Susan D. Rosen

Susan Rosen is a partner in Gowling WLG's Toronto office and a member of both the Financial Institutions & Services and Real Estate & Urban Development practice groups. She specializes in a broad range of syndicated lending, banking, restructuring and enforcement, real estate, commercial leasing, and environmental law-related areas.

Susan's practice involves secured financings, commercial acquisition, disposition and financing transactions, construction financing, residential and commercial development including condominiums, commercial and retail leasing, and environmental law related issues. In her practice, she acts on behalf of individuals, small and multinational corporations, REITs, financial institutions, credit unions, insurance companies and foreign investors, as well as some of Canada's largest and most well-known developers, property and asset managers and retail chains. One of Susan's roles at Gowling WLG is to lead the Starbucks client team to ensure effective and efficient access to a wide variety of legal services offered by the firm throughout all of its offices.

Susan is a highly regarded legal and strategic advisor to many clients of the firm. She plays a strong role in Gowling WLG's diversity initiatives and received the Starbucks International Excellence in Diversity Award in 2012. Susan is chair of the Gowling WLG Women's Professional Network for Toronto, and serves on the national executive committee as well. She is also on the executive committee of Gowling WLG's National Real Estate Practice, and is the leader of various client teams, including the Credit Union National Practice group at Gowling WLG.

Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Susan spent two years as in-house counsel to one of the largest integrated petroleum companies in Canada, where she completed a variety of real estate and corporate commercial transactions. While there, Susan expanded her real estate knowledge and developed her experience in environmental law.

Susan regularly speaks on leasing, real estate and environmental topics at the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association and numerous other organizations. She has been recognized at the top of her fields by her peers in a variety of directories and ranking bodies, including Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert®. Susan speaks and moderates panels regularly, has chaired a variety of industry and legal conferences, and has written many articles and papers on a wide variety of legal topics. Most recently, she delivered a lecture series to various lenders on commercial lending and the enforcement of commercial loans.

Susan leads the Gowling WLG Women's Professional Network [GROW] Initiative for the Toronto office, which is both an internal and external-client focused initiative to develop, support and empower business development and networking for the women of Gowling WLG and female clients of the firm. Susan chairs and speaks on numerous panels and hosts events in support of the Gowling WLG GROW Initiative.

Career & Recognition

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Memberships

  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Commercial Real Estate Women, Toronto chapter
  • International Council of Shopping Centres
  • The Law Society of Ontario
  • Ontario Real Estate Lawyers Association

Susan has been an active member of the organizing committee for the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Canadian Law Conference for several years and chairs a panel discussion each year. She has lectured on numerous occasions to the Ontario Bar Association's Real Property Section, the Law Society of Upper Canada - Six-Minute Lawyer Leasing Series, the Professional Credit Granting (PCG) School and the ICSC Canadian Law Conferences, and she has written a number of papers in connection with those presentations and speeches. Susan regularly delivers lectures to clients and members of the Firm on real estate, lending, leasing and environmental law issues. She also contributed to the Toxic Real Estate chapter in the Business Guide to Environmental Law. Susan has been quoted in a variety of articles appearing in The Globe and Mail and Canadian Lawyer.

Most recently, she was selected to be a panelist at the February 2022 Canadian Lawyer Woman in Law Summit Canada, speaking on the topic of "Designing the career you want."

Susan's recent external presentations include:

  • "Office Developments and Redevelopments," Land and Development Conference – June 7, 2022 (moderator)
  • "Women in Law Summit Canada" – February 17, 2022 (speaker)
  • "Early Landlord/Tenant Cases Coming out of COVID" LSUC Six Minute Leasing Lawyer, to be delivered on March 2021 (speaker and paper)
  • "Managing Loans and Mortgages in Today's Lending Environment" – May 1, 2020, Chaired Webinar – hosted by the Canadian Credit Union Association (Tom Cumming, Haddon Murray and Mia Lester-Peck - panelists)
  • "Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program: New Guidelines Introduced by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation" – May 4, 2020
  • "COVID-19 Survival Guide: Commercial Leasing" – Chaired Gowling WLG webinar – April 28, 2020 (Joel Camley, Julie Desrochers and Darren Taylor panelists)
  • "Opening and operating covenants/go–dark rights," ICSC Canadian Law Conference, April 2020 (speaker)
  • "Critical Commercial Lease Issues: Deferrals, Abatements and Continuous Use Clauses," Ontario Bar Association Real Property Law Program, April 2020 (speaker)
  • "Buying an Income-Producing Commercial Property," Law Society of Ontario 17th Real Estate Law Summit, Toronto, April 2020 (speaker)
  • "Access: How do I get my property?" The Six-Minute Real Estate Lawer 2019, Law Society of Ontario, September 2019 (speaker)
  • "Early days of cannabis: What is being seen today in office, retail, multi-residential and industrial sectors and what is anticipated in the next 12 months?", RealTrends Conference, Toronto, September 2019 (moderator)
  • "Controllable Operating Expenses," The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2019, Law Society of Ontario, February 2019 (speaker)
  • "Development and Leasing Considerations When Dealing with Mixed Use Developments" - presentation to development and leasing clients, January 2018 (presenter)
  • Key Changes and Considerations re Bill 142 - Construction Lien Amendment Act, 2017 - presentation to construction, development and leasing clients, December 2017 (presenter)
  • "Fire, fire, fire: Three case studies on what happens when your building catches fire," Real Estate Strategy & Leasing Conference, September 2017 (panel member)
  • Presentation on kiosks and temporary leases, ICSC Canadian Law Conference, April 2017 (speaker)
  • "Good faith and other recent case law: Implications for asset management strategies and lease negotiation," Real Leasing Conference, September 2015 (panel member)
  • "How to manage commercial leasing documentation and offer strategies for success," OBA's Real Property Step-by-Step Series, Toronto, May 2015 (speaker)
  • Moderated a panel for the keynote presentation at the Canadian Shopping Centre Law Conference on the topic of the foreign retailer's experience in coming to Canada, Toronto, April 2015
  • "Operating Cost Charge Backs & Five Key Issues on the Edge. What Tenants Need to Know," Real Leasing Conference, October 2014 (moderator)
  • "Priorities: The Balance of Power Between Tenants, Landlords, and Lenders, and the Documents that Define Those Relationships," Commercial Leasing Essentials 2013, The Law Society of Upper Canada, September 2013 (presenter)
  • "Lease Provisions for Site Plan Approvals and Permits for New Premises," The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2013, The Law Society of Upper Canada, February 2013 (speaker)
  • "Fixin' Things Before They Break," ICSC 2013 Canadian Law Conference, February 2013 (moderator and Program Planning Committee co-chair)
  • "Foreign Retailers Coming to Canada - What Do They Need to Know?," ICSC 2012 Canadian Law Conference, February 2012 (moderator)
  • "Important Things You Should Know When Leasing Real Estate in Canada," Gowlings webinar, July 2011 (coordinator and moderator)
  • "What You Need to Know When Purchasing Real Property in Canada," Gowlings webinar, July 2011 (coordinator and moderator)
  • Keynote Presentation: "Canadian Success Stories," ICSC 2011 Canadian Law Conference, February 2011 (moderator)
  • "The Country Beyond Ontario: Things You Need to Know About Leasing Law in Other Provinces," ICSC 2010 Canadian Law Conference, February 2010 (moderator)
  • Cross-Jurisdictional Panel, ICSC 2010 Canadian Law Conference, February 2010 (moderator)
  • "Canadian Success Stories," ICSC 2010 Canadian Law Conference, February 2010 (moderator)
  • "Class Exercise: Applying the Principles You Have Learned," ICSC Educational Seminar 2010, May 2010 (speaker)
  • "Commercial Leasing: The 'Must Know' Update," Legal and Regulatory Issues Facing Building Owners and Property Managers - Springfest Seminar, Ontario Bar Association - Commercial Leasing, May 2010 (speaker)
  • "Operating Costs for Dummies (and Smart People Too) - What Should Stay In and What You Can Try to Negotiate Out," ICSC 2009 Canadian Law Conference, March 2009 (moderator)
  • "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Tenant Exit Strategies and Reconciling the Interests of Landlords and Tenants," ICSC 2008 Canadian Law Conference, March 2008 (moderator)
  • "Change of Use Negotiating for Future Changes in Retail and Office Premises," The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2008, The Law Society of Upper Canada, February 2008 (speaker)
  • "Insurance 'Lingo' - Clear as Mud," ICSC 2007 Canadian Law Conference, March 2007 (moderator)
  • "Incentives and Inducements for Landlords and Tenants," 3rd Commercial Real Estate Course, Federated Press, December 2007 (speaker)
  • "Brave New World - Security and Privacy Issues," ICSC 2006 Canadian Law Conference, March 2006 (moderator)
  • "Operation Compromise - Operational Challenges Faced by Tenants and Suggested Solutions," ICSC 2005 Canadian Law Conference, March 2005 (panelist)

Some of Susan's papers and articles include:

  • "COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Advisory Commercial Landlord Survival Guide)," March 26, 2020
  • "COVID-19 Commercial Loan Review Protocol," March 18, 2020 article on Gowling WLG COVID page
  • "COVID-19 Commercial Landlord Survival Guide," March 23, 2020 article on Gowling WLG COVID page
  • "Access: How do I get my property?" The Six-Minute Real Estate Lawer 2019, Law Society of Ontario, September 2019
  • "Controllable Operating Expenses," The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2019, Law Society of Ontario, February 2019
  • "Lease Provisions for Site Plan Approvals and Permits for New Premises," The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2013, The Law Society of Upper Canada, February 2013
  • Leasing and Financing sections, Gowlings Doing Business in Canada guide, 2012
  • "Top 10 Things You Need to Know When Leasing Real Estate in Canada," ICSC 2012 Canadian Law Conference, February 2012
  • "Pop Up Stores: Risks and Rewards," December 2010
  • Conference Forum Paper, RealLeasing Conference, September 2010
  • "Ontario's Limitations Laws and Commercial Leasing," Legal and Regulatory Issues Facing Building Owners and Property Managers - Springfest Seminar, Ontario Bar Association - Commercial Leasing, May 2010
  • "GAAP v. IFRS - Impact on Operating Costs Recoveries," September 2009
  • "Operating Costs for Dummies (and Smart People Too) - What Should Stay In and What You Can Try to Negotiate Out," ICSC 2009 Canadian Law Conference, March 2009
  • "Negotiating Your Way Out of a Lease in Hard Times," February 2009
  • "Building in Lease Protections for the Landlord and the Tenant in Anticipation of Changes in the Marketplace," Commercial Leasing Essentials: Leasing in a Time of Economic Change, September 2008
  • "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Tenant Exit Strategies and Reconciling the Interests of Landlords and Tenants," ICSC 2008 Canadian Law Conference, March 2008
  • "Change of Use Negotiating for Future Changes in Retail and Office Premises," The Six-Minute Commercial Leasing Lawyer 2008, The Law Society of Upper Canada, February 2008

Susan's recent media mentions and appearances include:

  • Guest on the Commercial Real Estate Podcast on Oct. 30, 2019, with respect to the topic of cannabis in real estate.
  • Quoted in Canadian Lawyer on March 25, 2019, regarding the legalities surrounding pop-up shops in Canada.
  • Quoted in Canadian Property Management on Jan. 6, 2015, in connection with comments made by Susan regarding the role of property managers at the PM EXPO conference titled "Tenant Perspectives: What is Important to Them? What Do They Expect from a Property Manager?" held at the Metro Convention Centre on Dec. 4, 2014