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About Chris

Chris's practice consists of advising on securities and business law matters, with focus on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and private equity transactions. He has particular expertise in advising issuers, investment dealers and investors in the technology sector.

Chris has also been involved in the development of securities regulation in Canada, having advised the Ontario Securities Commission in connection with its rules reformulation project, and the Toronto Stock Exchange in its review of rules governing listed companies. Chris is a former member of the Securities Advisory Committee to the Ontario Securities Commission.

Select Experience

Representative transactions include advising:

Mergers and Acquisitions

  • Magnet Forensics Inc. on its sale to Thoma Bravo for C$1.8-billion

  • LG Bedrock Holdings LP on the C$398-million buyback of its common shares of Stelco Holdings Inc.

  • Kognitiv Corporation on its acquisition from Aimia Inc. of its Aimia Loyalty Solutions business, and related fiancing

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

  • FLIR Systems, Inc. on its US$200-million acquisition of Aeryon Labs Inc.

  • The Descartes Systems Group Inc. on its C$330-million acquisition of Visual Compliance

  • The Toronto-Dominion Bank on its acquisition of artificial intelligence firm Layer 6 Inc. and acquisition of institutional asset manager Greystone Managed Investments Inc.

  • BlueCat Networks Inc. on its sale to Madison Dearborn Partners LLC

  • The Special Committee of Patheon Inc. on its sale to a joint venture established by its significant shareholder JLL Partners and Koninklijke DSM N.V. for US$2-billion

  • The Brick Ltd. and its Special Committee on its sale to Leon's Furniture Limited for C$700-million

  • Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. on its acquisition of Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd. for C$4.9-billion, and its contested acquisitions of Freewest Resources Inc. for C$240-million and Spider Resources Inc. for C$107-million

Capital Markets

  • D2L Inc. on its C$150-million initial public offering of subordinate voting shares

  • Magnet Forensics Inc. on its C$115-million initial public offering of subordinate voting shares and C$74-million secondary offering of subordinate voting shares

  • The underwriters in connection with the US$117-million public offering of shares of Trillium Therapeutics Inc.

  • The underwriters for Shopify Inc. on its US$150-million cross-border initial public offering and subsequent follow-on offerings

  • Open Text Corporation on its US$585-million cross-border equity offering and concurrent US$250-million offering of senior unsecured notes

  • The Descartes Systems Group Inc. on its US$147-million cross-border equity offering

Private Equity

  • Kognitiv Corporation on its C$48.5-million financing consisting of convertible notes and senior debt facility

  • Lindsay Goldberg on its controlling interest in Stelco Holdings Inc., and its participation in Stelco’s C$230-million initial public offering and subsequent secondary offerings

  • Open Text Corporation as lead industry sponsor in the venture fund of funds established under the federal Venture Capital Action Plan

  • Redknee Solutions Inc. on the equity investment of US$83.2-million by ESW Capital, LLC

  • D2L Inc. in connection with its C$85-million Series B financing

Awards & Recognition

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

  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business 2025 (Corporate/Commercial – Ontario)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada 2025 (Corporate Governance Practice, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities Law, Technology Law)

  • Lexology Index: M&A and Governance 2024 (M&A, Corporate Governance)

  • Lexology Index: Capital Markets 2024 (Debt & Equity)

  • Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences 2024

  • Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2024

  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 (Corporate/M&A)

  • The Legal 500 Canada 2024 (Capital Markets)

  • The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada 2024 (Corporate Finance & Securities, Corporate Commercial Law)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 (Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Finance & Securities, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Technology Transactions)

  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2024 – Independently Rated Lawyers (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)

  • Who's Who Legal: Capital Markets 2023

  • IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial and Corporate Law Firms 2023 (Capital Markets: Equity, M&A, Private Equity)

Education

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1987
LLB, MBA, Western University – 1985
BA, Queen's University – 1981

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