199 Bay St, Suite 4000, Commerce Court West, Toronto, ON
Year called to bar: 1996 (ON)
Michael is recognized as one of Canada’s leading M&A lawyers, having advised on many of Canada’s highest-profile merger and acquisition transactions as well as numerous middle market transactions. He acts for strategic and financial buyers, targets and significant shareholders on domestic and cross-border acquisition transactions. He has led transactions across many industries, including consumer, industrials, technology and healthcare, among others. Michael also has experience representing special committees in connection with M&A transactions, related party transactions and internal investigations. Michael is a member of Blakes’ Executive Committee, the former head of Blakes Toronto Capital Markets practice and one of the co-founders of Blakes New York office. Recent mandates include advising HanesBrands on its pending acquisition by Gildan Activewear and AstraZeneca in connection with its acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals. Michael is a Governor of Branksome Hall, an independent girls school in Toronto, as well as a Governor of Branksome Hall Asia, an independent school in Jeju, South Korea.
On May 24, 2017, Swander Pace Capital, a leading private equity firm specializing in investments in consumer product companies, completed the sale of its significant equity stake in Kicking Horse Coffee to the Lavazza Group, who, with this transaction, holds an 80-per-cent interest in the company, which was valued at $215 million.
On June 21, 2017, Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC (Odyssey), a leading middle-market private-equity firm completed the sale of its shares of the parent company and certain subsidiaries of Safway Group (Safway) to Brand Energy & Infrastructure Services, Inc. (Brand).
On May 25, 2017, Sirius XM Canada Holdings Inc. completed its statutory plan of arrangement whereby all its shares were acquired by a corporation, 2517835 Ontario Inc., owned by Slaight Communications Inc., Obelysk Media Inc. and Sirius XM Radio Inc. Sirius XM Canada Holdings also announced that it will be redeeming all of its outstanding 5.625 per cent senior unsecured notes due April 23, 2021, at a redemption price equal to 102.813 per cent of the principal amount of the Existing Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest.
On May 1, 2017, all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Halogen Software Inc. (“Halogen”) were acquired by Saba Software Inc. (“Saba”), Vector Capital and its affiliates (“Vector”), and Michael Slaunwhite, Halogen’s founder, executive chairman and largest shareholder.
On June 1, 2016, Westport Innovations Inc. (Westport) and Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc. (Fuel Systems) completed a merger under Delaware law whereby Fuel Systems shareholders received 2.4755 common shares of Westport for each share of Fuel Systems common stock.
On November 5, 2015, Hydro One Limited, the largest electricity transmission and distribution company in Ontario, announced the closing of its initial public offering by way of secondary sale pursuant to which the Province of Ontario offered 81,100,000 common shares at $20.50 per share for total gross proceeds to the Province of approximately $1.66 billion. This was the biggest Canadian IPO in the last 15 years.
On December 31, 2015, Centric Health Corporation completed the divestment of its physiotherapy, rehabilitation and medical assessment businesses to an affiliate of Audax Private Equity, a member of the Audax Group, for $245 million plus up to $5 million in contingent consideration.
HealthLease Properties Real Estate Investment Trust (HealthLease) was acquired by Health Care REIT, Inc. (HCN) for $14.20 (US$13.01) per unit in cash, representing an aggregate transaction value of approximately $1 billion (US$950 million). HealthLease's portfolio consisted of 53 properties (14 in two Canadian provinces and 39 in eight US states) of seniors housing, post-acute care and long-term care facilities.
Telus Corporation announced on August 21, 2000, its friendly offer to acquire Scarborough, Ontario-based national digital wireless company Clearnet Communications Inc.
