Leanne M Williams - Banner

Leanne M. Williams

Partner

lwilliams@tgf.ca
416.304.0060416.304.0060

Bio

Leanne is a member of TGF’s restructuring and insolvency practice group and is a recognized leader in insolvency law. Leanne’s practice includes a variety of mandates, including workouts, refinancing, receiverships, bankruptcies and the enforcement of creditors’ rights. Leanne regularly represents banks and financial institutions across a broad spectrum of industries, and she also represents court officers such as trustees in bankruptcy, receivers and CCAA monitors.

As an experienced insolvency lawyer, Leanne is known for her collaborative and innovative approaches to resolving complex legal challenges. Her clients commend her strategic thinking and business expertise as keys to her success in the industry, often in ground-breaking mandates that set new precedents.

Leanne is a passionate leader of and advocate for the practice of restructuring and insolvency law. She has been repeatedly recognized by Chambers Canada and Chambers Global as a legal leader for Restructuring and Insolvency, has been named a “Thought Leader” by Who's Who Legal and as a leading practitioner by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Expert Guides for restructuring and insolvency. Leanne is also a co-author of Lexology and International Financial Law Review (IFLR), and currently serves as President of the Toronto Chapter of the Turnaround Management Association.

Outside of her practice, Leanne is an active community leader and regularly engages with local and national community organizations as part of TGF’s ongoing social responsibility endeavours. Leanne also plays a role in building the culture of the firm through its recruitment and development initiatives, and is an active mentor.

Representative mandates

  • Counsel to the Pride Group in their CCAA proceedings, which have been recognized under Chapter 15 of the US Bankruptcy Code. The Pride Group is a trucking and logistics conglomerate that operates across Canada and the United States and is undergoing a restructuring of its secured liabilities in excess of $1.6 billion, involving over 20 lending institutions. 

  • Counsel to FTI Consulting Canada Inc. as court-appointed monitor of Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. and its affiliates pursuant to the CCAA.

  • Counsel to Carriage Hills and Carriage Ridge timeshare resorts in their Court-supervised restructuring involving over 30,000 timeshare members.

  • Counsel to debtors Sproutly, Inc. and Toronto Herbal Remedies Inc. in their restructuring and asset sale under the CCAA.

  • Counsel to the Unsecured Creditors' Committee in the US Chapter 11 proceeding of Bumble Bee and the Canadian CCAA proceedings of Clover Leaf.

  • Counsel to Business Development Bank of Canada in the CCAA proceedings of North American Fur Auctions.

  • Counsel to Stantive Technologies Group in their CCAA proceedings.

  • 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 BDC Capital Inc. in the Quebec CCAA restructuring of BioAmber Inc., a sustainable chemicals company.

  • Counsel to Whirlpool Canada in the CCAA restructuring of Sears Canada.

  • Counsel to BDO Canada Limited as court-appointed receiver of Emmanuel Village Residence Inc.

  • Represented Endurance Energy Ltd. in connection with its proceedings under the CCAA, an Alberta-based oil and gas production company, which successfully sold its assets as part of its restructuring efforts.

  • Counsel to the court-appointed monitor of the Mobilicity group of companies.

  • Advisor to U.S. Steel in the restructuring of U.S. Steel Canada.

  • Counsel to the syndicate of lenders to Allen-Vanguard Corporation, a publicly-traded international military defense corporation, during its restructuring through the CCAA and recapitalization as a private entity.

  • Counsel to Flextronics Corporation, Nortel’s largest supplier and significant creditor, during the CCAA restructuring of Nortel.

  • Represented Hollinger and certain of its subsidiaries in its CCAA filing in Canada.

  • Advisor to the court-appointed monitor of AbitibiBowater.

  • Represented the monitor of a retailer, Athletes World, in its restructuring and successful Plan of Arrangement under the CCAA.

  • Counsel to the court-appointed Interim Receiver of Mosaic Group, a cross-border marketing and technology company, during the liquidation of its assets for the benefit of its creditors.

  • Represented the largest secured creditor of Canada 3000 during the liquidation of the airline’s assets.

  • Counsel to the largest unsecured creditor of Irwin Toy during the liquidation of its assets.

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.

Mobilicity

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

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

Endurance Energy Ltd.: CCAA proceedings for Endurance Energy Ltd

Represents Endurance Energy Ltd. in connection with its proceedings under the CCAA, an Alberta-based oil and gas production company, which successf...

Flextronics Corporation: Counsel to Flextronics during the CCAA restructuring of Nortel

Counsel to Flextronics Corporation, Nortel's largest supplier and significant creditor, during the CCAA restructuring of Nortel

Allen-Vanguard Corporation: Counsel to the Syndicate of Lenders to Allen-Vanguard Corporation

Counsel to the Syndicate of Lenders to Allen-Vanguard Corporation, a publicly-traded international military defense corporation, during its restructuring through the CCAA and recapitalization as a private entity

Athletes World: Represented the Monitor of a retailer in its restructuring and successful Plan of Arrangement under the CCAA

Represented the Monitor of a retailer in its restructuring and successful Plan of Arrangement under the CCAA. 

Mosaic Group: Acted as counsel to the court-appointed Interim Receiver of Mosaic Group

Acted as counsel to the court-appointed Interim Receiver of Mosaic Group, a cross-border marketing and technology company, during the liquidation of its assets for the benefit of its creditors

Irwin Toy: Acted as counsel to the largest unsecured creditor of Irwin Toy during the liquidation of its assets

Acted as counsel to the largest unsecured creditor of Irwin Toy during the liquidation of its assets. 

Professional Involvement

Leanne is a member of:

  • Insolvency Institute of Canada; Co-chair of the IIC Ontario Regional Development Committee
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Ontario Bar Association, Insolvency Section
  • American Bankruptcy Institute
  • Association for Corporate Growth
  • Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals
  • International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation
  • INSOL International
  • The Advocates’ Society
  • Toronto Lawyers Association
  • Turnaround Management Association
  • Women’s Executive Network

Recent professional appearances include:

Recognition

Leanne is recognized as a leading lawyer in:

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada® 2025 and prior years (Insolvency & Financial Restructuring Law)
  • Chambers Canada Guide 2025 and prior years (Restructuring & Insolvency)
  • Chambers Global Guide 2023 (Restructuring & Insolvency)
  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 and prior years (Financial Restructuring)
  • Who's Who Legal - Thought Leader - Restructuring & Insolvency 2023 & 2022
  • Who's Who Legal - Global Leader - Restructuring & Insolvency 2021
  • Who's Who Legal -  National Leader - Restructuring and Insolvency 2023 & 2021
  • Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys 2024 & prior years (Litigation Star in Ontario)
  • Euromoney's Expert Guides 2018 (Restructuring & Insolvency)

Education

Bar Admissions

  • Ontario, 1999

Education

  • LL.B. (University of Manitoba), 1997
  • B.A. (Hons.) (Western University), 1994