Brian Empey

Brian Empey serves as a pivotal partner within the renowned Restructuring Group at Goodmans, recognized across Canada for its leading corporate restructuring prowess. Brian's expertise is sought after in advising a wide array of stakeholders including debtor companies, creditors, regulators, committees, and court-appointed officers, especially in insolvencies spanning across multiple jurisdictions.

With a nuanced understanding of the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) alongside the unique challenges faced by securities firms and financial institutions during insolvency, Brian's expertise stands out. His advisory role stretches further into secured transactions and structured financings, delving into derivatives, asset-backed securitizations, and the intricacies of regulatory compliance within the financial services and payments industry, including the emerging field of crypto-assets.

Brian's accolades include recognitions from Chambers Canada, Chambers Global, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, IFLR1000, Who’s Who Legal Canada, and Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers, alongside a BV Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. His expertise is also acknowledged in banking and finance law, as well as insolvency and financial restructuring law by Best Lawyers in Canada.

His profound understanding of banking and financial services, corporate and asset-based lending, financial services regulatory, restructuring, structured finance, and derivatives has positioned him as a trusted advisor in significant cases. Brian's remarkable work includes leading complex CCAA proceedings, assisting in the monumental restructuring of Canadian Third-Party Structured Asset-Backed Commercial Paper, and facilitating the successful continuation of Toys "R" Us in Canada through parallel CCAA and U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings.

His contributions to the insolvency of financial institutions and securities firms are notable, including acting for the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF) during the bankruptcy of MF Global Canada, and representing IIROC in the CCAA and receivership of First Leaside Securities.

Brian's contributions to his field extend beyond his casework. An active pro bono practitioner, he is engaged in educating both national and international audiences on various insolvency issues and has served on the Oral Examination Board for the licensing of insolvency trustees. Holding an LL.B. from Western University and affiliated with the Law Society of Ontario, Brian's standing in the legal community is well-established.

His insights into financial services regulatory issues are regularly shared through client updates and articles, including contributions to discussions on the supervision of payment service providers under new legislative frameworks, and the guiding regulations for crypto asset holdings.

In an ever-evolving legal landscape, Brian Empey remains a beacon of knowledge and expertise in restructuring and insolvency matters, consistently recognized by his peers and clients alike for his strategic insight and unwavering dedication to achieving successful outcomes.