Robert Thornton

Robert I. Thornton

rthornton@tgf.ca
416.304.0560416.304.0560

Bio

The “highly sought after” Robert Thornton is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost insolvency practitioners in Canada and is a founder of Thornton Grout Finnigan (TGF).

Best Lawyers 2018 named Bob “Lawyer of the Year” in Canada for Toronto Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law. Euromoney’s The Best of the Best 2018 listed Bob as one of the top five insolvency and restructuring lawyers in Canada, and has described him as “exceptional” and “the most innovative in the field”. Bob is recognized as a Band 1 “leading individual” in restructuring/insolvency by Chambers Global 2020, and has been lauded as “a leading light” and “pound for pound one of the top lawyers in town”. Bob is also listed as “Most Frequently Recommended” in insolvency and financial restructuring in the 2019 Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada and the 2018 Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada

Representative Mandates

  • Lead counsel to JTI-Macdonald Corp., one of the largest tobacco companies in Canada, in its proceedings under the CCAA with a goal to achieve a global resolution of the myriad of litigation claims against it exceeding $500 billion.  The two other largest tobacco companies have also filed for CCAA protection resulting in unprecedented industry-wide proceedings.
  • Counsel to the Monitor in the ongoing restructuring of the Carillion Group in Canada.
  • Counsel to the largest creditor in the restructuring of Stelco Inc., Canada’s largest integrated steel manufacturer.
  • Counsel to Ernst & Young Inc. in its role as the court-appointed monitor of Performance Sports Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries, which debtors are undertaking dual plenary cross-border restructurings under both the CCAA and Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Bob is a 2018 recipient of the Turnaround Management Association’s Large Transaction Award in respect of this mandate.
  • Counsel to PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. in its role as the court-appointed monitor of Pacific Exploration & Production Corporation and its subsidiaries, which debtors are undertaking a cross-border restructuring under the CCAA, Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and a foreign recognition under Law 116 of 2006 in Colombia. Bob also received a 2017 Turnaround and Transaction of the Year Award in the International Company category by the Turnaround Management Association in respect of this mandate.
  • Counsel to GuestLogix Inc. and its subsidiaries with respect to their restructuring under the CCAA.
  • Represented the court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young in the restructuring of Stelco, one of the most significant CCAA restructurings in Canadian history.
  • Counsel to Endurance Energy Ltd. in connection with its proceedings under the CCAA.
  • Counsel to Coopers & Lybrand Chartered Accountants in their CCAA proceedings.
  • Counsel to Ernst & Young, court-appointed monitor in the restructuring of the Canadian AbitibiBowater entities, one of the world’s largest publicly traded pulp and paper manufacturers.
  • Acting as lead restructuring counsel to Hollinger Inc. in the wind-up and resolution of Hollinger and its subsidiaries, with extensive involvement in the company’s pursuit of litigation claims.
  • Representing specialty paper company Fraser Papers Inc. and its subsidiaries in CCAA restructuring proceedings.
  • Acting on behalf of a committee of contesting bondholders in the BCE reorganization, which involved the world’s largest leveraged buy-out with an enterprise value of $52 billion.
  • Counsel to the monitor of tobacco company JTI Macdonald until its successful emergence from the CCAA.
  • Acting on behalf of GE Capital Aviation Services, Inc., a principal stakeholder in the Air Canada CCAA proceedings.
  • Counsel to a major bondholder in the CCAA restructuring of Calpine and its subsidiaries, a global integrated power company.
  • Represented the court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young in the restructuring of Stelco, one of the most significant CCAA restructurings in Canadian history.

 

Representative Mandates

JTI-Macdonald Corp.

TGF acts as counsel to the Applicant in its CCAA proceedings. JTIM’s CCAA proceedings are related to the CCAA filings of both Rothmans, Benso...

United States Steel

Contentious three-way battle between US Steel, employee and pensioner union and the Province of Ontario.

Hollinger: Hotly contested CCAA application resulting in a global settlement

The file involved a hotly contested CCAA application resulting in a global settlement amongst stakeholders followed by a creative harvesting of litigation assets by a litigation trustee all under and as part of a CCAA filing.

 

Mobilicity

An unusual case involving the Federal Government and a pending lawsuit in respect to the government's actions. 

Coopers & Lybrand

Counsel to Coopers & Lybrand in connection with its restructuring proceedings, and litigation counsel in connection with the successful defence of claims against Coopers with a value of approximately $400M.

AbitibiBowater: Counsel to the Court-appointed Monitor

Counsel to Ernst & Young, court-appointed monitor in the successful cross-border restructuring of the AbitibiBowater entities, one of the world's largest publicly traded pulp and paper manufacturers

Performance Sports Group cross-border restructuring.

TGF represents the court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young in the cross-border restructuring of Performance Sports Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries. Performance Sports Group Ltd. and 17 of its subsidiaries entered into dual plenary cross-border proceedings

Fraser Papers Inc. CCAA and Chapter 15 proceedings

Counsel to Fraser Papers Inc. and its Canadian and U.S. affiliates in a restructuring under the CCAA and Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, obtaining amendments to provincial pension legislation to facilitate a Plan of Arrangement

GE Capital Aviation Services (Air Canada): Acting on behalf of GE Capital Aviation Services, Inc., a principal stakeholder in the Air Canada CCAA proceedings

Acting on behalf of GE Capital Aviation Services, Inc., a principal stakeholder in the Air Canada CCAA proceedings

Bell Canada reorganization

Acting on behalf of a committee of contesting bondholders in the BCE reorganization, which involved the world's largest leveraged buy-out with an enterprise value of $52 billion.

Stelco: Represented the court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young in the restructuring of Stelco

Represented the court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young in the restructuring of Stelco, one of the most significant CCAA restructurings in Canadian history

Calpine: Counsel to a committee of unsecured bondholders of Calpine Corporation subsidiaries in oppression proceedings

Counsel to a committee of unsecured bondholders of Calpine Corporation subsidiaries in oppression proceedings, as well as the subsequent cross-border restructuring of Calpine and its subsidiaries

JTI MacDonald: Counsel to the Court-appointed Monitor

Counsel to Ernst & Young, in its capacity as the Monitor of JTI Macdonald Corp., the third largest tobacco manufacturer/distributor in Canada, until its successful emergence from CCAA protection

Professional Involvement

Bob is the President of Insolvency Institute of Canada. He is a fellow of American College of Bankruptcy. 

Bob is a member of:

  • International Insolvency Institute 
  • INSOL International
  • The Advocates’ Society
  • Toronto Lawyers’ Association
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Turnaround Management Association
  • Canadian Insolvency Foundation
  • Ontario Bar Association, Insolvency Section

Recent professional appearances include the following:

Recognition

Bob is recognized as a leading lawyer in:

  • The Best Lawyers® in Canada 2023 (Insolvency & Financial Restructuring)
  • The Best Lawyers® in Canada 2018 as the 'Best Lawyer of the Year' in Toronto (Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law)
  • Chambers Global Guide 2023 and prior years (Band 1 in Restructuring & Insolvency)
  • Chambers Canada Guide 2023 and prior years (Band 1 in Restructuring & Insolvency)
  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023 (Insolvency & Financial Restructuring)
  • Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada 2022 and 2021
  • Who's Who Legal - Global Elite Thought Leader - Restructuring & Insolvency 2022
  • Who's Who Legal - Global Leader – Restructuring and Insolvency 2022
  • Who's Who Legal - National Leader – Restructuring and Insolvency 2021
  • Lexpert Special Edition on Litigation – Leading Litigators in Canada 2021 and 2020
  • Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys 2022 & 2021 (Litigation Star in Ontario)
  • The 2019 Lexpert Guide to the US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada (Insolvency and Financial Restructuring)
  • Euromoney’s Best of the Best 2018 (Top 5 in Canada & Top 30 in the World in Insolvency and Restructuring)
Sep 13, 2013

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