Lexpert unveils the leading corporate mid-market lawyers in British Columbia based on our exhaustive peer survey. The full list of the province’s top lawyers and law firms in the practice can be viewed in our practice area rankings list.
In its annual peer review, Lexpert defines corporate mid-market as an area of transactional work involving private and public businesses with a revenue range between $50 million and $200 million.
M&A practitioners focusing on this area are primarily called upon to develop transaction strategy and to advise on the law as it relates to corporate, securities, finance, tax, competition, labour, employee benefits, real property, regulatory, environmental, intellectual property and litigation.
David A. Allard
Law firm: Lawson Lundell LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1987
David A. Allard is a partner at Lawson Lundell LLP, one of Canada’s leading commercial law firms. As a corporate mid-market lawyer, he devotes his practice to mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance and securities law. Allard has extensive experience in advising private and public companies on transactional and general corporate commercial matters, corporate reorganizations and restructurings and corporate governance issues. His major representative transactional work includes the sale and purchase of numerous large-scale manufacturing and processing operations and businesses, multi-jurisdictional structured sale transactions, private equity and venture capital investments, convertible debt financings, early-stage financings, and corporate restructuring transactions and proceedings. Allard is a sought-after lecturer on business law matters and a regular contributor to continuing legal education publications.
Cameron G. Belsher
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1988
Cameron G. Belsher is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Vancouver and Toronto offices. He also co-leads the firm’s mergers and acquisitions group. As an experienced corporate mid-market lawyer, Belsher specializes in corporate finance and M&A transactions. His recent experience includes acting as lead counsel on substantial debt restructurings, cross-border and domestic M&A involving public and private companies, proxy contests, initial public offerings, public and private equity and debt financings, and joint ventures. Belsher also conducts significant work with pension fund and private equity clients. His firm is one of Canada’s largest full-service law firms.
Fred R. Pletcher
Law firm: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)
Year called to the Bar: 1993
Fred R. Pletcher is a partner and national leader of the mining group at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG), one of the largest full-service business firms in Canada. He is an experienced corporate mid-market lawyer who advises on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, commercial transactions, corporate governance, continuous disclosure and shareholder activism, with a focus on the mining industry. Pletcher boasts considerable experience in Canadian and international mining joint ventures, project development and construction, tenure issues, royalties and commodity sales. His clients include public and private companies, boards of directors, special committees, underwriters, investment funds and real estate investment trusts.
John-Paul Bogden
Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1999 (MB); 2000 (BC)
John-Paul Bogden co-leads the private equity group at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, where also serves as a partner. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, infrastructure and projects work, and general corporate law. A significant portion of his practice involves working with private equity funds and their portfolio companies in investment, add-on, recapitalization and exit transactions. Bogden also represents technology-based businesses in relation to both operational and transactional matters, and investment banks and other corporate finance professionals in relation to M&A and financing transactions. His clients range from startups and venture-financed businesses to large, publicly traded corporations. As a leading corporate mid-market lawyer, Bogden is also frequently engaged as special M&A counsel by seller groups and investment banks undertaking competitive auction processes. He regularly speaks at business law conferences and is a member of several industry associations.
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Peter D. Fairey
Law firm: Gowling WLG
Year called to the Bar: 1981
Peter D. Fairey is a senior partner in at Gowling WLG business law group in Vancouver. He boasts 40 years of experience in corporate and commercial transactions. Fairey also has a vast knowledge of tax, securities, trusts and immigration law. He acts on behalf of clients in a wide range of industries, including public-private partnerships, life sciences, technology and alternative energy. As an experienced corporate mid-market lawyer, Fairey enjoys working with international clients, particularly US and China businesses. His experience includes the acquisition, disposition, and financing of operating businesses, trans-border issues, private placements and innovative financings, governance and ownership structuring and dispute resolution, PPP projects and establishing funds for the BC government and institutional investors. Fairey is a regular instructor and author on business law subjects, including not-for-profit law. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2016. His firm is one of the Canada’s biggest full-service business law firms.
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Mitchell H. Gropper
Law firm: FARRIS
Year called to the Bar: 1966 (BC); 1970 (ON)
Mitchell H. Gropper is a senior partner at FARRIS, a full-service law firm based in British Columbia. He boasts an extensive corporate and securities practice, with an emphasis on complex transactions, including real estate, corporate finance, reorganizations, and mergers and acquisitions. As one of the country’s leading corporate mid-market lawyers, Gropper has acted for purchasers and sellers in M&A transactions, advised boards of directors and special committees and has been involved in going-private and related-party transactions. He has also advised on financial reorganizations and debt restructurings. Gropper was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1990.
Blair J.H. Horn
Law firm: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1989 (ON); 1995 (BC)
Blair J.H. Horn is a leading mergers and acquisitions and securities lawyer based in Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP’s Vancouver office, where he also serves as a partner. Horn works with both public and private companies on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, public equity and debt financings, venture capital and private equity financings, and corporate governance matters. As an experienced corporate mid-market lawyer, Blair has advised technology companies, industrial and mining concerns, boards, independent committees of boards, underwriters, private equity and venture capital providers and financial advisors. He is active in continuing legal education and regularly presents on developments in M&A and securities law on topics such as hostile takeover bids, proxy contests, ethical issues in contested transactions, due diligence and special committees. His firm is an international business law firm with offices in four continents.
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Brett A. Kagetsu
Law firm: Gowling WLG
Year called to the Bar: 1996
Brett A. Kagetsu is a partner and head of the business department at Gowling WLG's Vancouver office. He also is the former vice-chair of the firm's corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice group. He assists clients in all legal aspects of their businesses, including securities law, corporate finance, M&A, and corporate governance-related matters. Kagetsu’s corporate mid-market practice includes working with issuers and underwriters on public offerings, private placements and stock exchange listings. He also helps clients with their merger transactions, including plans of arrangement, amalgamations and spin-out transactions. Kagetsu has extensive experience with the preparation for and conduct of shareholder meetings. He has also provided strategic advice to dissident shareholders. Kagetsu is an active member of his firm's China initiative group and has assisted several Asia-based companies that have invested in Canada or that have sought a Canadian stock exchange listing. He has also spoken at various conferences in Canada, the US, China and Australia about stock exchange listings, securities law and corporate governance-related topics.
Robin Mahood
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2006 (BC); 2004 (New York)
Robin Mahood is a partner at the business law group at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Vancouver office. He advises public and private corporations in a wide range of industries regarding mergers and acquisitions and securities offerings. Mahood also advises public and private corporations with respect to day-to-day governance matters, continuous disclosure obligations and commercial matters. His recent transactional experience includes advising Canadian and international acquirers and targets in respect of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions in the renewable energy, mining, retail, forestry and life sciences industries. A respected corporate mid-market lawyer, Mahood has also advised issuers, underwriters and investors on cross-border and domestic public offerings of equity and debt, including initial public offerings, and private placements of equity and high-yield debt.
Sven O. Milelli
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2005 (BC); 2000 (New York)
Sven O. Milelli is the managing partner of the McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s BC region. He advises public and private corporations in a wide range of industries regarding mergers and acquisitions, public and private securities offerings, joint ventures and corporate governance matters. His recent experience includes advising Canadian, US and international acquirers and targets in respect of domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, takeover bids and joint ventures in renewable energy, trucking and logistics, technology and software, oil and gas, forestry, pharmaceuticals, financial services, retail liquor, publishing, and pulp and paper industries. An experienced corporate mid-market lawyer, Milelli has also advised issuers and underwriters on cross-border, US and domestic public and private offerings of equity and debt, including initial public offerings, bought deal financings and secondary offerings.
Roger R. Taplin
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2003 (BC); 1997 (South Africa)
Roger R. Taplin is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Vancouver office and co-leader of its global mining group. He devotes his practice to mergers and acquisitions and securities, particularly in the mining sector. As a corporate mid-market lawyer, Taplin advises on significant mining M&A transactions, including friendly and hostile takeover bids, business combinations, share or asset sales and joint ventures. He also acts for issuers and underwriters on public and private securities offerings and other financings. Taplin provides general securities regulatory and corporate advice to public companies as well. He has acted for mining clients and banks in relation to sizeable mining projects in numerous international jurisdictions.
Michael G. Urbani
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1997
Michael G. Urbani is a partner at Stikeman Elloitt LLP’s corporate and securities group. He is also a member of the firm’s professional ethics committee. Urbani boasts a diversified corporate practice focused on corporate finance, securities, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. He acts for private and public entities and investment dealers in public financings and private placements in Canada and the US. As a leading corporate mid-market lawyer, he also acts on takeover bids and M&A involving public and private corporations. Urbani also represents private and public corporations on corporate governance and general corporate and commercial matters. He acts for clients in various industries including mining, high tech, biotech, hospitality, communications and forest products. His firm specializes in business law and has offices across the globe.
Bob J. Wooder
Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1995
Bob J. Wooder is a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP’s capital markets group. He specializes in corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. Wooder advises public and private companies and financial institutions. He has extensive expertise in advising on takeover and issuer bids, private equity financings and M&A. Wooder also acts as independent counsel to boards of directors.