She worked on some of the earliest P3 infrastructure projects in Ontario
When public-private partnerships (P3s) took hold in Canada in the 1990s, Judy Wilson played a lead role in shaping their adoption in the Canadian infrastructure space, two of her colleagues at Blake Cassels & Graydon told Canadian Lawyer.
Wilson died Monday, March 6, after a brief illness.
“She's widely regarded as a pioneer,” says Marianne Smith, “because she was both there from the beginning, but she also had a big influence and imprint on how those early projects unfolded, particularly the procurement structuring of those early projects.”
The P3 model came to Canada by way of Australia and the UK at around the same time Smith began working with Wilson, and they were involved in some of Ontario’s first P3 transactions.
“Judy, because of her pre-eminence as a procurement lawyer in Canada, was called upon pretty early on in those early P3s to shape how those projects would be procured by the public sector,” says Smith, a Blakes partner whose practice involves public procurement, infrastructure and public-private partnerships.
Wilson became the “go-to person” when governments were looking to do something novel in the infrastructure space, she says. “Wherever there was a new asset class, new kind of infrastructure, or new sector, Judy was often the one called upon to do the first of those transactions.”
Jeffrey Merrick began collaborating with Wilson in the early 2000s. He was working on P3s with Infrastructure BC while Wilson was developing the model with Infrastructure Ontario.
It was her dedication, commitment, and foresight that allowed Judy first to recognize the opportunities that would blossom from that practice and then to build it, says Merrick.
“Those qualities are a few of the many good qualities that Judy demonstrated,” he says. “Where it took her and our firm was to one of the leading practices in the development of infrastructure and private financing of infrastructure projects in Canada. A position that we still enjoy today."
“All of those things, I think, are in good measure due to Judy’s foresight, her pioneering spirit, and her ability to develop a team and build a practice.”
After a decade in government working on major procurement and infrastructure projects, Wilson joined Blakes in 1996. During her time at the firm, she advised on major procurement and infrastructure projects, including the Eglinton Crosstown LRT (in Toronto), the GO Rail Expansion On-Corridor Works projects, and the 2015 Pan Am Games, also in Toronto.
Wilson and Smith worked together advising provincial governments on the acquisition of nuclear reactors and assisted municipalities such as Calgary, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, and Moncton on first-of-a-kind P3 infrastructure projects.
Wilson also advised the World Bank on procurement and infrastructure in relation to 22 projects around the world from 1996 to 2004.
In addition to the development of the P3 model, both Smith and Merrick attest that Wilson was also a pioneer in diversity and inclusion.
The way she treated and interacted with her colleagues allowed them to feel as if they could bring their authentic selves to work, says Smith.
“She had a very strong personal conviction that professional success should come from hard work and good client service, and not because of who you are, or where you come from, or who you love,” she says.
“Those personal convictions of hers were very important to her and have resulted in her leaving behind a legacy of a very diverse and talented team that will carry on not only her work but also her commitment to diversity and inclusion.”
Agnes von dem Hagen is senior vice president at Infrastructure Ontario. She worked with Wilson first as a junior associate, benefiting from her training and support, then as a client at Infrastructure Ontario.
“As a legal advisor, she stood out not only because of the depth of her knowledge and experience in procurement law in particular but also because of her practical business sense and the manner in which she would effortlessly bring together large project teams, recognizing everyone’s value and contributions,” says von dem Hagen.
“She was clearly passionate about her work, taking pride in the quality and success of projects and coming up with innovative solutions to complex problems, but it was also evident that she cared about the people involved on the project. It is the combination of these qualities that made her so respected at Infrastructure Ontario and within the broader industry. We will miss her presence and counsel.”
