INTERVIEW
ANTHONY ARQUIN
A PASSION FOR REAL ESTATE BY FOULQUES DELBAR, JOURNALIST
Guided by his passions and very open to the world around him, Anthony Arquin has been able to pursue his interests on both a professional level as a lawyer, and on a personal level. A respected attorney appreciated by his peers, he has demonstrated consistency and ambition in meeting challenges that come his way.
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fter enrolling in law courses in France at the University of Aix-Marseille, the future lawyer made a life-changing decision. He emigrated to Canada at age 19 and completed his law degree at Laval University. At first unfamiliar with Québec law and the world of business, Anthony Arquin learned quickly, advancing up the ladder and making important contacts. His internship in 2005 with Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP marked his entry into the big leagues. For the past 17 years he has been working happily in his chosen field, developing solid expertise much appreciated by various clients.
number of spectacular projects in the Québec real estate sector.
Me Arquin loves history and architecture. He also has a passion for the world of business, and it wasn't long before he decided to take the plunge into real estate development. "My professional activities allow me to pursue my passions," he said. As a partner at Davies and coordinator of the real estate group for the Montréal office, he focuses on high-level strategic advice for real estate developers, investors and owners. "We help our clients anticipate legal and business challenges in their projects, and find solutions to challenges they encounter along the way," he said.
ACTIVE ROLE IN MAJOR REAL ESTATE PROJECTS In 2009 Anthony Arquin was seconded for four months to the legal department at SITQ, which soon became Ivanhoe Cambridge. He worked on several local and international deals along with professionals who introduced him to various facets of being in-house legal counsel, which made a strong impression. "We can be proud of the quality of the teams working on our provincial pension plans, which has ramifications for many international projects." He was then entrusted with the management of the Four Seasons Montréal dossier, a multi-use project that involved complex negotiations and in-depth operational considerations about the long-term use of the buildings.
PRESTIGIOUS LAW FIRM Anthony Arquin's career includes taking part in several large-scale transactions, the kind that help transform cities and give them new momentum. He finds inspiration in his firm's rich history. "Davies has been at the heart of major real estate transactions in the province for generations," he noted. "Our firm played a key role in iconic projects such as Place Ville Marie and the redevelopment of McGill College Avenue." As an important member of the Montréal office, he has been involved in a 32
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In recent years, Davies has been involved in trans actions such as the sale of Cominar REIT for $5.7 billion, the Viger Station redevelopment project and the creation of a joint investment platform for Claridge and Ivanhoe Cambridge. That platform provided access to more than $300 M in equity capital for various development projects in the Montréal and Québec City metropolitan areas. Mr. Arquin has also participated personally in some of the largest-ever real estate transactions in Québec.
Among the high-impact projects in which Mr. Arquin has been involved were the negotiations of a partnership for the redevelopment of the Laurier Québec City shopping mall, as well as the sale of a portfolio of 30 properties to an Ontario real estate investment trust. That deal involved working with two other law firms, and the sale was the largestever multi-residential transaction in Québec.