James A. Proskurniak Jim is an experienced Toronto lawyer who joined the business law group of Devry Smith Frank LLP (DSF) early in 2014. In his previous years of practice, Jim was a senior business law partner in the Toronto office of a well respected national Canadian law firm. With DSF, Jim looks forward to continuing to offer client-focused and cost-effective legal services and solutions as a trusted advisor to business owners, corporations, institutions and organizations. All clients benefit from Jim’s extensive experience in advising domestic and foreign clients in all aspects of Canadian corporate and commercial law including loans secured by personal and real property, business formation and corporate law and business succession planning. In his commercial lending practice with DSF, Jim will continue to provide personalized and value-added services to a broad range of lenders including banks, credit unions, mortgage lenders, private lenders, institutional and other specialty lenders and governmental financing agencies. He is also well versed in providing commercial law support to restructuring and insolvency practitioners in connection with loan realization and work-out transactions. His financial services clients benefit from his extensive experience in advising domestic and foreign lenders in all aspects of Canadian commercial lending law including syndicated and single lender loan documents, security documentation collateralizing both personal and real property, inter-creditor and subordination agreements, cross-border issues, specialized security over investment property, transactional legal opinions, banking services and products and the regulatory aspects of foreign lenders operating in the Canadian market. He also provides expert advice with respect to the application and interpretation of the Ontario Personal Property Security Act and Securities Transfer Act, 2006. Jim’s business law practice with DSF will accentuate his personalized and value-added services to small and medium-sized Canadian businesses and subsidiaries of foreign multinational corporations and to the institutions and organizations that serve and interact with those types of businesses. Business owners will benefit from his broad experience in structuring and implementing business succession planning transactions. Jim’s industry experience includes automotive, aerospace, agriculture, financial services, investment advisory, financial planning, technology, manufacturing, sports franchises, pension funds, distributors, transportation, infrastructure, cooperatives, marketing, brand advisory and commercial real estate. He enhances his legal practice through involvement in various business and legal professional organizations, and he gives back to the legal community through writing, teaching and participation in law reform committees. In his spare time, Jim likes to spend time with close friends and family. He enjoys a good movie and has been known to attend popular music concerts by both classic and upcoming performers, at venues large and small. Summer often finds him assisting happily with gardening and landscaping projects around the house. By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 28, 2020September 5, 2023 No comments yet
Tracey Rynard Tracey joined Devry Smith Frank’s Barrie office on October 16th, 2017. Prior to joining DSF, Tracey achieved her B.A. in Psychology from McMaster University, B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto and J.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School. She was called to the Bar in 2004 and practised law at a Bay Street law firm prior to moving to a large regional firm in Barrie where she worked for 7 years before opening a boutique law firm where she has worked for the last 4 years. Tracey brings exceptional wills, trusts and estate planning, estate litigation, consent and capacity law, not-for-profit and charity law, and general corporate law expertise to DSF. Tracey spends her limited free time outside of the office being both a hockey mom and a swim mom for her two daughters. Occasionally, she has interests of her own such as reading, running and hockey. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the North Simcoe Girls Hockey Association and participates in pro bono work in the area of elder abuse. By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 27, 2020April 8, 2024 No comments yet
Elisabeth Colson Elisabeth is a co-managing partner of the firm and is the head of the firm’s Corporate Commercial Department. Fluently bilingual in English and in French, Elisabeth received her honours B.A. in Political Science from McGill University, and received her law degree from Universite de Montreal in 1989. Elisabeth is a member of the Ontario and Quebec bars. Elisabeth has held both private practice and in-house positions in Canada and abroad, and has extensive experience in a wide range of business law matters, including general corporate and commercial, franchising, intellectual property, insurance and reinsurance, leasing, media and production financing, and trademarks. She was general counsel for a venture capital firm, held the position of Vice-President, Legal Affairs for an international franchise company and acted as in-house legal counsel for all companies acquired by the firm. Immediately prior to joining DSF, Elisabeth was legal counsel for a global reinsurance company. In that capacity she attended to all corporate matters including corporate governance and compliance in numerous jurisdictions, and was involved in risk assessment and risk management. Elisabeth has a general corporate/commercial practice. She regularly advises her clients with respect to general corporate and commercial matters including drafting and settling commercial agreements, corporate organizations and reorganizations, franchising matters, intellectual property matters, private placements, mergers and acquisitions, and shareholder-related matters. Elisabeth is Co-Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee of Baycrest and is on the Business Advisory Committee of Baycrest’s The Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health & Wellness; is on the Board of Directors of Alpaca Ontario; is on the Advisory Board of Hercules Dynamics Inc. and is a past member of the One Life Gala Committee in support of the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. For further information, please contact Elisabeth Colson at 416-446-5048 By Fauzan SiddiquiMay 19, 2020April 25, 2024 No comments yet
