Viorelia Guzun Counsel | Montréal

About Viorelia

Viorelia's practice focuses on financing and mining matters.

Viorelia advises lenders and borrowers on a wide range of finance transactions, both domestic and cross-border, including general corporate financings, asset-based financings, acquisition and restructuring financings, real estate financings, project financings, special loan programs, sale of loan interests and change of agency in syndicated loan arrangements. She has experience in a diverse range of industries, including cannabis, forestry, pulp and paper, mining, manufacturing, windfarm, shipping and transportation, film financing, financial services, and cryptocurrency mining. She also maintains a complementary factoring and equipment leasing and finance practice.

In the mining practice area, Viorelia has extensive experience in regulatory and commercial aspects of carrying on mining activities, the acquisition and maintenance of mining rights and the acquisition and use of private and public land tenures for mining infrastructure. She works with numerous mining and exploration companies, investment firms, financial advisors and lending institutions, both foreign and local, on a wide range of transactions in the mining sector, including mergers and acquisitions, acquisition of mining projects, joint ventures and projects, and corporate and debt financings and restructurings.

Viorelia is also developing a forefront complementary practice relating to hydrogen, with a focus on the development and use of hydrogen power in the transportation, mining and power system industries. She is also a member of the COVID-19 task force for the Firm's Montréal office.

Viorelia is fluent in English, French, Romanian and Russian.

Select Experience

Financing

A syndicate of lenders led by Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on their C$65-million senior secured credit facilities to Hexo Corp., a Canadian cannabis producer
Bitfarms Ltd. group, a cryptocurrency miner, on its US$20-million debt and equity financing by Dominion Capital LLC
A private stakeholder on its equity investment in La Granaudière, a Quebec company, for the construction and operation of a plant to produce wood pellets from forest biomass in Quebec
A syndicate of Canadian lenders on their C$60-million senior secured credit facilities to Fresche Solutions Inc., a Canadian information technology company
Apax Partners LLP on its financing by a syndicate of lenders for the acquisition of Ideal Protein, a proprietary weight loss and wellness solutions company
A consortium of private and institutional investors on their repurchase and going-private transaction with respect to Manac Inc., a North American leader in the design and manufacture of specialty trailers
An Alberta wind farm on its negotiation of shared facilities arrangements for the operation of adjacent wind farms
Several supply-chain financing institutions on their factoring and supply-chain programs for suppliers based in Canada
Originators and arrangers on Canadian aspects of airline ticket securitizations by several airline companies
Auto and heavy-duty vehicle manufactures on their financing programs for instalment sales and long- and short-term leases of vehicles

Mining and Mining Finance

A syndicate of lenders led by a Canadian bank on their C$40-million senior secured revolving credit facility to Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd., a Canadian gold producer
SoftBank Group Corp. on its C$99-million investment in Nemaska Lithium Inc., a Canadian lithium mining company
A multinational trading company on its C$10-million bridge loan financing to Quebec Iron Ore Inc., a subsidiary of the Australian Champion Iron Limited, operating the Bloom Lake iron ore mine in Quebec
OCP Asia, a Pan-Asian investment manager, on Canadian aspects of its C$31-million debt financing to Galaxy Resources, an Australian global mining company with mining projects in Australia, Canada and Argentina
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on its US$6-million financing to Maya Gold & Silver, a Canadian company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV), for, among other things, the modernization and development of the Zgounder Silver Mine in the Kingdom of Morocco
A syndicate of lenders led by a Canadian bank on their senior secured credit facilities established in favour of a private equity group for the acquisition of the Niobec mine in Quebec
A Chinese institutional lender on its senior secured financing to Galaxy Resources Limited, an Australian company, in connection with, among other things, the acquisition of the James Bay lithium project located in Quebec
Chalice Gold (Quebec) Inc. on the sale of its Quebec portfolio of mining properties to OM3 Mining Inc. for shares and royalties
Bloom Lake Limited Partnership on mining law matters in the Companies Creditors' Arrangement Act (CCAA) restructuring proceedings in relation to its Bloom Lake mine in Quebec
RB Energy Inc. on real estate and mining law matters in the CCAA restructuring proceedings in relation to its Quebec lithium mine in La Corne, Quebec
Several securities market participants, as arrangers, on the public offering in Canada of C$132-million of common share subscription receipts by Stornoway Diamond Corporation for the funding of the construction of the Renard diamond project, Quebec's first diamond mine
Joint venture arrangement between a TSXV-listed rare-earth-minerals exploration company and an investment arm of the Quebec government
Quinto Mining Corporation on its sale of its graphite property north-northwest of Baie-Comeau, Quebec