University of Victoria
British Columbia, 2012
Allison joined Terra Law as an associate in 2017 and became a director of the firm in January 2019. Her practice is focused on all aspects of commercial real estate, including the acquisition, financing, development, sale and leasing of development and investment properties. Allison regularly advises clients on Real Estate Development Marketing Act and Strata Property Act issues, as well as real estate financing matters. Allison has extensive experience negotiating commercial leases and advising clients on other leasing matters, and is recognized by Best Lawyers as a leading lawyer in the practice areas of Commercial Leasing Law and Real Estate Law. She also has experience negotiating agreements relating to municipal land use matters with local governments. Allison acts for a wide range of clients, including private and public companies, societies, pension funds and REITs.
Allison has lived in Kelowna, Victoria and Vancouver and grew up in North Vancouver. Through living in different areas of British Columbia, Allison became passionate about development and community building in the province. Allison particularly enjoys being involved in a project from beginning to end, starting from acquiring a project site, through to subdividing and rezoning the site, and finally to marketing and selling the project. She provides practical, strategic and timely advice and develops effective solutions to ensure her client’s projects are successful.
* Law Corporation
- Acting for clients with respect to the purchase and sale of commercial properties of various asset classes, including office buildings, shopping malls, industrial complexes, car dealerships, development sites and residential apartment buildings. Recent transactions Allison was involved in include the acquisition of a mall in the Interior of British Columbia, a single-tenant office building in the False Creek Flats neighbourhood of Vancouver, an industrial park in Burnaby and a multi-tenant office building in downtown Vancouver, which transactions had an aggregate purchase price in excess of $400 Million;
- Advising clients on real estate financing matters, including acquisition, mezzanine and construction financing and deposit protection insurance contracts;
- Acting for landlords and tenants in the preparation and negotiation of office, retail, industrial and ground leases, including assignments and subleases. Allison is currently acting for the landlord of a number of mixed-use buildings in the False Creek Flats neighbourhood of Vancouver in respect of leases of office, retail and laboratory premises to national and international tenants';
- Acting for developers with respect to commercial, residential and mixed-use developments. Allison is currently involved in the development of a master planned community in the Capstan Village neighbourhood of Richmond, which, when completed, will feature a number of residential high-rise towers, an office high-rise tower, ground floor commercial and retail space, and a number of common areas and facilities and community amenities;
- Preparing disclosure statements and amendments to disclosure statements, and advising clients on all manner of issues relating to the Real Estate Development Marketing Act and the Policy Statements issued by the Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate;
- Advising clients on issues relating to local government approval processes, such as subdivision (including air space and strata plan subdivisions), servicing requirements, zoning and rezoning, permitting and development cost charges. Allison recently assisted with an air space subdivision in the Cambie Village neighbourhood of Vancouver, which involved the creation of a parcel for a residential strata development, a parcel for commercial and retail premises and a parcel for a Canada Line station; and
- Negotiating agreements with respect to land use matters, such as easements, statutory rights of way, section 219 covenants with local governments and other public authorities, and public and private utilities. Allison also has experience drafting cost sharing agreements, licences, development management agreements, asset management agreements and other agreements with respect to the use, development and management of real estate.
- Urban Development Institution (UDI)
- National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)
- Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW)
- Past Board Member, Vancouver Urbanarium Society
- Canadian Bar Association
- Vancouver Bar Association
- Co-author, Chapter 3 – The Purchase Contract, BC Real Estate Practice Manual (2018 Update), Continuing Legal Education Society of BC