Vincent Mercier is a member of the firm's Management Committee and a partner practising in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and securities.
Vincent has significant experience in all aspects of public company M&A, including hostile take-over bids, private equity acquisitions, negotiated merger transactions and special committee processes. Recent representative transactions that Vincent has advised on include: for Reuters Corporation in its $17 billion combination with the Thomson Corporation using the first dual listed company structure in Canada; for Agricore United in the $1.2 billion hostile offer from Saskatchewan Wheat Pool that ultimately led to the creation of Viterra Inc., Canada's largest grain company; and the Special Committee of Retirement REIT in conducting the strategic review process that resulted in its sale to the Canadian pension fund PSP Investment Board. He also led the legal team that acted for PetroKazakhstan in the strategic review process that led to its sale for US$4.2 billion to the Chinese state-owned corporation, CNCP International Ltd. He also acted for Wheaton River in its $2.3 billion merger with Goldcorp, the Special Committee of Intier in connection with the proposed going private transaction by Magna International, for Clarica Life Insurance in connection with its merger with SunLife Financial, and the Special Committee of Hollinger Inc. in connection with matters relating to Hollinger International.
Vincent has also been counsel on a number of public offerings, securitization transactions and innovative transactions such as the spin-off of Sherritt International by way of rights offerings and the financing and construction of the bridge between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Vincent is recognized as a leading M&A lawyer in The 2008 Lexpert/American Lawyer
Guide to The Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada and is also listed as a leading practitioner in his field by the
2008 Best Lawyers in Canada Guide. PLC Which Lawyer?
Yearbook also recognized Vince as a highly recommended lawyer in its 2007 corporate/M&A listing. In September 2002, Vince was selected by
Lexpert Magazine as one of Canada's top 40 under 40 lawyers. He has also been recognized in the corporate/M&A category by Chambers Global's
The World's Leading Lawyers for Business and as a recommended corporate finance, M&A and joint ventures lawyer by
Global Counsel 3000.
Vincent taught securities law at the University of Western Ontario and served as Past Chair of the Board of Directors of Camp Oochigeas, a summer camp for children with cancer. He frequently speaks at conferences on M&A. He is fluent in English and French. Vincent received a B.A. (first class Honours) in Economics from Simon Fraser University in 1984, an M.A. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in 1985 and an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1988. He became a partner in 1992.