100 King St W, Suite 3400, 1 First Canadian Pl, PO Box 130, Toronto, ON
Year called to bar: 1987 (ON)
Robert Staley's practice focuses on complex commercial and securities litigation, securities regulation, shareholder activism, and class actions. Rob has extensive experience in Canadian and cross-border securities regulatory and enforcement matters, class actions, takeover bid litigation, foreign corrupt practices, appraisal and share valuation remedies, derivative actions, arrangements and the oppression remedy. He regularly advises corporations, Boards of Directors, Audit Committees, and Special Committees in connection with internal and regulatory investigations and in connection with proxy contests and contested transactions. He has a broad trial and appellate practice in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Ontario Court of Appeal, Federal Court of Canada, Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada. He has appeared before the Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta Securities Commissions. He also has a robust pro bono practice, including in significant constitutional cases. Rob has served as Chair of the firm's Securities Litigation Practice Group, as Co-Chair of the firm's Litigation Department and as a member of the firm's Partnership Board.
On June 30, 2017, Stelco Inc. (Stelco), formerly U.S. Steel Canada Inc., emerged from Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act (CCAA) proceedings through the implementation of a CCAA plan. This involved the compromise of more than $2 billion of debt and the restructuring of approximately $2 billion of pension and benefit obligations.
In the culmination of a complex cross-border bankruptcy sales and auction process, on February 28, 2017, Performance Sports Group Ltd. (PSG) announced the completion of the sale of substantially all of its assets to an investor group led by Sagard Holdings Inc. (Sagard) and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (Fairfax) for US$575 million, subject to certain adjustments, and the assumption of related operating liabilities.
On April 1, 2016, Corus Entertainment Inc. acquired the business of Shaw Media Inc. from Shaw Communications Inc. This acquisition more than doubled Corus’ size, creating a combined portfolio of brands that encompass 45 specialty television services, including leading women and lifestyle, kids, family and general entertainment brands; 15 conventional television channels; 39 radio stations; a global content business; book publishing; and a growing portfolio of digital assets.
On January 15, 2016, Sprott Asset Management completed its successful hostile takeover bid to acquire all of the outstanding units of Central GoldTrust in exchange for units of Sprott Physical Gold Trust on a net asset value to net asset value basis. The transaction was valued at over $1 billion.
Nelson Education Ltd. (Nelson), Canada’s leading education publishing company, completed a sale of substantially all of its assets to 682534 N.B. Inc., now operating as Nelson Education Ltd., in exchange for the compromise and release of approximately US$270 million of first lien secured debt obligations.
NIBE Industrier AB (publ) of Sweden acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of WaterFurnace Renewable Energy, Inc. pursuant to a plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act, for cash consideration of around $378 million.
