Aird & Berlis Acts for the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development in its Winning Bid for Volkswagen Gigafactory
The Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade successfully bid for Volkswagen’s first overseas gigafactory. The plant will be built in St. Thomas by a Volkswagen AG subsidiary, PowerCo SE's largest gigafactory to date, with production planned for 2027.
Volkswagen’s multibillion-dollar investment is one of the largest in Canadian history. The plant will create up to 3,000 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs, and is a testament to Canada’s strong and growing battery ecosystem and Ontario’s competitive business environment. It also represents a significant step forward as Ontario builds a clean transportation sector to meet global and North American demand for zero-emission vehicles.
Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, who attended Volkswagen’s and PowerCo SE’s announcement event, stated that “Volkswagen’s new electric vehicle battery plant in St. Thomas – the largest manufacturing plant in the country once built – is…a win for workers, for the community and for the economy.”
Aird & Berlis advised the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade on all aspects of the bid, including drafting and negotiation related to corporate, municipal and land use planning, energy, real estate, tax, financing, risk assessment and environmental matters. The Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade’s team was led by Legal Director, Donna Glassman, Deputy Director, Joseph D’Angelo, Counsel, Ikka Delamer and Counsel to the Corporate Commercial and Government Business Portfolio, Claudia Xiao.
Paige Backman led the Aird & Berlis team, which included David Takenaka, Lynn Tay, Ian McLeod and Portia Biswas (Corporate), Leo Longo (Municipal and Land Use Planning), Ron Clark, Ken Clark and Cathy Jares (Energy), Tom Halinski (Property Tax), Leonard Baranek, Kenneth Pimentel and Ethan Eisen (Real Estate), Angelo Gentile and Louise Summerhill (HST), Aaron Collins, Jill Fraser and Jonathan Yantzi (Financial Services), Paula Boutis (Environmental), Heidi Visser, Douglas Younger, Ryan Chalmers and Paul Jachymek (Infrastructure), Norman Kahn (Foreign Investment), Brendan O’Callaghan (Expropriation), as well as Julie Brennan and Jasraj Shergill (Articling Students).
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Paige has earned a reputation as an exceptional corporate/commercial legal advisor to both domestic and multinational entities.
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Having practised technology law for more than 20 years, David has extensive technical knowledge that he expertly translates into practical advice for ...
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Lynn is a driven corporate/commercial lawyer with a strong background in business.
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Ian approaches corporate and commercial matters from a business-minded perspective.
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Portia is a strong negotiator and communicator who supports her clients as they seize opportunities or face challenges.
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Leo's experience enables him to isolate issues quickly and arrive at a creative solution that advances his clients’ objectives.
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Ron loves the challenge of operating a practice at the intersection of corporate/commercial, energy and municipal law.
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Ken is driven to help his clients resolve their problems, particularly the ones for which it seems there is no answer.
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Cathy is a diligent problem solver who goes the extra mile to provide efficient corporate and commercial legal advice.
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Tom works with his municipal and land development clients, guiding them through the ever-evolving provincial policy framework.
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Leonard is a pragmatic real estate practitioner who provides business-focused solutions to large real estate developers across Canada.
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Acting for both landlords and tenants as well as owners, purchasers and lenders, Kenneth provides exceptional service to support his clients’ ob...
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Ethan is passionate about building close relationships with his clients while assisting them on complex real estate transactions.
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Angelo is a natural problem solver and he applies this skill to resolve tax disputes on behalf of his clients.
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A creative thinker and natural problem solver, Louise continuously looks for new ways to approach and resolve her clients’ tax issues.
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A self-described deal junkie, Aaron thrives on getting deals done, and will make sure your transaction gets across the finish line.
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With a calm demeanor and extensive experience in banking law, Jill remains poised in even the most testing circumstances.
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Jonathan is a member of the firm’s Financial Services Group, specializing in secured lending transactions.
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Heidi relies a profound understanding of the principles of project finance to guide her clients though sophisticated P3 infrastructure transactions.
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With domestic and international experience, working both in-house and as an external advisor, Douglas has advised on infrastructure matters from all p...
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Ryan advises on, drafts and negotiates concession, design build, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation agreements as part of major infrastructure ...
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Informed by over two decades of a unique combination of senior level in-house, law firm and private business experience, Paul brings a unique perspect...
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Norman is widely sought after for his wealth of knowledge and experience in negotiating complex commercial real estate transactions.
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Brendan is a passionate advocate with more than three decades of land use planning and expropriation law experience.
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Julie is dedicated to providing outstanding client service.
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Jasraj enjoys the dynamic nature of real estate law. He brings a business-minded approach to real estate transactions.
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