
Overview
Jon Northup is a partner in the Tax Group and a member of the Executive Committee at Goodmans. Jon’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and investment funds, with a particular expertise in structuring cross-border transactions. He provides clients with dynamic, strategic and practical tax advice, frequently developing innovative structures and planning to address complex transactions and structuring challenges.
Jon is vice-chair of the firm’s Aging/Healthcare (including Seniors Housing) practice group and chair of SenbridGe, a division of Goodmans that provides specialized advisory, education and networking programs to the healthcare and ageing sector.
Jon is recognized as a leading practitioner of tax law by Chambers Global who describe him as “indispensable” and comment that he is lauded by clients as an “exceptional deal and tax structuring attorney.” He attracts strong reviews from commentators, who say: “He is wonderful - very thoughtful, thorough, responsive, and he really understands our business.” Jon is also recognized as a leading corporate tax lawyer by Chambers Canada, The Legal 500 Canada, Best Lawyers in Canada, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, World Tax, and featured in the Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring and the Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A. Lexpert named Jon one of Canada’s “Top 40 Under 40 Lawyers” in 2006 and one of the “20 Corporate Lawyers to Watch” in 2007.
Expertise
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Aging and Healthcare
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Capital Markets
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Cross-Border and International Tax
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Mergers and Acquisitions
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Private Equity and Venture Capital
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REITS and Income Securities
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SPACS
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Tax
Featured Work
Jon’s representative work includes acting for:
- Welltower Inc. in connection with its announced acquisition of a portfolio of senior housing communities from Amica Senior Lifestyles and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan for C$4.6 billion.
- Andlauer Healthcare Group ("AHG") in connection with a definitive arrangement agreement with affiliates of UPS under which UPS has agreed to acquire AHG via an all-cash transaction that values AHG at an equity value of approximately C$2.2 billion.
- Kilmer Sports Ventures, owned by Larry Tanenbaum, in connection with its acquisition of the “Toronto Tempo” expansion franchise, the first Women's National Basketball Association (the “WNBA”) franchise awarded in Canada, as well as the concurrent third-party investor financing.
- Harrison Street, a leading investment management firm headquartered in Chicago and exclusively focused on alternative real assets, on various real estate acquisitions in Canada including student housing, seniors housing and medical office properties.
- Welltower Inc. in connection with the dissolution of its joint venture arrangements with each of Revera Inc. and Chartwell Retirement Residence, the establishment of new management platforms with Cogir Inc., and the restructuring of Welltower’s Canadian operations.
- Tricon Residential Inc. in connection with its arrangement agreement with Blackstone, pursuant to which an affiliate of Blackstone, Inc. acquired all outstanding common shares of Tricon for approximately US$3.5 billion.
- Welltower Inc. and its affiliates with respect to the acquisition of 12 seniors housing properties in Quebec from Desjardins.
- Student Transportation Inc. in connection with the US$1.1 billion acquisition of Student Transportation Inc. by Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Ullico Inc. pursuant to a plan of arrangement.
- InterOil Corporation in connection with the acquisition of all outstanding of its common shares by Exxon Mobil Corporation for US$2.5 billion.
- Milestone Apartments Real Estate Investment Trust in connection with the completion of its going private transaction whereby an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group acquired all of Milestone's subsidiaries and assets for approximately US$2.9 billion.
Jon has extensive experience advising issuers and investment dealers on the structuring and taxation of public offerings, including offerings by REITs, investment trusts and similar yield-oriented issuers. He advised RioCan REIT on the first offering of preferred units by a Canadian trust and advised BSR REIT, NexPoint Hospitality Trust, Invesque Inc., WPT Industrial REIT, Milestone Apartments REIT, Agellan Commercial REIT and HealthLease Properties REIT on their cross-border IPOs.
Awards & Recognition
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Chambers Canada Band 2, Tax 2026
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Best Lawyers in Canada Recognized, Tax Law 2026
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Chambers Global Band 3, Tax 2025
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Chambers Canada Band 3, Tax 2025
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The Legal 500 Leading Individual, Tax 2025
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Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring Canada's Leading Insolvency and Restructuring Lawyers 2025
Credentials
Professional Involvement
Credentials
- University of Toronto, LL.B., 1998
- University of Victoria, B.A., 1993
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of Ontario
- Canadian Bar Association
- Canadian Tax Foundation
- Nareit
Call to Bar
- 2000 Ontario
Insights
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Financial Services Regulatory
In-Depth: Securitisation Law - Edition 6 - Canada Chapter
Francesca Guolo, Brian Empey, and Jon Northup co-authored the Canada Chapter in Lexology's In-Depth: Securitisation Law - Edition 6. The sixth edition of The Securitisation Law Review… -
Financial Services Regulatory
In-Depth: Securitisation Law - Edition 5 - Canada Chapter
Francesca Guolo, Brian Empey, and Jon Northup co-authored the Canada Chapter in Lexology's In-Depth: Securitisation Law - Edition 5. The fifth edition of The Securitisation Law Review… -
Structured Finance and Derivatives
The Securitisation Law Review 4th Edition - Canada Chapter
Francesca Guolo, Brian Empey and Jon Northup co-authored the Canada Chapter of The Law Reviews' Securitisation Review 4th Edition. The Securitisation Law Review provides legal practitioners… -
Structured Finance and Derivatives
The Securitisation Law Review 3rd Edition - Canada Chapter
Francesca Guolo, Brian Empey and Jon Northup co-authored the Canada Chapter of The Law Reviews' Securitisation Review 3rd Edition. The Securitisation Law Review provides legal practitioners… -
Banking and Financial Services
The Securitisation Law Review 2nd Edition - Canada Chapter
Francesca Guolo, Brian Empey and Jon Northup co-authored the Canada Chapter of The Law Reviews' Securitisation Review 2nd Edition. The publication provides securitisation attorneys, borrowers… -
Tax
Finance Releases Proposed Amendments to the Qualifying REIT Rules
On December 16, 2010, the Department of Finance announced proposed amendments to the rules in the Income Tax Act (Canada) applicable to real estate investment trusts. The amendments address…
News & Events
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Restructuring
Goodmans Recognized in the Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring 2025
We are pleased to announce 15 Goodmans LLP lawyers are recognized among Canada's experts in corporate restructuring and insolvency law in the Lexpert Special Edition: Insolvency and Restructuring… -
Aging and Healthcare
Goodmans Honoured Again with Top-Tier Recognition from Chambers and Partners
We are delighted to announce Goodmans LLP continues to receive top-tier recognition from Chambers and Partners in the Chambers Canada 2026 Guide.Recognition from Chambers and Partners is based on… -
100+ Goodmans Lawyers Once Again Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada: 2026 Edition
We are delighted to announce Goodmans LLP has once again been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada with 106 lawyers featured across 45 practice areas.Congratulations to Neill…