Desmond Lee
Canada Guide 2025
Band 1 : Capital Markets: Debt & Equity
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
416 862 5945Share profile
Band 1
About
Provided by Desmond Lee
Practice Areas
Desmond is one of Canada’s most well-regarded lawyers for capital markets work, with a particular focus on IPOs and other equity financing transactions. He co-leads the Firm’s capital markets practice with Rosalind Hunter.
Desmond is responsible for the origination and execution of equity and debt financing transactions and has led numerous initial public offerings, new issues, secondary offerings and private placements for issuers primarily in the diversified, financial services, healthcare, mining, power and utilities, real estate and TMT (technology, media and telecommunications) industries.
He has extensive experience as an advisor to investment banks on trading questions and regulatory matters and has also served as the corporate secretary of a TSX-listed issuer. Desmond earned a B.Sc (Hons.) in geological sciences from Queen’s University in 1993 and an LL.B. from McGill University in 1996. He was named as a partner of Osler in 2005.
According to Chambers, Desmond holds a distinguished reputation among his peers and is “a very talented lawyer who gets to the point quickly”. He is ranked as a leading lawyer for capital markets or securities work by Best Lawyers, Chambers, IFLR1000, The Legal 500, Lexpert and Who’s Who Legal.
Career
McGill University, LL.B.
Queen’s University, B.Sc. (Hons.)
Bar Admission: Ontario, 1998
Professional Memberships
Canadian Bar Association
Law Society of Ontario
Chambers Review
Canada
Desmond Lee is recognised for his market-leading practice representing issuers in significant offerings. Operating from Toronto, he has additional capabilities in REIT work.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Desmond is excellent across all metrics. He is extremely knowledgeable and always thoughtful. He is an expert in his field and is always aware of new regulations."
"Desmond Lee understands the space better than anyone we have dealt with."
"Desmond is excellent across all metrics. He is extremely knowledgeable and always thoughtful. He is an expert in his field and is always aware of new regulations."
"Desmond Lee understands the space better than anyone we have dealt with."