New judge assigned to Essar Steel Algoma file

Earlier this year, Justice Glenn Hainey made international headlines when he approved the receivership sale of Toronto's tallest residential building, the 65-story Trump Tower

Glenn Hainey served as a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada for 2½ years before being appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in 2011

The judge who approved the sale of Toronto's money-losing Trump Tower earlier this year has taken over Essar Steel Algoma's restructuring file.

Superior Court Justice Glenn Hainey has inherited the Algoma file from Justice Frank Newbould, who retired June 1.

Hainey graduated from Western University's law school in 1974 and was called to the bar in 1976.

He started his legal career working as executive assistant to Arthur Maloney, Ontario's first ombudsman, then followed Maloney into the practise of criminal law.

Hainey headed Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP's Toronto advocacy office and served as a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada for 2½ years before being appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Justice in 2011.

"During his short time at the law society, he led the efforts that resulted in the civility protocols for judges and chaired the professional regulation committee," reported Canadian Lawyer magazine.

This past March, Justice Hainey made international headlines when he approved the receivership sale of Toronto's highest residential building, the 65-story Trump Tower.

In April, he blocked Metrolinx, the provincially owned agency overseeing transit planning in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas, from unilaterally ending a $770-million light rail vehicle deal with Bombardier.

Last year, Judge Hainey ordered the Iranian government to hand over its non-diplomatic assets in Canada to victims of Iranian-sponsored terrorist groups.

Essar Steel Algoma, which recently rebranded itself as Algoma, entered insolvency protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in November, 2015.