Walter Traub is chair of our Real Estate Group.
He is known as Canada’s foremost expert in real estate and mortgage law. In addition, his practice also includes work-outs, restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency matters.
Over the course of Walter’s extensive experience in commercial and mortgage lending, he has worked with both lenders and borrowers to constructively workout insolvencies and default matters. His expertise as it relates to mortgages and real estate financing lies at both ends of the spectrum; lending on one hand and default resolution and restructuring on the other. His experience in each of these roles over three decades of boom and gloom has enhanced his ability to act in the opposite role.
When commerce is booming, Walter acts for lenders implementing big loans. Over the years he has acted on some of the largest real estate purchase, sale and financing transactions in Canada, involving shopping centres, condominium developments and hotels, and including amongst others the financing of Terminal Three at Pearson International Airport. When commerce isn’t fairing as well, he also has vast experience in remedying defaults and acting on restructurings and enforcement retainers.
Walter is frequently retained by other lawyers and law firms to provide expert opinions and to appear as an expert witness before the courts.
Walter was called to the Bar of Ontario, with honours, in 1973. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from York University, a Juris Doctor degree from Osgoode Hall Law School, a Master of Law Degree in Banking and Financial Services Law from York University and has been certified as a Specialist in Real Estate Law.
He is a member of an arbitration and mediation panel operating under the name “Team Resolution” which is an adjunct to GSNH and operates from the firm’s premises. The team consists of six very experienced and highly regarded counsel. Walter has been published in various areas of expertise including construction lien law, real estate law and mortgage law.
Walter Traub is one of the first few lawyers in Ontario to be certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) as a Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law, a certification which has only been granted to an elite few members of the Ontario Real Estate Bar.
As the leading expert on mortgage law, Walter has also been called upon to teach extensively on the subject of Real Estate and Mortgage law and has presented and chaired many special lectures and seminars. He has taught the Ontario Bar Admission (OBA) Course in the fields of real estate, mortgages, estate planning and estate administration from 1974 to 1990. He has lectured to such institutions as the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), LSUC, the Trust Companies Association and the Real Estate Institute.
At Seneca College in Toronto, Walter taught the mortgage and lender liability course – a prerequisite for becoming a licensed mortgage broker in Ontario – for seven years from 1996 to 2003.
While Walter maintains that teaching is the best tool for learning, he also expanded his own education in obtaining an LL.M. (Masters of Law) degree in Banking and Financial Services Law from the Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in 1997.
Throughout his career, Walter has also written extensively on the subject of Real Estate and Mortgage Law. Some of his most recent writings include: “Special Issues Related to Construction Mortgage Financing” and “Mortgage Remedies-Power of Sale,” which topics were presented by the Law Society of Upper Canada in 2006 and 2007.
His real estate knowledge and expertise were put to the ultimate challenge in 1997 when he was asked to re-write Canada’s foremost publication on mortgage law – Falconbridge on Mortgages. Originally published in 1919 by professor Falconbridge of Osgoode Hall Law School, this publication covers all aspects of Canadian mortgage law. This book had not been revised since 1977 and was in need of an update since much had changed in the laws since that time.
Falconbridge on Mortgage’s is published by Canada Law Book, which describes it as the most comprehensive treatise and practical interpretation of Canadian mortgage law available. It includes expert commentary, detailed guidance and practical analysis aimed at quickly guiding the reader through the most daunting aspects of modern Canadian mortgage law. Walter assembled an editorial committee that included some of the finest lawyers practicing in the field of real estate and mortgage law to assist in the revisions. He now continues as Editor-in-Chief of the loose-leaf version of the text which is updated on an annual basis.
Recognition
- Recipient of the Law Society Medal, 2018
- Voted by his peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in Canada, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025 editions in the fields of Real Estate Law and Finance Law (2021)