Robert Homersham
Robert Homersham
Counsel
Overview
Experience
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Experience
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Robert Homersham is counsel to our Calgary office where his practice consists of commercial real estate law, with a particular emphasis on land use planning and development. 

He has appeared numerous times before municipal councils and administration, before subdivision and development appeal boards, and the Court of Appeal to advocate for developer clients. Robert's practice also includes acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, construction financing, infrastructure financing, condominiums, hotel development (including timeshare and fractional interest ownership structures) and structuring shared ownership arrangements.

Robert is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian and Calgary Bar Associations, and the Urban Land Institute. He is a former board member of the SDAB. Robert is very involved in commercial real estate industry advocacy before municipal and provincial governments as a member and past chair of the Government Affairs Committee of NAIOP Calgary, where he is also its current President. Robert is also a long-serving board member of BILD - Calgary Region.

In his capacity as a CRE industry representative with NAIOP and BILD, Robert has been involved in extensive consultations with The City of Calgary, the Province of Alberta, and the Government of Canada, including:

  • City of Calgary off-site levies bylaw
  • Municipal Government Act amendments
  • Real Estate Council of Alberta reorganization
  • City of Calgary Master Development Agreement amendments
  • City of Calgary Charter
  • Canada Infrastructure Bank building retrofit program
  • Developer Funded Infrastructure Stabilization (“Oversize”) Fund
  • Green Line LRT alignment
  • City of Calgary Downtown Plan
  • Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) programs
  • Calgary Metropolitan Region Board
  • City of Calgary downtown land use bylaw amendments
  • City of Calgary Industrial Land Strategy

Value to Clients

“Bob’s dedication to the commercial real estate industry is lengthy and impressive. His leadership on industry associations including NAIOP and BILD is testament to that. He knows our business and he knows the laws that affect our business. This combination makes his advice particularly valuable.” (a CRE industry leader)

Outside the Office

Bob enjoys spending time with his family and friends, skiing, golfing and, during the quieter times, reading books and articles on a wide variety of subjects outside of law.

Law Society of Alberta
Member
Canadian Bar Association
Member
Calgary Bar Association
Member
Urban Land Institute
Member
NAIOP Calgary
President
BILD Calgary Region
Board Member
Real Estate Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2022 - 2025
Commercial Leasing Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2021 - 2023

Robert has provided advice to: 

  • A major real estate investment fund on the acquisition of an industrial portfolio in Rocky View County.
  • A major real estate investment fund on the acquisition of an industrial portfolio in Calgary.
  • A local developer on the land assembly and entitlement of a prominent redevelopment site in Calgary.
  • A client in the acquisition of a portfolio of investment and development properties in Calgary.
  • A client in the acquisition of a portfolio of industrial properties in Fort McMurray.
  • A client in the acquisition, entitlement, servicing, and sale of lots of a residential subdivision in Rocky View County.
  • An international real estate developer on the construction financing of a mixed-use residential tower in the East Village, Calgary.
  • The Canadian entity of a US REIT on the acquisition and development of sites for its self-storage business.
  • Numerous developers, both greenfield and redevelopment, on land use redesignations, subdivision and development applications, construction finance agreements, levies, endeavours to assist, and other entitlement and servicing requirements.
  • A national real estate developer on the acquisition, entitlement, strata subdivision, condominium subdivision, and financing of a phased mixed-use residential tower development in Calgary.
  • A major local developer on the entitlement, strata subdivision, condominium subdivision of strata parcels, condominium unit purchase and disclosure documents, and negotiation of numerous easements in respect of a phased mixed-use residential tower development in Calgary.
  • Numerous developers on condominium developments, both vertical and horizontal (ie, bare land), both single and mixed-use (ie, residential, mixed-use commercial/retail and residential, and commercial/industrial), from acquisition of lands, to entitlement, to drafting bylaws and unit purchase documents, to development and construction contracts, to acquisition and construction financing, and to unit conveyancing.
  • Numerous clients, both landlord and tenant, in the negotiation of office, industrial, and retail leases.
  • A client in the defence of an appeal of a development permit for a golf course before the Calgary Subdivision and Development Appeal Board (SDAB).
  • A client in the defence of an appeal to the SDAB of a single development permit approval for a mixed-use retail/residential condominium in Marda Loop on behalf of a national developer.
  • A client in the appeal of certain subdivision conditions imposed by Rocky View County before the Municipal Government Board on behalf of a greenfield residential developer.
  • A client in the appeal of conditions of a subdivision approval to the SDAB on behalf of a greenfield residential developer.
  • A community association in an appeal to the SDAB of a proposed development of a fast-food restaurant in their established neighbourhood.
  • A client in the appeal before the Alberta Court of Appeal of a development permit approval.
  • A client on a de facto expropriation of development lands.
  • “Commercial Real Estate and COVID-19: Alberta Market Impacts”, Urban Land Institute Alberta, April 2020.
  • “Alberta City Charters: Impacts on the Development and Building Industry – Edmonton”, Urban Land Institute Alberta, Edmonton, June 2018.
  • “Calgary Going Forward – Important Updates on City Charters, New Community Growth Strategy, Railway Adjacent Development and City's Industrial Strategy”, NAIOP, Calgary, February 2018.
  • “Rapid Fire Legal Roundtable: Addressing Six Current Leasing Issues Specific to the Calgary Market”, Calgary Real Estate Strategy & Leasing Conference, May 2017.
  • “Calgary Going Forward – Important Updates on Infrastructure Initiatives”, NAIOP, Calgary, February 2017.
  • “Calgary Region Council Meetings”, BILD, Calgary, January 2017.
Education
University of Calgary, 1996, Bachelor of Laws
University of Wales, 1992, Master of Arts
University of Alberta, 1987, Bachelor of Arts
Admissions
Alberta,1997