pictured: Robert Froehlich
Robert Froehlich, formerly the Canadian head of Norton Rose Fulbright’s energy practice, has joined the partnership at Torys, bolstering its energy group in Calgary.
He has guided domestic and international clients on projects involving LNG, conventional and unconventional upstream petroleum and natural gas, heavy oil and oilsands, pipeline and midstream infrastructure, refining, electricity, and renewable power. He has served as lead counsel on asset acquisitions and divestitures, private merger and acquisition transactions, joint venture and partnership formation, and commercial arrangements underscoring energy project development.
Froehlich represented PETRONAS as it acquired Progress Energy Resources Corp. for $5.8 billion. He also assisted PETRONAS and its affiliates with securing a 25 percent participating interest in the $40 billion LNG Canada Project in Kitimat, British Columbia from affiliates of Shell Canada Energy, PetroChina Canada Ltd., Diamond LNG Canada Ltd. and Kogas Canada LNG Ltd. According to Torys, this was the first large-scale liquefied natural gas export facility in Canada.
He acted for Kiwetinohk Resources as it acquired an interest in certain multi-zone, oil and liquids-rich natural gas producing Duvernay assets in northwest Alberta’s Simonette area for $160 million. He also represented Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure in a $277 million acquisition of the Prince George Refinery from Husky Energy Inc. and in the related negotiation of a long-term refined fuel products offtake agreement.
Froehlich was with Norton Rose Fulbright, where he made partner, for nearly 20 years before making the jump to Torys, per LinkedIn. He also chaired the firm’s business law group in Calgary.
Lexpert ranked him as a consistently recommended lawyer in the categories of corporate commercial law and energy (oil and gas). He was once the Canadian Energy Law Foundation’s president, treasurer, and director. He is part of the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Alberta, the Calgary Bar Association, and the Association of International Energy Negotiators.
Torys managing partner Matt Cockburn described Froehlich as a respected figure in the Canadian energy industry who would be an asset to the firm “as Canada becomes a global energy leader.” Calgary managing partner Scott Cochlan highlighted Froehlich’s energy transactions and projects experience and long-term relationships within the sector.