- Bio
- Awards & Recognition
- Professional Involvement
- Representative Matters
- Selected Speaking Engagements
- Selected Publications
- Insights
- Education
Sanj is a member of the firm's Financial Services Group. He advises financial institutions and large organizations facing highly complex crises and disputes with a thoughtful, composed approach. Clients trust Sanj to guide them through even the most challenging and contentious matters involving credit, operational and reputational risk. He cultivates strong client relationships and seeks to understand his clients’ essential business needs in order to deliver outstanding and practical results.
Sanj is recognized as being a leading lawyer in the area of insolvency and financial restructuring. In addition to acting for a number of Canada’s largest institutions, Sanj acts for receivers, trustees in bankruptcy and court-appointed officers in matters involving both commercial and consumer insolvency. He has provided advice in connection with restructurings across a broad range of industries.
For more than 25 years, Sanj has appeared as counsel at all levels of the Ontario courts. He appears regularly before the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, including the Commercial List and the Bankruptcy Court. A number of the matters in which he has been involved are now precedents in the area of insolvency law.
Awards & Recognition
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law
- Recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of Insolvency & Financial Restructuring
Professional Involvement
Professional Activities
Sanj is called upon regularly to speak at industry seminars and conferences. He has presented to fellow experts of the Ontario and Canadian Bar Associations, the Canadian Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Professionals and the Canadian Institute.
Memberships
- Canadian Association of Insolvency & Restructuring Professionals, Editorial Advisory Board
- The National Club, Director
- Canadian Insolvency Foundation
- International Association of Restructuring, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Professionals (INSOL International)
- Toronto Lawyers Association
- South Asian Bar Association of Toronto
- International Women’s Insolvency and Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC)
Representative Matters
Successfully represented Fuller Landau Group Inc. as receiver in the CCAA proceedings of an operator of a land lease community.
Successfully represented CMLS Financial Ltd. and Equitable Bank in Ashcroft Urban Developments Inc. (Re), 2024 ONSC 7192 in obtaining the appointment of an interim receiver over Ashcroft Urban Developments Inc. and certain affiliated entities.
Successfully represented RBC in Royal Bank of Canada v. J&R Transport Inc., in which the Court appointed a receiver over the Respondent’s assets to facilitate the recovery of secured debt in excess of $7 million.
Successfully represented RBC in Royal Bank of Canada v. 2531961 Ontario Inc. et al., where the Court appointed a receiver over the Respondents’ assets due to repeated delays, lack of transparency and failure to provide sufficient evidence of refinancing efforts.
Successfully represented RBC in Royal Bank of Canada v. Express GT Parts Serve Inc. et al., in which the Court held that RBC’s security interest extended to the collateral of a related entity after the original borrowers were voluntarily dissolved.
Successfully represented RBC in ensuring a receiver was appointed to manage the assets of Trans Emerge Transport Inc. in a $10.7-million debt case.
Acted as legal counsel to 2872802 Ontario Inc., the stalking horse bidder in the sale solicitation process for Datatax Business Services Limited.
Acting for special loans groups for a variety of financial institutions for more than 20 years.
Assisting a financial institution to address compliance issues with its regulator.
Acting for financial institutions in litigation.
Representing 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.
Selected Speaking Engagements
Speaker, "Head-On Collision," CAIRP Toronto Exchange Conference, September 2024.
Speaker, "Real Estate in Distress and Workouts," Presentation to RBC Special Loans, July 2024.
Speaker, "Real Estate in Distress and a Taste of Current Issues," BMO Seminar, April 2024.
Panellist, "The Trouble with Timeshares," CAIRP Rebuilding Success CPD Session, November 2020.
Speaker, "Acting for Secured and Trade Creditors," OBA Institute 2010 – Insolvency Law, February 16, 2010.
Speaker, The LSUC Six-Minute Debtor-Creditor and Insolvency Lawyer 2009, October 21, 2009.
Speaker, "Remedies Fast Forward," OBA Professional Development, October 31, 2007.
Speaker, "Cross-Country Check-Up: What’s New Out There in Canada Land," Third Annual Pan-Canadian Insolvency and Restructuring Conference, September 6, 2007.
Speaker, "Registrar in Bankruptcy, Ontario Superior Court of Justice," CAIRP Insolvency and Restructuring Forum, May 2007.
Selected Publications
Co-Author, "Alberta and Ontario Courts Reaffirm Enforceability of Consents to Receiverships," Aird & Berlis LLP Financial Services Flash, December 10, 2024 (Included in Commercial Insolvency Reporter, February 2025).
Co-Author (with Apolonia D'Sa), "CRA Compliance Clauses," Rebuilding Success, Fall 2008.
Insights
Education
- LLB, Osgoode Hall Law School, 1994
- B.Sc., University of Western Ontario, 1990