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About Chris

Chris brings together transactional and securities regulatory expertise to provide clients with practical advice on strategic deals, innovative business models and novel securities products.

Acting for a range of market participants such as structured products issuers, crypto trading platforms, market infrastructures and dealers, Chris helps clients navigate a complex regulatory environment and bring new products and business models to market. He also has a broad range of experience acting on transactions, including public and private financings and M&A.

Select Experience

Representative transactions include advising:

Structured Products

  • CIBC on the launch of the first-ever Canadian Depositary Receipts (CDRs), a novel structured product providing Canadian investors with access to hedged fractional investing in large-cap foreign stocks, and on the launch of the first-ever CDRs in respect of European securities

  • Royal Bank of Canada on its principal-at-risk structured notes program

  • Another major Canadian financial institution on its structured notes programs

Regulatory Matters

  • Crypto industry participants on securities regulatory matters and transactions, including crypto trading platform regulation

  • Dealers on regulatory requirements, including registration

  • Foreign trading platforms and clearing agencies in connection with admitting Canadian-resident entities as members

  • Banks and clearing agencies on netting and collateral matters (including formal legal opinions)

Capital Markets and M&A

  • Lundin Petroleum AB on the cross-border spin-off of International Petroleum Corporation as a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq First North exchange with an initial market capitalization of over C$500-million

  • Flagship Communities REIT on its US$107-million initial public offering of trust units on the Toronto Stock Exchange

  • Granite REIT on public equity offerings of over C$580-million, and on private and public debt offerings of over C$1.1-billion, including its inaugural green bond offering 

  • The Special Committee of Callidus Capital Corporation on its going private transaction by way of plan of arrangement with Braslyn Ltd.

  • Element Financial Corporation on its C$8.6-billion acquisition of certain of GE Capital's fleet operations; its US$5-billion cross-border acquisition of the vehicle fleet management services business of PHH Corporation; its C$300-million acquisition of CoActiv Capital Partners, Inc.; and its C$20-million acquisition of Nexcap Finance Corporation

  • A TSX-listed mortgage investment corporation on its transition from the Canadian securities regulatory regime for investment funds to the Canadian securities regulatory regime for non-investment fund public companies

Awards & Recognition

Chris is recognized as a leading lawyer in the following publications:

  • Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2024

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 (Corporate Finance & Securities)

Education

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2013
JD, University of Toronto – 2013
MPhil (Distinction), Trinity College Dublin – 2008
BA, University of Toronto – 2006

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