James practises largely in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and securities law, including corporate finance, leveraged buyouts, takeovers, cross-border transactions and amalgamations. His industry focus includes food and agri-business, energy, transportation, health, aviation and global manufacturing.
- Sale of Bison Transport Inc. to James Richardson & Sons, Limited
- Sale of Loveday Mushroom Farms to South Mill Champs
- Acquisition of Penner International Inc. by C.A.T. Inc
- 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.
- Manitoba Hydro – 138MW Power Purchase transaction and Secured Loan transaction for wind generated power with 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
- Management representation in acquisition of Vansco Electronics Ltd.
- 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
- Corporate governance review and restructuring of Federal and Provincial Crown Corporations
- 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 handing systems division).by Sioux Steel Company
- Acquisition of Searcy Trucking Ltd., Renold’s Transport Ltd., Scott’s Express Inc. and Scott’s Transportation Services Inc. by Bison Transport
- Acquisition of H.O. Wolding, Inc. by Bison Transport
- Counsel to Granny’s Poultry Co-Operative in its merger with Exceldor to become a leader in the poultry sector in Canada
- 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 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)
- Recognized in Lexpert Special Edition on Agribusiness and Cannabis (2020)
- Recognized by Chambers Canada as a Leading Canadian lawyer in Corporate/Commercial law (since 2020)
- Recognized in Lexpert/ROB Special Edition, as one of Canada’s Leading Lawyers in Infrastructure (since 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 (since 2017)
- Lawyer of the Year, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Best Lawyers (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 in Best Lawyers, Corporate Governance Practice, Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, 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)