THE HPA VIEW
Most public-sector deals don't stall over politics. They stall over structure.
When the other party to a negotiation is a government body, land near transit, an expropriation, a corridor assembly, a public-private partnership (P3), or an acquisition from a public agency, we structure the deal, manage the negotiation, and navigate last minute complexities to reach financial close.
The thing that typically kills a public-private deal isn’t politics, it’s the underlying commercial mechanics. These include a structure the public side can’t defend, a valuation that disregards public mandate, an uncharted procurement path, and risk allocation that neither side is willing to accept. Our goal is to make the deal commercially viable, ensuring its survival despite political challenges.
WHERE WE FIT
A commercial advisory firm for transactions with government.
Harrington Place Advisors is a commercial advisory firm that structures and closes high-value transactions between private business and the public sector.
We assist developers, infrastructure companies, property owners, and private businesses in navigating the complex commercial mechanics that often complicate these deals. These mechanics include valuation, structure, financing, procurement, and negotiation. Our goal is to ensure that transactions align with public mandates while still generating profit for our clients. We’ve successfully facilitated $9 billion in transactions.
WHAT WE DO
We own the deal table, not the political one.
We are not lobbyists or government relations advisors. When your issue is political, your GR firm shapes the decision. When your issue is the deal itself, we structure it and close it. On complex files, both are needed.
| The influence layerGovernment Relations | The commercial layerHarrington Place Advisors |
|---|---|
| Understand government, public policy and communications | Understand commercial value, risk, and deal economics |
| Build relationships and map stakeholders | Build the deal structure that meets both sides needs |
| Find public policy and communications opportunities | Find and originate executable transactions |
| Solve problems through public policy and communications | Solve problems through deal structuring and commercial execution |
SERVICES
Four stages we move deals forward.
Originate the deal
We identify and create new public-private transactions, transforming underutilized public assets into mutually beneficial deals.
Restart the stalled deal
When a deal stalls on structure or procurement, we diagnose the real blocker, find the commercial path forward, and close it.
Lead the commercial negotiation
We handle the deal-side negotiation, from strategy to signing, covering terms, valuation, and structure.
Pressure-test the deal
We surface the hidden commercial, regulatory and structural risks others miss, so you know exactly what you're walking into.
TRACK RECORD
$9 billion, structured and closed.
A 30-year record across private M&A, financings, large-scale P3s, and public-sector acquisitions and divestitures.
$2.2B
Private M&A
$3.1B
Private-Public Partnership
$1.6B
Public Sector Acquisitions & Divestitures
$1.8B
Debt & Equity Financings
QUESTIONS
The questions we're asked most.
What does Harrington Place Advisors do?
Do I need a lobbyist or a transaction advisor?
Government relations firms shape political decisions and manage relationships, while transaction advisors structure deals, including terms, valuation, and financing, and close them. Complex public-sector files often require both services, and HPA specializes in the latter.
Does HPA lobby government?
What is a non-solicited P3 proposal?
It’s a public-private partnership initiated by a private party rather than tendered by government. It lets a company propose to finance, build, or operate public infrastructure on its own initiative. Structuring one to survive public scrutiny is specialized work.
Why do public-private deals fail?
Who does HPA work with?
THE TEAM
30-years of unmatched transaction experience to support your private-public negotiations.
Rohit Gupta
Managing Partner
Rohit Gupta is the Managing Partner at Harrington Place Advisors with over 30 years of experience developing and executing some of Canada’s most complex transactions. He led the establishment of Canada’s first-ever federal public-private partnership agency (P3 Canada) while working with the Minister of Finance of Canada, and previously served as Economic Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister. He has founded two start-ups and brings nearly a decade of mergers and acquisitions experience from Scotia Capital. Prior to founding HPA, he worked with Boxfish Infrastructure Group, leading negotiations on behalf of Metrolinx for transactions valued between $50 million and $500 million.
At HPA, Rohit leads the financial architecture behind the firm’s most complex transactions. He brings rigorous financial modelling, deal structuring and negotiation expertise to high-value mandates at the intersection of public infrastructure and private capital, translating intricate commercial arrangements into bankable, executable outcomes.
Rohit holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania (with Distinction) and an Honours BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario (with Distinction).
Rohit also currently serves as the Provincially-appointed Supervisor of the Toronto District School Board.
George Gretes
Partner
George Gretes is a Partner at Harrington Place Advisors with over 15 years of experience structuring complex infrastructure and real estate transactions. He leads commercial strategy and due diligence on unconventional infrastructure plays—aligning public mandates, land economics, political realities, and private capital into executable, procurement-ready frameworks.
At HPA, George structures transit-oriented developments, corridor assemblies, infrastructure delivery models, expropriation-sensitive acquisitions, and non-solicited public-private proposals. His work focuses on mitigating entitlement, stakeholder, and political risk while advancing bankable transaction strategies in complex public environments.
Earlier in his career, George helped develop a net-new international port on the Great Lakes, establishing a trade corridor valued at over $100 million annually. He also served in the Office of the President & CEO at Metrolinx, supporting major community relocations and high-impact transit initiatives.
He contributed to a $435 million merger for a publicly traded CPG manufacturer and began his career advising the Ministers of Transportation & Infrastructure and Finance in British Columbia.
George serves as Board Chair of Football Toronto and previously sat on the Forestry Futures Trust of Ontario.
David Ellis
Senior Advisor
David brings over 25 years of international experience as a Technical Director and senior leader specializing in rail and transit infrastructure, with. Most recently he worked at Boxfish Infrastructure Group where he lead the Technical Management Office for the $62.8B Metrolinx GO Expansion—Canada’s largest transit project—overseeing systems engineering, safety assurance, technical integration, and stakeholder management. David has played an essential role in establishing new industry-leading safety governance structures and technical standards within Canada.
David has successfully managed multidisciplinary teams at SNC Lavalin, CH2M Hill, and Halcrow, delivering major transportation projects across Canada, the UK, the Middle East, and Latin America. He is a qualified building services engineer, ISO audit certified, and trained in occupational health and safety compliance (OHSA/OSHA and Canada Labour Code). David is recognized for his strategic vision and ability to deliver innovative, integrated infrastructure solutions.
Robert Amano
Markets Advisor
Robert brings over 30 years of experience in macroeconomic analysis and monetary policy formulation. He was a Senior Research Director at the Bank of Canada providing advice to monetary policy decision makers and leading and conducting research on vital macroeconomic questions.
Robert has advised the South African Reserve Bank on their macroeconomic framework and contributed to the Bank of Canada’s and Federal Reserve Bank’s reviews of their monetary policy frameworks. His work has been discussed in The Wall Street Journal and The Globe and Mail. Most recently, Robert has been an Economics Advisor to Pure Macro Research Inc. and an Economic Trustee for a digital asset protocol known as eco.org.
Robert holds a MA in Economics from Queen’s University and a Hon. BA in Economics (with distinction) from the University of Manitoba.
Get in Touch
If you are in active negotiations or preparing to negotiate with a public sector entity, we can help!
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