Mergers & Acquisitions

• 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.
• Counsel to Rubicon Pharmacies Canada Inc. on merger with Amenity Holdings Inc. – Counsel to Rubicon and its shareholders on the merger with Amenity Holdings Inc. to create Rubicon Pharmacies. The combined entities will now own and operate over 100 pharmacies across AB, BC, MB and SK, with the ability to reach more rural communities.
• Corporate and Tax Counsel to Weyburn Inland Terminal Ltd., a reporting issuer, on its plan of arrangement for the acquisition of its common shares by Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited for aggregate consideration of $94.5M (2014).
• Helicopter company $6.3M purchase of aircraft and facilities leases – Assisted a major western Canadian helicopter company with a $6.3M purchase of two leased airport facilities and six aircraft, the assignment of various customer contracts, and employee hiring.
• $70M acquisition of Iqaluit real estate portfolio – Counsel to a REIT on a $70M acquisition of a significant real estate portfolio in Iqaluit, Nunavut, including hotels, leased property, rental properties, development lands, apartments and office buildings. The transaction involved refinancing, leases, land consolidations, fire reconstruction and insurance matters.
• $138M oil company acquisition – Counsel to Federated Co-operatives Ltd. on a $138M acquisition by plan of arrangement, including production facilities and infrastructure, of Triwest Exploration Inc., a Calgary-based oil company.
• Counsel to FCL on sale of forestry division – Counsel to Federated Co-operatives Ltd. on the sale of its forestry division operating in British Columbia.
• Counsel to Viterra Inc. on sale of North American feed business – Counsel to Viterra Inc. on the sale of its North American Feed Business to a subsidiary of Birch Hills Equity Partners.
• Counsel to Domtar on sale of pulp mill – Counsel to Domtar Inc. on the sale of its Prince Albert pulp mill facility to Paper Excellence Canada Holdings Holdings Corp.
• $64M canola crushing facility acquisition by global agribusiness – Counsel to a Canadian-headquartered global agribusiness on its acquisition of a $64M canola crushing facility and related assets (2009) and the sale of its feed manufacturing, sales and distribution business in Canada and the U.S. (2012).
• Counsel on major financial services sector merger – Counsel to Concentra Financial Services Association on the structuring, negotiation and documentation of a major merger and other strategic transactions.
• Sale of pulp mill after $800M restructuring – Counsel to Meadow Lake Pulp Ltd. on its successful Companies’ Creditors Arrangements Act restructuring of more than $800M of debt and the eventual sale of the mill to one of the world’s largest pulp and paper producers.
• Saskferco Products $1.6B sale to Yara International –Counsel on Saskferco Products LLC $1.6B sale to Yara International ASA (named the 2008 Canadian Inbound Acquisition of the Year by Lexpert Magazine).
• Co-lead counsel to Manitoba Telecom Services Inc. for $3.9B sale to Bell Canada Inc.
• Lead Counsel to Canadian Wheat Board for $500M Commercialization and sale of Canadian Wheat Board to Bunge Canada and SALIC Canada Limited.
• Lead Counsel to Exchange Income Corporation for $250M acquisition of Provincial Aerospace Ltd.
• Lead Counsel to Wellington West Holdings for $333M sale of Wellington West Holdings Inc. and its affiliates to National Bank Financial pursuant to a Plan of Arrangement.
• Lead Counsel to Huntingdon Real Estate Investment Trust for merger with IAT Air Cargo Facilities Income Fund ($400M) pursuant to a Plan of Arrangement.
• Acquisition and merger of major co-operative – Counsel to TruServ Canada Co-operative in respect of its acquisition of the assets of GROWMARK, Inc., TruServ Canada’s subsequent continuance as TruServ Canada Inc. and merger with RONA Inc.
• Takeover bid by Old Dutch Foods Ltd. – Counsel to Old Dutch Foods Ltd. on its $85M takeover bid of TSX listed Humpty Dumpty Snack Foods Inc.
• Sale and capital restructuring of New Flyer Industries Limited – Counsel to New Flyer Industries Limited on its $44M sale of equity to KPS Special Situations Fund LP and its subsequent $380M sale of equity to Harvest Partners IV LP.
• Takeover bid by Parrish & Heimbecker, Limited – Counsel to Parrish & Heimbecker Limited, on its takeover bid for Thirdcoast Limited.
• Acquisition and merger of international pharmacy technology companies – Counsel to Intelligent Hospital Systems Inc. on their acquisition of AmerisourceBergen Technology Group and subsequent merger to create ARxIUM Inc.
• Acquisition of provincial government property registry – Counsel to Teranet on its acquisition of The Property Registry (TPR) from the Government of Manitoba.
• Sale of major automobile leasing company – Counsel to Megill-Stephenson Company Limited on its $130M sale of National Leasing Ltd. to Canadian Western Bank.
• Counsel to Tundra Energy Marketing Limited on the acquisition of the Enbridge South Prairie Region Pipeline System for $1.075 billion.

Our M&A lawyers regularly collaborate with other lawyers in our firm who have specific and specialized expertise in corporate structures, business operations, corporate finance, competition law, immigration support for cross-border personnel, intellectual property, environmental and regulatory compliance, tax, trusts and executive compensation, to provide our clients with efficient and specialized advice tailored to their individual business and transactional needs.

MLT Aikins has an active mergers and acquisitions practice. We have been involved in numerous significant private and public transactions involving Saskatchewan, Alberta and international acquirers or target companies. Several of these transactions have required the creation of complex or innovative partnerships or joint venture relationships and have involved multiple jurisdictions beyond Western Canada. Our experience includes work for publicly-traded and privately-held corporations in the financial services, communications, oil & gas, agribusiness, and natural resources sectors, on transactions ranging in scope from small family business transactions to large multinational transactions, including, for example, the $1.6B acquisition of Saskferco Products by Yara International.

We regularly advise business clients in a manner that covers the entire cycle of business transactions. Our services include structuring, legal due diligence and the negotiation of letters of intent, offers to purchase and agreements of purchase and sale. We have provided legal advice on acquisitions, mergers, takeovers, divestitures, reorganizations, leveraged and management buy-outs and hostile takeover bids.