transit corridor feeding downtown Vancouver in negotiating complex development covenants for master rezoning and early-phase site‑specific rezonings, as well as a detailed groundwater remediation agreement in order to advance project approvals while managing environmental risks and shifting the burden and cost of remediation to the responsible party.
* Closed a $72 million credit bid acquisition of a Vancouver multi-family redevelopment site for a second-ranking mortgage lender in the first court‑approved reverse vesting order transaction designed to achieve property transfer tax savings in Peakhill Capital Inc. v. Southview Gardens Limited Partnership - establishing a new precedent in British Columbia for distressed real estate acquisitions.
* Acted for a real estate investor in acquiring a commercial air space parcel within a mixed‑use project in East Vancouver tenanted by a national grocery chain and other prominent retailers, negotiating a phased, pre‑closing payment structure secured by land charges to facilitate cash flow while mitigating deal risks.
* Acted on the acquisition of two office towers in the Lower Mainland from a multinational financial services institution, supporting the client's portfolio expansion in a competitive market.
* Led negotiations on the sale of a family winery to a California‑based wine producer, structuring an atypical unwinding mechanism to address regulatory uncertainty for a new market entrant in order to facilitate a deal and secure an exit for the vendor.
* Led negotiations for the sale of a grocery‑anchored retail centre to one of Canada's largest private companies, including in respect of the vendor's post‑closing capital project obligations to maximize sale value, and installation of municipal transit infrastructure on the lands to drive traffic to the shopping mall.
* Advised the developer of a multi‑phase, mixed‑use master‑planned community along a major transit corridor feeding downtown Vancouver in negotiating complex development covenants for master rezoning and early-phase site‑specific rezonings, as well as a detailed groundwater remediation agreement in order to advance project approvals while managing environmental risks and shifting the burden and cost of remediation to the responsible party.
* Closed a $72 million credit bid acquisition of a Vancouver multi-family redevelopment site for a second-ranking mortgage lender in the first court‑approved reverse vesting order transaction designed to achieve property transfer tax savings in Peakhill Capital Inc. v. Southview Gardens Limited Partnership - establishing a new precedent in British Columbia for distressed real estate acquisitions.
* Acted for a real estate investor in acquiring a commercial air space parcel within a mixed‑use project in East Vancouver tenanted by a national grocery chain and other prominent retailers, negotiating a phased, pre‑closing payment structure secured by land charges to facilitate cash flow while mitigating deal risks.
* Acted on the acquisition of two office towers in the Lower Mainland from a multinational financial services institution, supporting the client's portfolio expansion in a competitive market.
* Led negotiations on the sale of a family winery to a California‑based wine producer, structuring an atypical unwinding mechanism to address regulatory uncertainty for a new market entrant in order to facilitate a deal and secure an exit for the vendor.
Blogs
North of 60 Blog
Our North of 60 Blog provides commentary on current legal trends and developments, and legislative updates affecting businesses in Northern Canada.
Privacy & Data Management Blog
This blog is authored by members of the Privacy & Data Management Department. We follow new and interesting issues emerging in the legal and business communities. We follow emerging issues, legal developments, and new technology as they impact privacy and data management. We will focus on how organizations can protect, manage and innovate with information considering the various risks, regulatory and governance requirements.
Real Estate Law Blog
Our Real Estate Law Blog provides brief commentary on current legal trends and developments affecting your business. The topics addressed in Lawson Lundell's Real Estate Law Blog are of interest to commercial real estate developers, real estate and strata agents, investors, landlords and tenants, as well as a variety of industry groups.
The Business Law Blog
This blog is authored by members of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. We intend to follow new and interesting issues emerging in the legal and business communities. The wide range of experience among the members of our litigation group will provide a diverse and insightful examination of current legal trends and topics. Our goal is to provide a source of valuable information and insight on a wide variety of matters for our readers.
Meet our Firms and Professionals
WSG’s member firms include legal, investment banking and accounting experts across industries and on a global scale. We invite you to meet our member firms and professionals.