Davies

Return To Profile

• Acted for Samsung Renewable Energy Inc. and Pattern Renewable Holdings Canada ULC in hearings before the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal in the successful defence of appeals of the renewable energy approvals for the South Kent 270 MW and Grand Renewable 148 MW wind energy projects.

• Acting for Nortel Networks Limited in connection with environmental liabilities in its Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act insolvency proceedings and related Environmental Review Tribunal appeal.

• Acted for Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc. in completing its arrangements with Ontario Power Authority for two wind farm projects of 99 MW each. Issues included transfer of environmental attributes such as offset credits.

• Acted for the City of Toronto in the Toronto waterfront revitalization project, including negotiations with government ministries and agencies, advising on issues such as public ownership of lands, governance, environmental liabilities and conveyancing, and negotiation of procurement, design, development, construction and financing documentation.

• Acted for Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale, New York Branch in connection with its financing on 9 MW of a combined 19 MW of solar power projects being developed via a joint venture between SunEdison, North America's largest solar energy services provider and SkyPower Corp., a major Canadian renewable energy developer. The 19 MW of solar projects are set to be completed by the end of 2009. The project, known as First Light, is the first project under the Ontario Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program to be project financed.

• Acted for Amcor Limited in its acquisition of Alcan Packaging operations from Rio Tinto plc in 31 countries for approximately US$2 billion. The acquisition enhances Amcor's position as one of the world's leading packaging companies.

• Acted for Stonebridge Financial Corporation in connection with project financing for the Alderville Solar Project in Central Ontario.

• Acted for Kaycan, Ltd. in connection with its agreement with Pfleiderer Canada Inc. to buy Uniboard Canada Inc. with its North American Particleboard, MDF, thermally fused melamine and laminate flooring facilities.

• Acted for Altus Capital Partners in its acquisition of International Imaging Materials, Inc., a global leader in the development, manufacture and distribution of thermal transfer ribbons.

• Acted for Brambles Limited, the world's leading provider of pallet and container pooling solutions, in its acquisition of Paramount Pallet.

• Acted for WellSpring Pharmaceutical Corporation, a manufacturer and marketer of specialty pharmaceutical products, in connection with its acquisition by Ancor Capital Partners.

• Acted for a confidential client providing strategic advice to the defendant in a large toxic tort class action regarding environmental, toxicology and epidemiology.

• Acted for Novacap Industries III, L.P., a leading Canadian private equity and venture fund, in connection with its US$87-million acquisition of Idaho Pacific Holdings, Inc. and its Canadian and U.S. subsidiaries.

• Acted for Baosteel Resources International Co., Ltd., part of The Baosteel Group and one of the largest steel producers in China and worldwide, in connection with its investment in Noront Resources Ltd., by way of a private placement.

• Acted for Atlas Holdings LLC and Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC in connection with the sale of Northern Resources Nova Scotia Corporation (the parent company of Northern Pulp, the Pictou County kraft pulp mill, and Northern Timber, which owns forest land) to Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Corporation.

• Acted for AbitibiBowater Inc. (now known as Resolute Forest Products) in connection with the sale of its 75% indirect interest in ACH Limited Partnership, which owns 8 hydroelectric generating facilities in Ontario, in a transaction valued at $640 million.

• Acted for Canada Lands Company CLC Limited in connection with a long-term lease to Ripley Entertainment Inc. for a world-class aquarium with up to 150,000 square feet of space to be located at the base of the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario.

• Acted for Yoplait France SAS, the second largest brand in fresh dairy products in the world, in connection with its acquisition of Québec-based Liberté Brand Products from its management and investment firms, Swander Pace Capital LLC and Roynat Capital Inc.

• Acted for a syndicate of underwriters co-led by CIBC World Markets Inc. and TD Securities Inc. with respect to a bought deal offering of units of Crombie Real Estate Investment Trust.

• Acted for Postmedia Network Inc. in the acquisition of the publishing business of Canwest LP under a sale proceeding conducted pursuant to the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. The assets included the largest publisher of English-language newspapers in Canada as well as an extensive portfolio of digital media and online assets. The aggregate enterprise value of the assets was estimated to be $1.1 billion. Also acted throughout the CCAA proceedings for an Ad Hoc Committee of Noteholders, comprised of 18 investment funds, which held the majority of Canwest LP's outstanding indebtedness and which provided a $250-million equity commitment to permit the acquisition.

• Acted for Barzel Industries Canada Inc. (formerly Novamerican Steel) in its cross-border restructuring proceedings involving independent proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act run in parallel concert with U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings for the U.S. parent company and U.S. subsidiaries and implementing a cross-border "stalking horse" sale agreement, cross-border bidding and auction process and closing of such sale within 65 days of the initial filing.

• Acted for the proponent regarding its proposed development of a gold mine in Ontario. Advice included review of environmental assessment, permitting and First Nations consultation requirements.

• Acted for a confidential client providing strategic advice to the defendant in a large toxic tort class action regarding expert evidence matters.

• Acted for Canadian Storage Partners, ULC, a member of the TKG-StorageMart group of companies, in connection with its acquisition of InStorage REIT in a deal valued at $416 million. InStorage REIT owned and operated 57 self-storage facilities in Ontario, Québec, Alberta and Saskatchewan and is a joint-venture partner with respect to four additional self-storage facilities. The acquisition required the consent of lenders holding in excess of $275-million of loans.

• Acted for Callisto Capital LP and the other selling shareholders in the sale of Maxxam Analytics International Corporation to OMERS Capital Partners.

• Acted for private equity firm Birch Hill Equity Partners Inc., TD Capital Group Ltd. and the other principal shareholders of Lift Technologies Inc. in the sale of Lift Technologies to Calvi Holdings of Italy.

• Acted for Ivex Packaging Inc. which was acquired by Induspac Group Inc. in a transaction valued at $7 million.

• Acted for Atlas Holdings LLC in connection with its acquisition, together with Blue Wolf Capital Management, of a pulp mill in Pictou, Nova Scotia from Neenah Paper, Inc.

• Acted for Schlumberger Limited, a multinational oilfield services provider, in connection with the acquisition of contract driller Saxon Energy Services Inc. by way of a plan of arrangement valued at $706 million, including Schlumberger's arrangements with its joint acquirer, private equity fund First Reserve Corporation.

• Acted as Canadian counsel to India-based Tata Chemicals Limited in its acquisition of General Chemical Industrial Products Inc. in a transaction valued at US$1 billion, making Tata Chemicals one of the largest soda ash producers in the world.

• Acted for Hollinger Farms No. 1 Inc. and Alton Farms Inc. seeking a declaration that a class environmental assessment process of a proposed land exchange was not properly authorized by Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act.

• Acted for Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. (now known as Resolute Forest Products) in connection with the sale of a paper mill and timberlands in Fort Williams, Ontario.

• Acted as Canadian counsel to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the cross-border U.S. Chapter 11 and Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings pertaining to Pope & Talbot Ltd.

• Acted for Woodbourne Investment Management on its provision of a $100-million financing of All Seniors Care Living Centres Inc.

• Acted for Schonbek Worldwide Lighting Inc. and its affiliated companies in connection with their sale to Swarovski US Holding Ltd., a subsidiary of Swarovski International Holding.

• Acted for Australia-based Amcor Limited in the sale of its polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging operation in six countries in Europe to La Seda de Barcelona S.A. in a transaction valued at 430 million euros.

• Acted for Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. (now known as Resolute Forest Products) in connection with its merger of equals with Bowater Incorporated to create a company with a combined enterprise value of US$8 billion.

• Acted for Agricore United, Canada's largest grain handler, in its successful defense of the unsolicited takeover bid made by Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, the resulting white knight agreement with James Richardson International and the topping $1.8 billion offer by Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. This deal was implemented using an innovative structure involving a concurrent continuance, takeover bid and plan of arrangement.

• Acted for Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. (now known as Resolute Forest Products) which with the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec completed a joint venture for the Company's hydroelectric generation facilities in Ontario. The joint venture, ACH Limited Partnership, was 75% owned by Abitibi-Consolidated and 25% owned by the Caisse.

• Acted for Canadian Pacific Express & Transport Ltd. in its defence of claims under several leases for contamination at a former terminal facility in Ontario.