Sam C. Billard

First Year of Call
1985

Areas of Practice
Financial Services

Description
Sam is a problem solver. Drawing on his years of experience and pragmatic nature, he addresses clients’ financing and lending issues both in Canada and abroad. He has a reputation for finding practical solutions to difficult problems and is always striving to make deals work for all parties involved. He is an expert in Caribbean banking and, with great local connections, is a go-to advisor for many of North America’s largest financial institutions active in the region.

Sam is a member of the firm’s Financial Services Group and has extensive experience in project finance, syndicated lending, asset-based lending, cannabis lending, precious metals lending, restructuring, leasing, derivatives, asset-backed commercial paper, structured finance, and public and private bond financing. Focusing on unusual, often multi-jurisdictional, secured lending transactions, he provides corporate, regulatory and transactional advice to some of the largest financial institutions in North America. Sam has extensive experience in drafting and commenting on over-the-counter swap documentation and other bespoke derivative transactions.

He began his career with the law department of one of Canada’s leading commercial banks and later transitioned into the banking, restructuring and structured finance areas of private practice. He has a strong understanding of business as well as the accounting, tax and regulatory environments in which his clients work.

Sam’s broad experience and practical approach allow him to provide proactive and effective advice to clients in all areas of financial services. He has developed an expertise in assisting financial institutions restructure exposures to struggling resorts, hotels and other hospitality-related businesses in the Caribbean.