Jonathan Yantzi

Partner
  • he / him / his

Admitted to the Ontario Bar: 2019
  • Toronto

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  • Bio
  • Awards & Recognition
  • Professional Involvement
  • Representative Matters
  • Selected Publications
  • Insights
  • Education

Jonathan brings structure and momentum to complex secured financings. He advises banks and other financial institutions, private credit providers and corporate borrowers on secured lending and asset-based finance, leading transactions from mandate to closing. Jonathan identifies structural and collateral issues early, takes a clear position on how to resolve them and keeps execution moving.

Jonathan is a member of the firm’s Financial Services Group. He acts on bilateral and syndicated credit facilities, equipment finance and leasing, acquisition financings and refinancings. Jonathan’s practice has a particular emphasis on structured finance transactions – receivables-backed facilities, private securitizations and asset-backed funding arrangements – for institutional lenders such as life insurance companies and specialty finance providers. He also advises on bridge financings, DIP financings and lending involving distressed credits, including in CCAA and BIA proceedings.

A significant part of Jonathan’s practice involves collateral-intensive financings. He works through layered collateral packages, intercreditor arrangements and questions of priority, perfection and enforcement, with a focus on documentation that is commercially workable and effective in practice.

Jonathan advises on the Canadian aspects of cross-border financings, working with counsel in other jurisdictions on security, collateral and enforcement matters under Canadian law.

Other Languages

French

Awards & Recognition

  • Recognized as a Mondaq Thought Leader in the area of Compliance – Canada
  • Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada for his expertise in Insolvency and Financial Restructuring
  • Awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 2013 by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to study public policy at the University of California, Berkeley

Professional Involvement

Memberships

  • Canadian Finance & Leasing Association
  • Secured Finance Network

    Representative Matters

    Represented the Province of Ontario on all aspects of its transaction, including advice on real estate matters and the proposed $670-million loan, to facilitate Vianode’s first North American synthetic graphite facility, a cornerstone project in Canada’s electric vehicle supply chain.

    Represented the Bamford Group, a leading supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables across wholesale, fresh-cut and foodservice channels, in its merger with North American Produce Buyers Limited, a portfolio company of Ironbridge Equity Partners.

    Represented Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, a leading owner-operator of distinctive urban workspace in Canada’s major cities, in the acquisition from Westbank of a 90% ownership interest in 400 West Georgia Street in Vancouver, and an additional 45% ownership interest in 19 Duncan Street in Toronto (increasing Allied’s ownership interest to 95%). The transaction was based on an aggregate property value of $920.7 million.

    Represented Fiera Private Debt in connection with the bridge refinancing of a private dental practice that was the subject of an ongoing receivership proceeding, including all matters related to the court approval of Fiera’s security, distributions to existing creditors, and the receiver’s discharge, and the negotiation and closing of a new credit arrangement.

    Represented Maritime Resources Corp. (TSXV: MAE) in all aspects of its acquisition of Point Rousse Mining Inc., owner of the Point Rousse Project located in Newfoundland and Labrador, including two concurrent financings, a memorandum of understanding with New Found Gold, and a financing and cooperation agreement with Shoreline Aggregates Inc.

    Represented Lorne Park Capital Partners Inc. (TSXV:LPC) in the completion of a secured loan facility for up to $15 million with CWB Maxium Financial Inc.

    Advised the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade on all aspects of its winning bid for Volkswagen’s first overseas gigafactory, a several-billion-dollar investment that is one of the largest in Canadian history. 

    Represented Zoeller Company in connection with its acquisition of Burke Water Systems Manufacturing Inc. / Burke Manufacture De Systѐmes A Eau Inc. and Bur-Cam Pumps Inc. / Les Pompes Bur-Cam Inc.

    Represented Wynnchurch Capital, L.P. as Canadian counsel in connection with its majority ownership acquisition of FloWorks International, LLC.

    Represented Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, a leading operator of distinctive urban workspace in Canada’s major cities and network-dense urban data centres in Toronto, in its acquisition of six urban office properties from Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust for $794 million.

    Representing Bank of Montreal in connection with several loans ranging from $10,000,000 to $100,000,000 to borrowers in the advertising, cannabis, engineering, hospitality, management consulting and manufacturing industries, for various purposes, including for working capital, real estate acquisition, construction financing and strategic targeted growth through acquisitions.

    Represented a private lender in connection with their financing of a project to provide high-speed Internet access on the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory through the construction and operation of a fibre optic backbone and distribution network.

    Represented Waygar Capital, as agent for Ninepoint Canadian Senior Debt Master Fund, in connection with its $30,000,000 financing of Enterprise Group, a consolidator of services to the energy sector focused on specialized equipment rental, to fund asset purchases, enhance capital expenditures and diversify acquisition strategy.

    Represented a Canadian telecommunications company in connection with a $55,000,000 acquisition financing.

    Represented a financial institution in connection with the implementation of its Canada Emergency Business Account program, including advising on its arrangements with Export Development Canada and drafting the program documentation.

    Represented a senior secured lender in the AgMedica Bioscience CCAA proceedings.

    Represented Ernst & Young in its capacity as the court-appointed monitor in the CannTrust CCAA proceedings.

    Represented BDO Canada in its capacity as the court-appointed receiver of 908593 Ontario Limited, operating as Eagle Travel Plaza, et al., in an insolvency proceeding commenced by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

    Represented Crown Private Credit in connection with its $60,000,000 financing for a leading Canadian provider of pharmacy and other healthcare services, for debt refinancing and working capital purposes, and to assist with strategic acquisitions.

    Selected Publications

    Co-Author, "Anti-Money Laundering Amendments Accelerated: Businesses Face Unexpected Compliance Rush," Aird & Berlis LLP, Financial Perspectives, April 1, 2025.

    Co-Author, "Tech Lending: Types of Debt for SaaS Providers," Aird & Berlis LLP, March 23, 2023. 

    Co-Author, "Tech Lending: How to Register Security Interests in IP," Aird & Berlis LLP, March 14, 2023. 

    Co-Author, "Tech Lending: Software as a Service," Aird & Berlis LLP, February 23, 2023.

    Co-Author, "Tech Lending: Due Diligence Issues," Aird & Berlis LLP, February 16, 2023. 

    Co-Author, "Tech Lending: Why Are Tech Companies So Hard to Value?," Aird & Berlis LLP, February 9, 2023.

    Co-Author, "Tech Lending: What Are IP Assets?," Aird & Berlis LLP, February 9, 2023.

    Insights

    Education

    • JD, University of Toronto, 2018
    • MPP, University of California, Berkeley, 2015
    • B.Soc.Sc. Hons. (Summa Cum Laude), University of Ottawa, 2012

    Expertise

    Financial Services