Jeffrey A. Citron

Practice Areas

Jeff Citron is a partner in the Banking and Financial Services, Hospitality Law and Entertainment and Sports Law Groups at Goodmans. His multi-faceted prac­­­tice focuses primarily on corporate lending and credit restructurings, luxury mixed-use hotel and residential resort developments and sports law matters.

In 35 years of practice in the banking and finance area, Jeff has developed extensive experience acting for both lenders and borrowers in complex domestic and international secured lending transactions and debt restructuring transactions. Jeff is banking counsel to, among others, Cineplex Inc., Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Limited, The Clairvest Group, The Kilmer Group and Dexterra Group Inc. Jeff also regularly represents Bank of Montreal in connection with hotel related financings, and has acted from time to time for The Toronto-Dominion Bank, Fortress Credit Corp., GE Capital, Algoma Steel Inc., among others.

In the Hospitality Law area, Jeff has extensive experience representing owners and operators of hotels and resorts with the acquisition, financing, operation and management of hotels, resorts and mixed-use projects worldwide. Jeff acts for Auberge Resorts in negotiating luxury private residence development agreements and financing agreements for the development and operation of these properties.

In the Sports Law area, Jeff also advises current and former athletes and their agents and advisors.

Career

Jeff has been recognized as a leading banking and finance lawyer by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Banking, Finance and Transactional Lawyers, IFLR1000, Chambers Global, Best Lawyers in Canada, and The Legal 500 Canada. Jeff is also recognized by Who's Who Legal: Sports & Gaming as one of Canada’s leading sports lawyers and Chambers Canada for his exceptional work in Hospitality. He is also featured in the Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A.

Professional Memberships

Jeff has been published in the National Banking Law Review, the University of British Columbia Law Review and in various sports publications on issues involving the business of sports. Jeff has been a frequent guest lecturer on collective bargaining in sports and the business of sports at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and Osgoode Hall Law School.

He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario, Canadian Bar Association, and Sports Lawyers Association.

Personal

From 1995 to 2000, Jeff took leave from Goodmans to act as full-time associate counsel to the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) and was lead NHLPA counsel in drafting the 1995 collective bargaining agreement. In addition, Jeff acted as lead NHLPA representative on the Investment Committee of the NHL Players Pension Plan, as well as chairman and secretary of the board of trustees for the NHL Players Pension Plan from 1999-2001.