Defence

Much of our work on defence-related matters is highly confidential and cannot be disclosed. However, a select number of representative transactions are listed below: 

• The underwriters on the largest IPO in history, SpaceX’s US$86-billion initial public offering, which included a public prospectus offering in Canada.

• A Fortune 100 company on all aspects of its Canadian operations, including the manufacture and supply of defence equipment to governments, contractor and subcontractor relationships, supply chain, export permits, national security, government relations, procurement, taxation, litigation, employment, privacy and a range of other matters.

• Firan Technology Group Corporation on its proposed acquisition of all the shares of FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.

• Colt’s Manufacturing Company, LLC on the sale of its Canadian business to Czech firearms company, Česká zbrojovka a.s. (now Colt CZ Group SE).

• Canadian M&A counsel to a major international company active in the defence and aerospace sectors.

• QinetiQ Group on its acquisition of a division of Meggitt Target Systems, which provides unmanned aerial, naval and land-based target systems and services for test and evaluation and operational training and rehearsal.

• The funders on a contracted project providing military flight training and facilities to the Royal Canadian Air Force at Southport Airport, Manitoba.

• A client on a C$322-million design, build, finance and maintain project with regards to a 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art, mission-critical operating data centre located at the Canadian Forces Base in Borden, Ontario.

• A premier global provider of high-quality law enforcement and security products for the public safety, military and personal protection markets on the acquisition of two business units involved in making body armour and robots for bomb disposal, and armour for military vehicles, respectively. Blakes advised this client on due diligence and compliance issues, including with the Controlled Goods Program under the Defence Production Act and export permits under the Export and Import Permits Act. Matters involved secret and top-secret clearances under the Industrial Security Program, as well as licences to use prohibited chemicals pursuant to the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act.

• A client on the development, certification, operation and regulation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)/unmanned aerial systems (UASs)/drones for both military and commercial purposes in Canada.

• A client on compliance with Defence Production Act and Controlled Goods Program issues arising from change in control of a business involving controlled goods and technology.

• A leading Canadian aircraft modification company on controlled-goods restrictions, export controls and a related arbitral dispute with a Turkish military contractor at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Geneva.

• A U.K. security and civil-defence-related services provider on the corporate reorganization of its Middle Eastern operations and its ongoing regulatory obligations.