Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is pleased to announce that Edward C. Hannah will be rejoining the firm on January 1, 2005 as a partner, focusing on structured finance, securitization, venture capital and gaming.  He will be located in the Toronto office.

Mr. Hannah began his career with Davies in 1983 when he was called to the Ontario Bar and became a partner in 1985. He practised corporate/commercial law, focusing on private mergers and acquisitions, securitizations, corporate finance, securities law and venture capital investments. He was active in the structuring of unique financial instruments and provided extensive regulatory advice to trust companies, federal insurance companies, securities firms and banks.

Mr. Hannah left Davies in April 2000 to consult for Web Capital Partners, a venture capital investor, and The Score Television Network. Following the financial re-engineering of The Score and its listing on The Toronto Stock Exchange, he became Senior Vice-President of Headline Media Group Inc. where, as a member of the three-person executive team, he  managed The Score as well as a related sports and entertainment company.

In 2001 he joined Magna Entertainment Corp. as Vice-President and General Counsel and in 2002 became Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development and General Counsel. In addition to coordinating the eight-member legal department, he headed MEC’s corporate development group, which focused on acquisitions and industry initiatives. In 2003, when MI Developments Inc. was spun out of Magna International Inc. as a TSX and NYSE listed company that was also the parent of Magna Entertainment Corp., Ed became Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development and General Counsel of MI Developments where he was an integral member of the management team.

“Ed is a wonderful addition to the firm; we’re excited he’s coming back”, said William O’Reilly, Managing Partner of Davies. “Our securitization and structured finance practices are market leaders in Canada and consistently ranked at the top by independent rating organizations. Ed will add strength on strength in these areas. His experience with venture capital investments will be valued by many clients and he brings a depth of experience to our significant and growing gaming practice, an area of immense potential.”

“I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work once again with the Davies lawyers. They work in a collaborative manner which truly benefits their clients”, Mr. Hannah said. “The firm is focused on business law, practice areas where they can be best-in-class, and challenging work which provides a unique opportunity to leverage my experience in corporate and venture capital environments. It will be nice to come home.”

Mr. Hannah has a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Yale University, graduating Summa Cum Laude; an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School (Gold Medallist); an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, specializing in corporate finance, securities law and anti-trust law; and an M.B.A. from York University with a specialty in finance, graduating first in his class. He has taught and lectured at the University of Toronto Law School and Osgoode Hall Law School and has been active in his community as a Board Member of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (Hamilton Chapter); volunteer legal counsel to the national office of Big Brothers and Sisters of Canada; and as Vice-Chair, Operations for the 1996 Grey Cup.

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, with over 220 lawyers, practises nationally and internationally from offices in Toronto, Montréal, New York and Paris, and is consistently at the heart of the largest and most complex commercial and financial matters on behalf of its North American and overseas clients.

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CONTACTS:
William O'Reilly
Managing Partner
416-863-5573
woreilly@dwpv.com

Paul C. Carder
Director,
Marketing & Business Development
416-367-6975
pcarder@dwpv.com