Katarzyna Sliwa, Partner at Dentons and member of Canada Region Board.
A partner at Dentons, Katarzyna (Kat) Sliwa (She/Her/Hers) manages the Municipal Planning, Land Use and Development Law group. She is also a member of the Dentons Canada Region Board, the co-leader of the National Real Estate practice group, leader of the Canadian Smart Cities Thinktank and co-chair of the Global Smart Cities Thinktank. She provides exceptional counsel to landowners as they weave through the approval process for development and redevelopment projects, and strategically guides clients in resolving complex land use challenges throughout Ontario.
Kat’s diverse client base includes various landowners, such as development companies, builders, landowner groups, institutions, commercial and retail users, cannabis industry, restaurants and hotels. Her vast experience extends to a wide spectrum of development matters, including official plan and zoning by-law amendments, plans of subdivision, severance, variance and site plan matters.
A savvy negotiator with a stellar reputation in the municipal and land use planning community, Kat is accomplished in taking clients from the beginning of the development proposal to approval, and in negotiating development agreements. She frequently appears before the Ontario Land Tribunal (“OLT”, formerly the Ontario Municipal Board and Local Planning Appeal Tribunal), as well as municipal councils and committees.
Kat is recognized by The Best Lawyers in Canada, Legal 500 Canada, Chambers Canada and The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. She has also been named a Women’s Leadership Initiative Champion by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and has received the yBILD Leadership Award from the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). Kat is also a past chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Municipal Law Executive.