R. Brendan Bissell — Partner
Brendan is a senior litigation and restructuring lawyer with over 25 years of experience advising clients on insolvency, restructuring, and commercial disputes. He began his career as a trial lawyer, a foundation that informs his principled and seasoned approach to complex litigation. Over two decades, he has transitioned from high-stakes trial work into a specialized practice at the intersection of construction law and corporate restructuring.
Brendan is recognized for his deep expertise in the construction and real estate development sectors. He regularly advises developers, contractors, municipalities, and project sureties navigating financially distressed environments. He is particularly adept at managing the technical challenges of public-private partnerships (P3) and Design-Build-Finance-Maintain (DBFM) structures. His work involves the application of the Construction Act alongside the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act to resolve priority disputes and ensure the continuation of critical infrastructure projects.
Throughout his career, he has acted for debtors, borrowers, creditors, and court-appointed officers. His perspective is grounded in decades of courtroom experience, allowing him to quickly assess multi-party dynamics and align legal strategy with the commercial realities of the file.
Brendan has been consistently recognized as a leading litigator in Canada. He is continuously ranked by both Lexpert and Best Lawyers in the areas of corporate litigation and insolvency. An active contributor to the profession, he is a member of The Advocates’ Society’s Insolvency Section and a past member of the Commercial List Users’ Committee.
Prior to joining RECON, Brendan gained a combined 25 years of experience at Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP and a boutique firm. He provides the high-level advocacy and technical insight required to resolve the most challenging disputes in the real estate and construction sectors.
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Member, The Advocates’ Society’s Insolvency Section
Past Member, Commercial List Users’ Committee
Awards and Recognition
Leading Lawyer in Lexpert: Insolvency and Restructuring since 2020
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada since 2022 in the areas of Corporate and Commercial Litigation and Insolvency and Restructuring Law
Speaking Engagements and Publications
“Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law Primer”, Law Society of Ontario, November 2024
“Cracks in the Foundation: When Insolvency and Construction Law Collide”, Ontario Bar Association, January 2024
“Inherent Jurisdiction and Omnibus Orders”, Commercial List Users’ Committee Annual Education Day, September 2022
“Appellate Court Casts Doubt on Finality of Asset Sales in Canadian Insolvency Proceedings”, Journal of Corporate Renewal (JCR), October 2018 (co-author)
Speaking on Construction Liens and Insolvencies “What are they, how do they affect Priorities and can we get rid of them?”, CBA National Insolvency Conference, 2016
“Trust No One: A Motto for Builder’s Lien Trust Claims in a Bankruptcy”, the Daily Commercial News and the National Creditor Debtor Review (LexisNexis Canada), 2016
“Dealing with the Board of a Financially Distressed Company”, Ontario Bar Association, 2016
“Bankruptcy and Construction Collide”, Ontario Bar Association, 2015
“Hot Topics in Construction Law: Construction Lien Rights in a CCCA”, Ontario Bar Association, 2014
“Restructuring a Canadian Construction Company (Some Assembly Required) Comstock Canada Ltd. Tried to Rebuild Itself”, Ontario Bar Association, December 2013
Education
Dalhousie, J.D.
McGill
Recognition
