Overview
Nora Osbaldeston is Regional Managing Partner (Ontario), a member of the national executive committee and past national lead of the Financial Services Group at Miller Thomson. She has extensive experience acting for domestic and foreign financial institutions and corporate borrowers on a variety of domestic and international financings including syndicated and multi- and single-lender financing transactions. She has experience across many industries and sectors including agriculture and food, automotive, healthcare, senior care, cannabis, hospitality, professional sports, retail, telecommunications, and family offices.
Nora is an independent board member of RFA Bank, a Schedule 1 Bank under the Bank Act Canada, and is the chair of its governance, conduct review and compensation committee and member of its audit committee. Nora is a board member and chairs the finance committee of Multilaw, a leading global network of 90 independent law firms in 100 countries.
Since 2013 Nora has been named to Best Lawyers in Canada for banking and finance and is ranked in Lexpert as a leading lawyer in banking and finance. She is a past recipient of a Lexpert Zenith Award, celebrating leading Women in Canada, WXNs Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women and the inaugural Federated Press Women in Law Leadership Award, for exceptional achievement and outstanding leadership by a Canadian Woman Lawyer.
Nora is a founding member of, and continues as an active volunteer at, Swim Drink Fish Canada, a grassroots charitable organization whose focus is on ensuring swimmable, drinkable, and fishable waterbodies in our communities.
Professional achievements & leadership
- The Best Lawyers in Canada, Banking and Finance Law, 2013 – 2024
- The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory - Banking & Financial Institutions, 2018 - 2019, 2021-2023; Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing, 2020, Asset-Based Lending, 2020 - 2022, 2024
- 2013 Lexpert Zenith Award Winner celebrating Leading Women Lawyers in Canada
- 2013 recipient of Inaugural Federated Press Women in Law Leadership Award, for exceptional achievement and outstanding leadership by a Canadian Woman Lawyer
- Martindale-Hubbell BV Distinguished Lawyer 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- 2009 recipient of Women’s Executive Network 100 Top Most Powerful Women in Canada (Professional Category)
- Lecturer, University of Windsor Law School – Advanced Business Law Course (Secured Transactions), 2010 – present
Thought leadership
- Lecturer, Windsor Law School Advanced Business Law Course, 2010 - present
- Chair and Presenter, Law Society Upper Canada 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010 “The Annotated Loan Agreement”
- Panelist, Inaugural Federated Press Women & Leadership in the Legal Profession
- Panelist, Federated Press, 6th Women and Leadership Summit.
- Speaker, “Business Agreements: Documenting a Deal from Start to Finish”, The Law Society of Upper Canada
- Presenter: Joint Meeting of Canadian Corporate Counsel Association and Canada Bar Association, “Financings and Biotech Companies”
- Chair and Presenter, Canadian Bar Association, Ontario “Due Diligence in the Wired World”
- Financial Institutions Chapter, Business Laws of Canada, a Thomson Reuters business publication, 2013 - 2016
- LSUC Annotated Loan Agreement, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2010
Corporate directorships
- National Chair Financial Services, Miller Thomson, 2013 - 2019
- Director, Vice President, Scarboro Golf & Country Club, 2014 - present
- Director, Multilaw, 2016 - present
- Managing Partner (Toronto/Markham), Miller Thomson, 2009 - 2012
- Co-Chair, Ontario Corporate Department, Miller Thomson, 2005 - 2009
- Steward, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, 2013 - present
- Member, Advisory Council, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, 2008 - 2012
- Board of Directors, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, 2001 - 2007
- National Secretary, Board of Directors, Unicef Canada, 1996 - 1999
Professional memberships
- Canadian Bar Association
- Law Society of Ontario
- American Bar Association
Bar admissions & education
- Ontario, 1990
- LL.B., University of Windsor, 1988
- B.A. (honours), Western University, 1985
