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About Tricia

Tricia advises Canadian and international businesses on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, private equity investments, corporate reorganizations, joint ventures, strategic alliances and a variety of commercial transactions.  She has a particular focus in the life sciences, technology, cannabis, food & beverage and cosmetic industries. 

Tricia has in-depth experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having worked at three large pharmaceutical companies on secondment earlier in her career.  Prior to joining Blakes, she also worked at a publicly listed biotech company in Paris.  She regularly negotiates and drafts clinical trial, research & development, manufacturing, supply, marketing, distribution, quality assurance, product listing and intellectual property assignment, transfer, license and commercialization agreements. 

As the lead of the Cannabis group in the Montréal office, Tricia advises clients in the medical and recreational cannabis industry, including licensed producers, processors, applicants, research teams, product developers, online publishers and equipment manufacturers, on a variety of regulatory, corporate and commercial matters ranging from mergers and acquisitions, processing, licensing and import/export arrangements, manufacturing and supply deals and marketing guidelines and shareholder and partnership agreements.  She also provides legal risk assessments to financial and strategic investors in the cannabis industry.

Tricia is fluent in English and in French and is both a Canadian and French Citizen.

Select Experience
  • Advised Getty Images in its acquisition of Unsplash Inc.

  • Advised Think Research in its acquisition of HealthCare Plus

  • Advised Babylon Health in its transactions with Telus Health

  • Advised The Fertility Partners in its acquisitions of several fertility clinics across Canada

  • Advised Rose LifeScience Inc. in connection with an equity investment by Tilray, Inc.

  • Assisted a pharmaceutical company in understanding the legal framework applicable to public procurement in the health sector in Quebec, including application of the European and Canadian trade agreements and the distribution and sale in Canada of medical products developed and manufactured abroad

  • Advised a foreign purchaser in the acquisition of a large portfolio of seniors' homes across Canada

  • Advised various license applicants and producers in connection with private placements

  • Advised Canadian banks and financial institutions on the financing of licensed producers and applicants as well as ancillary businesses in the cannabis industry, including on the regulatory landscape, industry risks, director and officer liability and debt and equity financing considerations specific to the cannabis industry

  • Advised Canadian pension investment managers as to the risks associated with investments in the cannabis sector

  • Advised online media companies in connection with the marketing and advertising restrictions related to the cannabis industry and in the development of advertising guidelines

  • Advised on joint ventures between Canadian and European medical cannabis companies

  • Advised on a joint venture between a Canadian and a Latin American medical cannabis company

  • Advised cannabis companies with respect to restrictions on cross-border cannabis-related activities

  • Advised Canadian Tire Financial Services on its strategic partnership with the Bank of Nova Scotia, including the sale of a 20% interest in its credit card business for C$500-million

  • Advised GHO Capital Company, LLC on its acquisition of Caprion Biosciences

  • Advised Canada Bread Co. Ltd. (a unit of Grupo Bimbo) on the acquisition of Saputo Bakery Inc. (a producer and wholesaler of snack cakes) from Saputo Inc.

  • Advised Steve Madden on the acquisition of the intellectual property and related assets of Blondo, a fashion-oriented footwear brand, from Regence Footwear Inc.

  • Advised a global defence company in relation to the sale of its commercial flight training unit to CAE Inc.

  • Advised VSNL (a subsidiary of the Tata Group) on its acquisition of Teleglobe International Holdings Ltd.

Awards & Recognition

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

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 (Cannabis Law)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada (2022–2024: Biotechnology Law; 2021–2024: Health Care Law and Technology Law)

  • The Legal 500 Canada – 2021–2024 (Cannabis Law)

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

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2022–2024: Life Sciences & Health; 2021: Biotechnology)

Professional Activities

Tricia is a member of the Quebec Bar, the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association. She is a Lex Mundi contact person in Quebec and a member of both the Licensing Executives Society International (LES) and the Women in Bio (WIB) organization.

Tricia is also a member of the board of trustees of The Portage Program for Drug Dependencies Inc.

Publications
Education

Admitted to the Quebec Bar – 2000
Admitted to the Alberta Bar – 1999
BCL, McGill University – 1998
LLB, McGill University – 1998
BA (With Great Distinction), University of Lethbridge – 1994

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