Thomas J. Timmins Partner Leader - Renewable Energy Group

Speaks:  English

Year of Call: 2000 - Ontario

Primary phone: +1 416-369-6689

Fax: +1 416-862-7661

Email: thomas.timmins@gowlingwlg.com

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Primary office:  Toronto

Areas of expertise:

Thomas J. Timmins

Thomas J. Timmins is a senior corporate lawyer in Gowling WLG's Toronto office. He is widely recognized as a leading lawyer in energy, project development, infrastructure and commercial law and has led several of the firm's most significant power and infrastructure sector transactions.

In his corporate-commercial practice, Tom leads mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, project financing transactions, partnership formations and joint venture formations across a range of industries. In energy and infrastructure, he has acted for investors and financiers in project finance transactions, capital financings, project co-development arrangements, EPC contracting, PPA contract negotiations and strategic alliance formation. He also acts regularly for governments and government agencies on PPP procurements, electrification strategy development and renewable energy project planning and procurement.  More recently, Tom has been brought in to act on the development of contract forms and business model development in micro-grid project development, DER initiatives, peak shaving energy storage and emergent demand response technologies.

Tom is leader of is leader of Gowling WLG's China Initiative and Chief Representative for the firm in Beijing.  He serves as leader of the firm’s Global Renewable Energy Practice Group. He also serves as chair of the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) and on a number of public, private and social sector boards.  He is a regular speaker and law school lecturer, appears regularly in national and international news media, and has been quoted in such leading news sources as The Economist, Globe and Mail, The Financial Post, World Journal, BNN and Canadian Business.

Media Coverage

Tom's recent media coverage includes:

Community Involvement

Tom's community involvement includes:

  • University of Windsor Law School - adjunct professor, "Infrastructure Law in Canada" course
  • Canadian Solar Industries Association - chair, federal caucus
  • Parkdale Community Information Centre - director (2005-2006)
  • Toronto Children's Own Museum - member, board of trustees (2003-2009), chair (2007-2008)
  • West Toronto RailPath - co-founder and chair
  • Toronto BikeShare - founding committee member

Expertise

Career & Recognition

Filter timeline:

  • 2018

  • 2016

  • 2000

    • Qualifications (Year of Call/Admission, etc.)
      2000
      Year of Call, Ontario

  • 1994

    • Education
      1994
      Queen's University, JD

  • 1991

    • Education
      1991
      University of Toronto, BA (Hons.)

Memberships

  • American Bar Association - Member, Corporate Governance Committee
  • Cambridge Club - Member
  • Canada's Venture Capital Association
  • Canadian Corporate Counsel Association - Director, Toronto Chapter (2002-2008)
  • Candian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), Chair
  • Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA)
  • Canada Africa Power Alliance (CAPA)

Tom's recent experience includes:

  • Lead counsel on the successful closing of an Ontario Aboriginal Loan Guarantee Program equity finance loan made in respect of FIT-contract assets
  • Acting as special advisory counsel to the Government of Bermuda in respect of renewable energy procurement, planning, energy storage, demand response and general energy regulatory matters
  • Advising Rainy River First Nations in regard to its acquisition of three Ontario Feed-in Tariff contracted solar projects in northern Ontario and the procurement of both project finance and equity finance
  • Advising Fiera Axium Infrastructure and Metropolitan Life in connection with the acquisition of a portfolio of over 80 MW of ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) projects from Recurrent Energy
  • Representing Axio Power Canada Inc. in respect of the sale of nine Ontario Feed-in Tariff contracted solar projects to SunEdison
  • Advising the Carbon War Room on renewable energy procurement and island energy systems matters
  • Acting on behalf of Mainstream Renewable Power in the development of wind energy projects in Latin America
  • Advising Hydrostor Inc. in respect of corporate and commercial matters pertaining to pneumatic storage technology
  • Advising a major cold-storage solution provider in respect of contractual matters pertaining to Ontario's Demand Response Pilot Program (DR3)
  • Advising the Government of Barbados in relation to the proposed development of the Mangrove Pond Energy Facility, consisting of solar, wind and waste-to-energy generation
  • Advising the Bank of Montreal in respect of the financing of wind-energy projects located in Ontario
  • Advising Northwind Solutions in respect of legal matters pertaining to operation service contracting in North American wind energy and solar energy markets
  • Representing tier-1 solar panel manufacturers in relation to operational matters in the Ontario solar market
  • Acting as part of the consortium advising the government of a Commonwealth Caribbean nation in respect of negotiations related to the development of a large-scale waste-to-energy facility
  • Acting for one of Canada's earliest commercial-scale wind energy developers - including:
    • Support during eight separate private equity finance rounds
    • Acting as corporate counsel during the creation of a joint venture with a publicly traded income fund to finance the development of Ontario's first 100 MW wind farm to reach commercial operation
    • Acting during sale of the company to a publicly listed senior entity and continuing to act during various turbine purchase financings with European bank financiers

Client work