James practises largely in the areas of corporate commercial and securities law, mergers and acquisitions of corporations and assets, including public offerings and exempt placements, power utility contracts including wind power generation contracts, joint venture and transaction structuring, corporate finance, leveraged buyouts, takeovers, cross-border transactions, amalgamations, commodities futures and options trading, corporate governance, shareholder and partnership agreements, corporate-planning advisory services, secured transactions, asset securitizations and franchising agreements.
Sale of ARxIUM’s Panasonic Pouch Packaging Business to TCGRx
Merger and consolidation of Canada’s credit union businesses – Credential Financial Inc., Qtrade Canada Inc. and NEI Investments – to form Aviso Wealth one of Canada’s largest independent wealth management firms, averaging more than $55 billion in client assets under administration and management.
Merger, acquisition and securities transactions involving national and international businesses
Manitoba Hydro – 138MW Power Purchase Transaction for wind generated power with Pattern Energy
Manitoba Hydro – Secured Loan transaction to Pattern Energy
TruServ Canada Inc. – Merger transaction with RONA Inc.
Manitoba Hydro – 300MW RFP for wind generated power
Winnipeg Airport Authority – Airport Financing, Bond Offering
Old Dutch Foods Ltd. takeover bid for Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods Inc.
Demutualization of TruServ Canada Cooperative Inc.
New Flyer Industries Inc. – IDS Offering
First National Alarmcap Income Fund – Plan of Arrangement and TSX Listing
Management representation in acquisition of Vansco Electronics Ltd.
Wind Power Purchase negotiations by Manitoba Hydro
Acquisition of Winnipeg Hydro by Manitoba Hydro
Sale and capital Restructuring of New Flyer Industries Limited
Demutualization of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange
Structuring and initial public offering for ENSIS Growth Fund Inc.
Privatization and initial public offering of Manitoba Telecom Services (MTS)
Privatization and initial public offering of United Grain Growers Limited (now Viterra)
Sale of Centra Gas (Manitoba) to Manitoba Hydro
Initial public offerings, and debt and equity private placements
Shareholder buyouts pursuant to shotgun buy-sell provisions in shareholder/partnership agreements
Organization and restructuring of several provincial and national not for profit associations
Corporate governance review and restructuring of Federal and Provincial Crown Corporations
Formation and development of technology company
Parrish & Heimbecker Limited takeover bid for Thirdcoast Limited
Acquisition of Carlson Engineered Composites by Carfair Composites (a subsidiary of New Flyer Industries)
Acquisition of AmerisourceBergen Technology Group by Intelligent Hospital Systems Inc., creating new company named ARxIUM
Acquisition of HiQual Engineered Structures Ltd. (livestock handling systems division) by Sioux Steel Company
Acquisition of Searcy Trucking Ltd. by Bison Transport
Acquisition of Renold’s Transport Ltd. by Searcy Trucking Ltd.
Acquisition of Scott’s Express Inc. and Scott’s Transportation Services Inc. by Bison Transport
Acquisition of H.O. Wolding, Inc. by Bison Transport
Acquisition of The Property Registry (TPR) from the Government of Manitoba by Teranet
Acquisition of CareVacations USA Inc. by ScootAround, Inc.
Sale of ScootAround, Inc. to WHILL, Inc.
Sale of Fresh Hemp Foods Ltd. to Compass Diversified Holdings (through its subsidiary Compass Group Diversified Holdings LLC)
Sale of Jodale Perry Corporation (now called TerraCab) to Argus Industries
Sale by The Whitwell Group Inc. of Hudson Cement to Holcim (Canada) Inc.
Sale of Intelligent Hospital Systems Ltd. to Intelligent Hospital Systems Inc.
Sale of Dunn-Rite Food Products Ltd. to Sunrise Poultry Processors Ltd.
Sale of Custom Helicopters Ltd. to Exchange Income Corporation
Sale of equity stake of HyLife Group Holdings Ltd. to ITOCHU Corporation
Sale of shares of National Leasing Group Inc. held by The Megill-Stephenson Company Limited to Canadian Western Bank
Sale of Fine Line Communications Ltd. to Stericycle Communications Solutions, ULC
Chair (2009-2016), Member (2002-2016), Aikins Executive Board
Co-Chair, MLT Aikins Business Law Department (2017-present)
Co-Chair, Aikins Business Law Department (2000-2016)
Bencher (1994-1996), Equity Committee, Co-chair (1995-1996), Discipline Committee (1995-1996), Conflict Investigations Committee (1994-1995), Admissions and Education Committees (1994-1995), The Law Society of Manitoba
Former Chair, Health Law Subsection, Canadian Bar Association/Manitoba Bar Association
Former Member, Bar Council, Canadian Bar Association/Manitoba Bar Association
Member, The Law Society of British Columbia
Chair and Director, Pan Am Clinic Foundation
Past Member of Board of Governors and Executive Committee, St. John’s-Ravenscourt School
Past Co-Chair, Foundations for Health (Joint Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg Research Foundation, Health Sciences Centre Foundation, and John Buhler Research Centre)
Past Commodore, Zig Zag Yacht Club
Past Chairman and Honorary Director, Health Sciences Centre Foundation
Past Trustee, Our Lady of Victory School
Lecturer, Bar Admission Course, The Law Society of Manitoba (1985-2003)
Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba (1983-1993)
Appointed Queen’s Counsel (Manitoba, 2019)
Designated as one of Chambers Canada’s top lawyers in General Business Law (2019)
Recognized in Lexpert Special Edition as one of Canada’s Leading Lawyers in Energy (2017)
Named in Best Lawyers as Lawyer of the Year for Mergers & Acquisitions Law (Winnipeg, 2017)
Awarded by Martindale-Hubbell for having the highest rating (AV) for professional excellence in peer reviewed ratings (2016-2017)
Ranked by Chambers and Partners (Global) as top lawyer in General Business Law in Manitoba (since 2016)
A leading practitioner, Corporate Commercial, Corporate Finance, Corporate Mid-Market, M&A, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Named in Canadian Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer (2013-2017)
Designated by LexisNexis/Martindale-Hubbell as having the highest rating (AV) for legal standards and legal ability in peer review ratings
Recognized by Best Lawyers for Corporate Governance Practice, Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law and Securities Law (since 2006)
Named in Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide as one of leading 500 lawyers in Canada (2006-2012)
Named in Best Lawyers as the Lawyer of the Year for Corporate Law (2011)
