Brian Bloom

Partner

Brian Bloom

Brian Bloom

Partner

Expertise
Bar Admissions
  • Ontario, 1998
    Québec, 1992

Clients turn to Brian for his sophisticated planning skills and creative solutions for their critical taxation matters – in Canada and abroad.

Brian advises across a broad range of tax law, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, international tax planning and transfer pricing. He also advises high-net-worth individuals and families on trust and estate matters. He is regularly consulted for his expertise in structuring complex, major transactions, including on the first tax-deferred conversion of a mutual fund corporation into a REIT in Canada.

Brian applies his judgment and technical sophistication to serve public and private sector clients across a wide range of sectors, including biotechnology.

He brings a unique perspective and understanding of tax issues to our clients’ matters. Before joining Davies, Brian was a senior tax policy officer in the Tax Legislation Division of the Department of Finance Canada and a senior rulings officer in the corporate reorganizations and international group of the Rulings Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency.

Brian Bloom

Partner

Clients turn to Brian for his sophisticated planning skills and creative solutions for their critical taxation matters – in Canada and abroad.

Brian advises across a broad range of tax law, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, international tax planning and transfer pricing. He also advises high-net-worth individuals and families on trust and estate matters. He is regularly consulted for his expertise in structuring complex, major transactions, including on the first tax-deferred conversion of a mutual fund corporation into a REIT in Canada.

Brian applies his judgment and technical sophistication to serve public and private sector clients across a wide range of sectors, including biotechnology.

He brings a unique perspective and understanding of tax issues to our clients’ matters. Before joining Davies, Brian was a senior tax policy officer in the Tax Legislation Division of the Department of Finance Canada and a senior rulings officer in the corporate reorganizations and international group of the Rulings Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency.

Mobile Content:

BELLUS Health Inc.

Acting for BELLUS Health Inc. in its US$2-billion sale to GSK plc, a British-based pharmaceutical company.

Mobile Content:

Haven Interactive Studios Inc.

Acted as Canadian counsel for Haven Entertainment Studios Inc., Montréal-based video game studio, in its sale to a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.

Mobile Content:

Searchlight Pharma Inc.

Acted for Searchlight Pharma Inc., a Montréal-based specialty healthcare company, in its acquisition of ERFA Canada 2012 Inc., a distributor of niche pharmaceutical products across Canada that addresses underserved medical indications.

Mobile Content:

RST Instruments Ltd. and Measurand Instruments Inc.

Acted for Vance Street Capital LLC, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, and its portfolio companies RST Instruments Ltd. and Measurand Instruments Inc., in their acquisition of 3v Geomatics Inc., a world leader in the use of radar satellite images to detect and measure ground and infrastructure displacement across large areas.

Mobile Content:

New Look Vision Group Inc.

Acted for New Look Vision Group Inc. in its $800-million sale to NL1 AcquireCo Inc., an entity created by funds managed by FFL Partners, LLC, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and the Dr. H. Doug Barnes Family.

Mobile Content:

Alstom S.A.

Acted as Canadian counsel to Alstom S.A. in its EUR4.4-billion strategic acquisition of Bombardier Transportation.

Mobile Content:

Equinoxe Virtual Clinic Corp.

Acted for Equinoxe Virtual Clinic Corp., a leading Canadian virtual care provider, in the sale of all of its issued and outstanding shares to Right-Health Inc., a subsidiary of TELUS Corporation and the owner and operator of the Akira virtual care platform.

Mobile Content:

Hypertec Infrastructures Inc.

Acted as lead tax counsel for Hypertec Infrastructures Inc. in the sale of its data center and colocation services business to Vantage Data Centers, one of the world's leading hyperscale data center providers.

Mobile Content:

Canopy Growth Corporation

Acted for Canopy Growth Corporation in its acquisition of a majority stake in BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc., a leading producer of sports nutrition products.

Mobile Content:

Honeywell Venture Capital LLC

Acted for Honeywell Venture Capital LLC, one of the lead investors in a $25-million series B funding round by Attabotics, a robotics supply chain company based in Calgary.

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

The CRA’s New Power to Compel Oral Interviews

Jan. 17, 2023 - The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can now require taxpayers or any other person to answer “all proper questions” and provide all reasonable assistance for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of the Income Tax Act (ITA), including by submitting to oral questioning at a...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

CRA’s Audit Powers Have Limits: Challenging Excessive Requests for Information

June 25, 2019 - In three recent decisions, the courts have curtailed the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA’s) broad interpretation of its audit powers and, in so doing, have armed taxpayers with the legal means to push back against excessive or unreasonable requests for information (RFIs) by the CRA. First, in...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

The CRA Cannot Compel Oral Interviews During an Audit

Apr. 10, 2019 - In Minister of National Revenue v Cameco Corporation, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) dismissed the Minister of National Revenue’s appeal and held that the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA’s) audit powers under the Income Tax Act (ITA) do not extend to compelling taxpayers to be...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

2019 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Mar. 19, 2019 - Budget 2019 is the last federal budget of the current Liberal government before the upcoming federal election in October 2019. Tax-related measures are intended to advance the government’s stated priority of creating a fair tax system. Proposals include changes to the employee stock option rules,...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

2018 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Feb. 27, 2018 - As anticipated, today’s federal budget (Budget 2018) focuses on a few targeted areas, including the taxation of passive investments made by private corporations, and does not contain any measures in response to the enactment of tax reform in the United States or relating to the OECD BEPS...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

Canadian and U.S. Tax Laws: A Review of 2016 and a Look Ahead to 2017

Jan. 13, 2017 - The year 2016 was eventful from a Canadian tax perspective, with the current Liberal government introducing its first federal budget and important judicial developments that included two decisions in tax cases by the Supreme Court of Canada. Conversely, while U.S. tax developments in 2016 were...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

2016 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Mar. 22, 2016 - The new Liberal governments first budget (Budget 2016) has been the subject of anticipation and speculation, much of it apprehensive. Unusually, Budget 2016 is noteworthy for what it does not contain. Budget 2016 does not introduce changes to increase the tax rate on employee stock...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

Canadian and U.S. Tax Laws: A Review of 2015 and a Look Ahead to 2016

Jan. 20, 2016 - Each year at this time, we offer a look back at some of the more significant business and international tax developments in Canada and the United States over the past year and a look ahead to possible Canadian and U.S. tax developments in the coming year. Canadian Tax Review and...

Bulletin
Mobile Content:

2015 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Apr. 21, 2015 - As has been widely predicted, today’s federal budget (Budget 2015) delivered a handful of tax goodies in the lead-up to the coming election. It also includes a number of important proposed changes to the corporate tax rules. They are noteworthy, although not as...

Mobile Content:

Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business—Tax

Mobile Content:

Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business—Tax

Mobile Content:

Tax Directors Handbook—Tax

Mobile Content:

The Legal 500 Canada—Tax (Leading Individual)

Mobile Content:

Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A

Mobile Content:

Lexpert Guide to US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada—Tax

Mobile Content:

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory—Corporate Tax; Estate and Personal Tax Planning: Estate and Tax Planning

Mobile Content:

The Best Lawyers in Canada—Tax Law; Trusts and Estates (Lawyer of the Year 2018, Montréal)

Mobile Content:

Who’s Who Legal: Corporate Tax—Advisory; Who’s Who Legal: Canada—Corporate Tax

Mobile Content:

Expert Guides—Transfer Pricing

Bar Admissions
Mobile Content:

Ontario, 1998
Québec, 1992

Education
Mobile Content:

McGill University, BCL/LLB, 1991
Université de Montréal, BSc, 1987

Professional Affiliations
Mobile Content:

Canadian Tax Foundation
International Fiscal Association
Lord Reading Law Society

Community Involvement
Mobile Content:

Canadian Tax Foundation, Board of Governors, former governor

Clients turn to Brian for his sophisticated planning skills and creative solutions for their critical taxation matters – in Canada and abroad.

Brian advises across a broad range of tax law, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, international tax planning and transfer pricing. He also advises high-net-worth individuals and families on trust and estate matters. He is regularly consulted for his expertise in structuring complex, major transactions, including on the first tax-deferred conversion of a mutual fund corporation into a REIT in Canada.

Brian applies his judgment and technical sophistication to serve public and private sector clients across a wide range of sectors, including biotechnology.

He brings a unique perspective and understanding of tax issues to our clients’ matters. Before joining Davies, Brian was a senior tax policy officer in the Tax Legislation Division of the Department of Finance Canada and a senior rulings officer in the corporate reorganizations and international group of the Rulings Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency.

BELLUS Health Inc.

Acting for BELLUS Health Inc. in its US$2-billion sale to GSK plc, a British-based pharmaceutical company.

Haven Interactive Studios Inc.

Acted as Canadian counsel for Haven Entertainment Studios Inc., Montréal-based video game studio, in its sale to a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC.

Searchlight Pharma Inc.

Acted for Searchlight Pharma Inc., a Montréal-based specialty healthcare company, in its acquisition of ERFA Canada 2012 Inc., a distributor of niche pharmaceutical products across Canada that addresses underserved medical indications.

RST Instruments Ltd. and Measurand Instruments Inc.

Acted for Vance Street Capital LLC, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, and its portfolio companies RST Instruments Ltd. and Measurand Instruments Inc., in their acquisition of 3v Geomatics Inc., a world leader in the use of radar satellite images to detect and measure ground and infrastructure displacement across large areas.

New Look Vision Group Inc.

Acted for New Look Vision Group Inc. in its $800-million sale to NL1 AcquireCo Inc., an entity created by funds managed by FFL Partners, LLC, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and the Dr. H. Doug Barnes Family.

Alstom S.A.

Acted as Canadian counsel to Alstom S.A. in its EUR4.4-billion strategic acquisition of Bombardier Transportation.

Equinoxe Virtual Clinic Corp.

Acted for Equinoxe Virtual Clinic Corp., a leading Canadian virtual care provider, in the sale of all of its issued and outstanding shares to Right-Health Inc., a subsidiary of TELUS Corporation and the owner and operator of the Akira virtual care platform.

Hypertec Infrastructures Inc.

Acted as lead tax counsel for Hypertec Infrastructures Inc. in the sale of its data center and colocation services business to Vantage Data Centers, one of the world's leading hyperscale data center providers.

Canopy Growth Corporation

Acted for Canopy Growth Corporation in its acquisition of a majority stake in BioSteel Sports Nutrition Inc., a leading producer of sports nutrition products.

Honeywell Venture Capital LLC

Acted for Honeywell Venture Capital LLC, one of the lead investors in a $25-million series B funding round by Attabotics, a robotics supply chain company based in Calgary.

Bulletin

The CRA’s New Power to Compel Oral Interviews

Jan. 17, 2023 - The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) can now require taxpayers or any other person to answer “all proper questions” and provide all reasonable assistance for any purpose relating to the administration or enforcement of the Income Tax Act (ITA), including by submitting to oral questioning at a...

Bulletin

CRA’s Audit Powers Have Limits: Challenging Excessive Requests for Information

June 25, 2019 - In three recent decisions, the courts have curtailed the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA’s) broad interpretation of its audit powers and, in so doing, have armed taxpayers with the legal means to push back against excessive or unreasonable requests for information (RFIs) by the CRA. First, in...

Bulletin

The CRA Cannot Compel Oral Interviews During an Audit

Apr. 10, 2019 - In Minister of National Revenue v Cameco Corporation, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) dismissed the Minister of National Revenue’s appeal and held that the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA’s) audit powers under the Income Tax Act (ITA) do not extend to compelling taxpayers to be...

Bulletin

2019 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Mar. 19, 2019 - Budget 2019 is the last federal budget of the current Liberal government before the upcoming federal election in October 2019. Tax-related measures are intended to advance the government’s stated priority of creating a fair tax system. Proposals include changes to the employee stock option rules,...

Bulletin

2018 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Feb. 27, 2018 - As anticipated, today’s federal budget (Budget 2018) focuses on a few targeted areas, including the taxation of passive investments made by private corporations, and does not contain any measures in response to the enactment of tax reform in the United States or relating to the OECD BEPS...

Bulletin

Canadian and U.S. Tax Laws: A Review of 2016 and a Look Ahead to 2017

Jan. 13, 2017 - The year 2016 was eventful from a Canadian tax perspective, with the current Liberal government introducing its first federal budget and important judicial developments that included two decisions in tax cases by the Supreme Court of Canada. Conversely, while U.S. tax developments in 2016 were...

Bulletin

2016 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Mar. 22, 2016 - The new Liberal governments first budget (Budget 2016) has been the subject of anticipation and speculation, much of it apprehensive. Unusually, Budget 2016 is noteworthy for what it does not contain. Budget 2016 does not introduce changes to increase the tax rate on employee stock...

Bulletin

Canadian and U.S. Tax Laws: A Review of 2015 and a Look Ahead to 2016

Jan. 20, 2016 - Each year at this time, we offer a look back at some of the more significant business and international tax developments in Canada and the United States over the past year and a look ahead to possible Canadian and U.S. tax developments in the coming year. Canadian Tax Review and...

Bulletin

2015 Federal Budget: Tax Highlights

Apr. 21, 2015 - As has been widely predicted, today’s federal budget (Budget 2015) delivered a handful of tax goodies in the lead-up to the coming election. It also includes a number of important proposed changes to the corporate tax rules. They are noteworthy, although not as...

Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business—Tax

Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business—Tax

Tax Directors Handbook—Tax

The Legal 500 Canada—Tax (Leading Individual)

Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A

Lexpert Guide to US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada—Tax

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory—Corporate Tax; Estate and Personal Tax Planning: Estate and Tax Planning

The Best Lawyers in Canada—Tax Law; Trusts and Estates (Lawyer of the Year 2018, Montréal)

Who’s Who Legal: Corporate Tax—Advisory; Who’s Who Legal: Canada—Corporate Tax

Expert Guides—Transfer Pricing

Bar Admissions

Ontario, 1998
Québec, 1992

Education

McGill University, BCL/LLB, 1991
Université de Montréal, BSc, 1987

Professional Affiliations

Canadian Tax Foundation
International Fiscal Association
Lord Reading Law Society

Community Involvement

Canadian Tax Foundation, Board of Governors, former governor