
Overview
Joe Pasquariello is a partner and a head of the Restructuring Group at Goodmans, which is consistently and widely recognized as Canada’s best and leading corporate restructuring practice, including being named Canada’s Restructuring Firm of the Year for 2021 by IFLR.
Joe practices in the areas of commercial insolvency, restructuring, bankruptcy, insolvency litigation and financial services. He has represented a wide range of parties as bankruptcy and insolvency litigation counsel.
His roles have included assisting debtors, creditors, monitors, receivers, trustees and potential purchasers in bankruptcy and insolvency matters. Joe has acted for key parties in many high-profile, complex domestic, cross-border and international restructurings and financings.
In 2021, the Canadian Law Awards recognized Joe's work leading the US$1.2 billion Cirque du Soleil restructuring as the Restructuring Deal of the Year. In 2020, Joe's work in the $1 billion restructuring and CBCA proceedings of the Catalyst Paper Corporation, was also recognized by the Canadian Law Awards which named it Restructuring Deal of the Year.
Joe has been recognized as a leading insolvency and restructuring lawyer by Chambers Global and Chambers Canada, The Legal 500 Canada, Best Lawyers in Canada, Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Restructuring & Insolvency Lawyers, Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers in Banking, Financial and Transactional Law (Insolvency and Restructuring), IFLR 1000, Who’s Who Legal Canada and The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory.
Joe is also recognized by Lexpert as one of Canada’s Leading Litigation Lawyers. Earlier in his career, Joe was honoured as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 lawyers by Lexpert.
Joe is highly praised by his clients and peers and is described as:
- “a phenomenal lawyer” who is “very smart and very practical”
- having “expert transaction capabilities which are complemented by additional strength in litigation”
- “well balanced between tough and practical; very quick on his feet”
Expertise
Featured Work
Joe’s representative work over the past few years includes acting for:
- the ad hoc committee of secured lenders of Cirque du Soleil in connection with their provision of interim financing and a successful credit bid valued at US$1.2 billion in the contentious cross-border insolvency proceedings of Cirque
- the Court-appointed Monitor of Harte Gold Corp. in connection with Harte’s CCAA proceedings, including in respect of the sale of the company in a “reverse vesting order” transaction valued at $200 million
- the ad hoc term lenders of Tailored Brands Group in connection with the group’s US$1.4 billion refinancing and restructuring under Chapter 11 and CCAA proceedings
- the ad hoc group of first lien lenders of Skillsoft in connection with its US$2.1 billion refinancing and restructuring under Chapter 11 and CCAA proceedings
- the Court-appointed Monitor of Nortel Canada, in all aspects of the international insolvency proceedings of the Nortel Group, including the first ever cross-border insolvency trial and the negotiation and implementation of a wide-ranging US$7.2 billion global settlement and co-ordinated plans of arrangement under the CCAA and Chapter 11
- the ad hoc committee of lenders and shareholders of the Catalyst Paper Corporation group of companies in connection with the group’s $1 billion restructuring and CBCA proceedings
- the ad hoc committee of first lien lenders to the Savers/Value Village group of companies in connection with the group’s US$1 billion refinancing and restructuring
- the Court-appointed Monitor of ILTA Grain in connection with all aspects of its CCAA proceedings including the court supervised sale of its businesses and assets
- Carillion plc in the CCAA proceedings of its subsidiary, Carillion Canada
- Calpine Canada Energy and affiliates in a $5.7 billion cross-border restructuring and global settlement plan under CCAA and Chapter 11 proceedings
- the ad hoc committee of bondholders of Quebecor World Inc. in connection with the company’s restructuring of US$2.24 billion of debt under CCAA and Chapter 11 proceedings
Awards & Recognition
-
Chambers Global Band 3, Restructuring/Insolvency 2023
-
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory Recognized, Insolvency & Financial Restructuring: Financial Restructuring, Insolvency & Financial Restructuring: Insolvency Litigation 2023
-
Chambers Canada Band 3, Restructuring/Insolvency 2023
-
The Legal 500 Canada Leading Individual, Restructuring and Insolvency 2023
-
Best Lawyers in Canada Recognized: Banking and Finance Law, Insolvency and Financial Restructuring Law 2023
-
The Legal 500 Canada Leading Individual, Restructuring and Insolvency 2022
Credentials
Professional Involvement
Education
- Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.B., 1994
Professional Affiliations
- International Insolvency Institute
- Insolvency Institute of Canada
- INSOL International
- Turnaround Management Association
- Law Society of Ontario
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association, Insolvency Section
Call to Bar
- Ontario
Insights
-
Restructuring
ICLG - Restructuring & Insolvency Laws & Regulations - Canada Chapter
Joseph Pasquariello, Andrew Harmes and Brennan Caldwell co-authored the Canada Chapter of ICLG - Restructuring & Insolvency Laws & Regulations - 16th Edition.The…
News & Events
-
Banking and Financial Services
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023 Continues to Recognize Goodmans
We are proud to announce we have once again been recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023.85 Goodmans lawyers have been recognized as top-tier in their fields and leaders across… -
Banking and Financial Services
Chambers and Partners Continues to Honour Goodmans with Global Recognition
We are proud to announce Goodmans LLP has once again received top tier recognition from Chambers and Partners in the Chambers Global 2023 Guide released today. Recognition from Chambers and… -
Banking and Financial Services
The Legal 500 Canada Continues to Recognize Goodmans with Top Tier Rankings
We are pleased to announce Goodmans LLP has once again received top tier recognition from The Legal 500 Canada in their 2023 Guide released today. Recognition from The Legal 500 is based on…