Mark Platteel
Mark Platteel is a Toronto-based partner in the Infrastructure and Construction Industry Group.
Deeply immersed in Canada's infrastructure sector, Mark advises clients across the full lifecycle of development projects, with emphasis on complex financing transactions, public-private partnerships (P3), and the negotiation and drafting of large-scale construction and operations contracts. Over the course of his career, Mark has worked closely with a range of public and private sector participants – including procurement agencies, developers, contractors, financial institutions, project entities and advisors – in bringing landmark infrastructure projects to fruition across the country and throughout North America.
Before joining Gowling WLG, Mark served for a number of years as general counsel (GC) for one of the most active infrastructure developers worldwide, advising on the legal, commercial and financing aspects of some of the most ambitious transit, bridge and road projects in North America. This experience, and the 360-degree industry perspective it afforded, has positioned Mark strongly to help his clients navigate the myriad hurdles and major strategic considerations they encounter on their road to success.
Prior to that, he spent 10 years at another national law firm working on a broad range of sophisticated debt financing transactions.
Since joining Gowling GLW, Mark has been ranked nationally and globally in the Project: PPP and Infrastructure category by Chambers and recommended in the Infrastructure and Project Finance categories in The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory. Mark’s work as GC garnered repeated recognition. In 2019, he was a finalist for the Osler Purdy Crawford Deal Making Award, part of the Canadian General Counsel Awards. That same year, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project – for which Mark acted as lead in-house counsel for the successful consortium – was distinguished by Lexpert as the #1 Deal of the Year. Also in 2019, the legal department led by Mark was named to the GC Teams Powerlist for Canada by Legal 500 as one of the top in-house legal teams in Canada. Lastly, Mark was named by Legal 500 to the GC Powerlist 2020 for Canada as one of the top in-house legal counsel in Canada.
Mark is currently chair of the Steering Committee for the Canadian Infrastructure Law Forum – a position he has held for the past four years. He continues to speak and write regularly on topics related to infrastructure development in Canada.
Outside of his practice, Mark has volunteered as the head coach of an East York Basketball Club girls rep team, and as a house league coach with the East York Basketball Club, East York Soccer Club and Beaches Community Soccer Club. He has also previously mentored students of Toronto's Central Technical School through the Law in Action within Schools (LAWS) program, as well as students of the First Nations School of Toronto through the Dare to Dream program.