McMillan Highlighted in both Lexpert’s Top 10 Deals and Top 10 Business Decisions

McMillan Highlighted in both Lexpert’s Top 10 Deals and Top 10 Business Decisions

McMillan was highlighted in both Lexpert’s Top 10 Deals and Top 10 Business Decisions announced last week. Three McMillan transactions were recognized in the 2018 Top 10 Deals list along with one judgment on the 2018 Top 10 Business Decisions list. We share this honour with valued clients Coca-Cola, Algoma and Aurora, for both transactional and litigation work.

“We are extremely proud of our legal teams and the guidance they provided our clients on these significant and complex transactions,” said Teresa Dufort, CEO and Managing Partner, McMillan. “Our collaborative approach and cutting edge strategies have set precedents, helped rescue an iconic Canadian business and shaped a bourgeoning industry, all to advance our clients’ objectives.”

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola Bottling Limited made the Top 10 Deals of 2018 for its acquisition of Coca-Cola Refreshments Canada Company (CCRC), in a transaction valued at CAD $1.2 billion. McMillan provided competition law advice to our longtime client, The Coca-Cola Company, in connection with its sale of CCRC. The McMillan team included Casey Halladay, Neil Campbell and William Wu.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. 

Aurora Cannabis Inc. made the Top 10 Deals of 2018 for its takeover bid of CanniMed Therapeutics (TSX: CMED), in a transaction valued at CAD $1.23 billion (or US $950 million). McMillan advised Aurora on all aspects of this transaction, bringing specialized expertise from all of the firm’s practice areas to ensure a successful outcome. The McMillan team was led by Des Balakrishnan (Capital Markets and M&A; Cannabis Law) and included Cory Kent, Leo Raffin, Paul Davis, Ravipal Bains, Leila Rafi and Kosta Kostic (Capital Markets and M&A), Herb Ono (US Securities), Stephen Brown-Okruhlik, Brett Harrison and Charlotte Conlin (Litigation), Peter Botz (Tax), Francois Tougas and Ryan Gallagher (Competition).

Algoma Steel

Essar Steel Algoma Inc.’s conclusion of its three-year restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and sale of substantially all of its assets to Algoma Steel Inc. (the “Purchaser”) made the Top 10 Deals of 2018.  McMillan LLP acted as (i) lead counsel to the ABL Lenders with respect to the US$250 million revolving ABL facility and (ii) Canadian counsel to the Term Agent with respect to the US$285 million term loan facility, in each case provided to the Purchaser.  The McMillan team was led by Wael Rostom, Jeff Rogers and Tushara Weerasooriya (Financial Services and Restructuring) and included, Don Waters, Darcy Ammerman, Julie Han, Alex Ricchetti (Financial Services), Ralph Cuervo-Lorens (Environmental), David Ross, Jennifer Mandel and Alma Borogeni (Real Estate).

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (OSC & Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan)

Aurora Cannabis Inc. made the Top 10 Business Decisions of 2018 for what is now the leading case on the use of poison pills. The decision highlighted the strength, collaboration and innovation of McMillan’s litigation and securities teams and will shape the development of public markets transactions for years to come, according to litigation partner Brett Harrison, who with colleagues Paul Davis, Stephen Brown-Okruhlik and Leila Rafi of McMillan LLP in Toronto, and Geoff Moysa, then with McMillan and now an investment manager at Bentham IMF, represented Aurora.

Lexpert’s Top 10 Deals of the Year list, published annually since January 2004, reflects the viewpoints expressed by Lexpert-ranked lawyers about the deals they considered significant. This list is based on a canvass conducted in late 2018 of Lexpert-ranked Canadian lawyers in M&A, Securities and Corporate Finance. Canadian legal content of the deal must be significant, and must stand for more than itself: represent a trend, illustrate some aspect of the year’s economic climate, or be a portent of things to come.

The full list of top deals and top business decisions in 2018 can be found at Lexpert.