Rob Blackstein

Partner

Toronto
RBlackstein@blg.com
416.367.6024

Rob Blackstein is a seasoned corporate and transactional lawyer and co-chair of BLG's Electricity Markets Group in Toronto. Rob is involved in all aspects of the energy and infrastructure industries, from upstream structuring between investors down to the project level, including project development, debt and equity financings, construction, operations, mergers and acquisition (M&A) transactions, both domestic and cross-border.

Rob works on a wide range of infrastructure and energy projects and transactions for public authorities, owners, lenders, equity providers, operators, customers, developers and design-builders. His experience in Canada's energy is extensive and spans transmission, distribution and generation (solar, wind, hydroelectric, gas and nuclear), district energy projects and hydrogen.  Rob acts on a number of the sector's most significant and marquee energy and infrastructure transactions, including complex bilateral arrangements as well as number of “first of a kind" projects. Rob also acts on the formation and structuring of various project and investment vehicles, including energy and infrastructure funds, and has represented fund sponsors and institutional investors in connection with such transactions. On large scale infrastructure projects, Rob acts for public authorities, developers and design-builders in a number of areas, including hospital projects, toll roads, rail and ports.

Rob is involved in a number of industry associations and is the Chair of the Toronto Board of Trade's Energy Transition Committee, a cross-sectoral committee that aims to develop a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy system in the Toronto Region in order to enable business growth.

Experience

  • A sample of Rob's recent representative and industry leading transactions include:
    • Counsel to Northland Power Inc. on the acquisition, development and debt financing of the 250 MW Oneida battery storage project, a first of its kind utility scale lithium-ion battery storage project;
    • Counsel to Northland Power Inc. on the acquisition of a renewable power development platform from Greengate Power Corporation in Alberta encompassing a solar and battery storage portfolio of over 1.6 GW and 1.2 GWh, respectively;
    • Counsel to Candu Energy Inc., a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group in connection with its agreement with Ontario Power Generation to deliver a GEH BWRX-300 Small Modular Reactor at OPG's Darlington site, the first of its kind grid-scale SMR to be deployed in Canada; and
    • Counsel to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Inc. (CNL) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) in connection with its program to host small modular nuclear reactors, including its framework agreement with Global First Power Ltd. to host a first of its kind proposed Micro Modular Reactor Project to be located at Chalk River Laboratories, a site owned by AECL and managed by CNL.

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association

Community Involvement

  • Chair, Toronto Board of Trade's Energy Transition Committee
  • Volunteer board member, John G. Althouse Before and After School Program

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2022) of Best Lawyers in Canada® (Energy Law)
  • Recognized as a 2023 Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition of The Legal 500 Canada as Next Generation Partner (Energy & Natural Resources - Power)
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2021) of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Corporate Commercial Law, Energy (Electricity), Infrastructure Law, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity)
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2021) of Lexpert Special Edition: Energy
  • Recognized in the 2023 and 2021 editions of Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure

Bar Admission & Education

  • Ontario, 2006
  • LLB, University of Windsor, 2005
  • JD, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, 2005
  • BA (Hons.), Queen's University, 2002