Stikeman Elliott is recognized nationally and internationally as one of Canada's leading M&A firms. Our clients range from multinational corporations and their boards of directors, to private companies and small businesses.

View Seminar Webcasts

Over the years, we have been involved in a significant number of transactions concerning U.S. and other non-Canadian acquirers of Canadian businesses and have been at the forefront of evolving practices in M&A transactions, including those involving strategic, private equity, sovereign wealth fund and state-owned enterprise buyers. The firm has earned particular respect for expertise in acting for both acquirers and target companies in hostile take-over situations and has extensive experience with take-over bids, plans of arrangement, leveraged buy-outs and management buy-outs.

To better meet the needs of clients who are involved in either the purchase or the sale of a company or business unit, the M&A Group works closely with other practitioners throughout the firm to provide a full array of related services, such as private equity and venture capital, tax, competition, intellectual property, environmental, real estate, government relations, and employment and labour expertise. 

Recognition for Our Work

#1 Canadian firm by value of global M&A in Bloomberg 2010 league tables #1 by volume of Canadian M&A deals in Thomson Reuters and mergermarket 2010 league tables #1 Canadian firm by value of North American deals in Corpfin 2008, 2009 and 2010 league tables #1 Canadian firm by number and value of U.S.-based M&A deals in Factset 2006-2010 league tables #1 Canadian firm by value of M&A emanating from Europe, United Kingdom, India and Australia in Bloomberg 2010 league tables #1 Canadian firm by value of M&A emanating from Asia-Pacific and Australia/New Zealand in Thomson Reuters 2010 league tables #1 nationally for Lexpert ranked lawyers in M&A, Corporate Finance and Corporate Commercial law #1 nationally for Best Lawyers ranked lawyers in M&A, Corporate Finance and Corporate Law Ranked as "top tier" in Corporate/M&A by Chambers Global Ranked as "top tier" in M&A in IFLR1000, The Guide to the World's Leading Law Firms The practice and its attorneys are also regularly cited in PLC Which Lawyer?, A Guide to the World's Leading M&A Lawyers (Euromoney) and the International Who's Who of M&A Lawyers (Who's Who Legal)

BACK TO TOP

Value-Added Client Resources

As part of our effort to remain at the forefront of client service, we have developed a new securities, corporate finance and M&A focused website called Canadian Securities Law Online, the first major site of its kind to be launched by any of the leading national law firms in Canada. The site provides real-time information on Canadian regulatory and market development, in addition to cross-posting our market-leading Securities Update commentary on legal issues affecting corporate counsel and business professionals. The site is fully searchable with extensive archived materials, indexed by topic, and allows users to subscribe for immediate updates via e-mail or RSS feed.

Canadian Securities Law Online is publicly available at http://www.canadiansecuritieslaw.com/.

Representative Experience

Recently, Stikeman Elliott has worked on a number of significant Canadian and cross-border transactions, including acting for:

• Eurazeo as Canadian counsel in connection with its acquisition of 3S Photonics SA, French leader in lasers and opto-electronic components.

• Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. in its successful defence of BHP Billiton Ltd.'s US$38.6 billion unsolicited take-over bid, with the bid being subsequently withdrawn after the historic decision of Investment Canada to reject the proposal.

• Wyeth as Canadian counsel in the US$68 billion acquisition by Pfizer Inc.

• Grupo Bimbo, S.A.B. de C.V., as Canadian counsel in its US$2.5 billion acquisition of the U.S. fresh baking assets from George Weston Limited.

• Sinopec International Petroleum Exploration and Production Corporation in their $2.1 billion offer to acquire Tanganyika Oil Company Ltd.

• Dubai-based Istithmar World Capital and Nakheel in their acquisition of a 20 per cent interest in Cirque du Soleil.

• Teck Cominco Ltd. in its $14.1 billion acquisition of Fording Canadian Coal Trust.

• Yara International ASA in its Cdn. $1.6 billion acquisition of Canadian nitrogen producer Saskferco.

• NRDC Equity Partners in its acquisition of Hudson's Bay Company.

• BCE Inc. in connection with the $51.7 billion bid by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Providence Equity Partners and Madison Dearborn Partners, the largest buyout in Canadian history.

For a complete list of our M&A experience please click here.

BACK TO TOP

Recent Group Activities

Magotteaux sale to Sigdo Koppers
The firm is acting as Canadian counsel to Belgian-based Magotteaux S.A. in its sale to Sigdo Koppers S.A., one of the largest conglomerates of Chile, for €500 million.

OSC Dialogue 2011
Bill Braithwaite addressed the impact of recent Commission M&A decisions on issuers and directors and OSC policy initiatives including those related to poison pills and related party transactions at the OSC Dialogue 2011 conference at the Toronto Board of Trade on November 1.

Zarlink acquisition
Stikeman Elliott is acting as Canadian counsel to Microsemi Corp. in connection with its takeover bid to acquire Zarlink Semiconductor Inc.

Atlas merges with International Paper
Stikeman Elliott acted for Atlas Holdings in its definitive agreement with International Paper to combine their consumer packaging solutions businesses.

Zynga Acquires Assets of Five Mobile
The firm acted for Zynga, a developer of social games, in its acquisition of certain assets and intellectual property of Five Mobile Inc.

Yellow Media sale of Trader Corp.
The firm acted for Yellow Media Inc. in the $708M sale of Trader Corporation to funds advised by Apax Partners.

Corporate lawyers participate in M&A publication
Richard E. Clark and Curtis A. Cusinato co-authored the M&A in Canada chapter, and Susan Hutton authored the Merger Control in Canada chapter of Getting the Deal Through - Mergers & Acquisitions 2011. The publication offers international analysis in key areas of M&A law and policy in 60 jurisdicions worldwide. Reproduced with permission from Law Business Research. This article was first published in Getting the Deal Through - Mergers & Acquisitions 2011 (published in June 2011; contributing editor: Casey Cogut of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP ). For further information please visit www.GettingTheDealThrough.com.

Ottawa lawyers write article for ABA newsletter
Lawson Hunter and Susan Hutton wrote an article on Canada's foreign investment regime titled "Foreign Investment Review in Canada: Be Careful What you Wish For", recently published in the ABA Business Law Section's online resource Business Law Today. Click here to view.

IFLR Law Firm of the Year
Stikeman Elliott has been named the 2011 Canadian Law Firm of the Year by the International Financial Law Review, on the strength of its rankings in M&A, Corporate Finance, Banking, Restructuring and Project Finance.

'Best of Canada' lauded in Financial Post
Stikeman Elliott's ranking among Canada's top five law firms by Chambers Global was cited by the Financial Post, with special mention of the firm's market-leading practices and individuals in M&A, Mining and Restructuring.

#1 in M&A
Stikeman Elliott is ranked #1 by volume of Canadian M&A deals in Thomson Reuters 2010 league tables. The firm is also the #1 Canadian firm by value of transactions involving Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) and Australia/New Zealand.

M&A Trends: 11 in '11
As the global financial storm subsides, Canada's economy is commanding unaccustomed attention--and some new-found respect. Click here to see the 11 trends in M&A that Stikeman Elliott believes will help shape the market in 2011

Firm wins at Americas' M&A Awards
Stikeman Elliott was recognized as the 2010 "Legal Advisor of the Year" and "Mid-market Legal Advisor of the Year" at the MergerMarket Americas' M&A Awards.

Intel-McAfee Transaction
Stikeman Elliott acted as Canadian counsel to Intel Corp. in its US$7.68 billion acquisition of McAfee Inc.

#1 Cross-border corporate counsel
Stikeman Elliott has the most lawyers ranked in the areas of M&A (10), Corporate Finance (13) and Insolvency & Restructuring (2) in Lexpert's 2010 Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers.

"Most active law firm in Canada" for M&A
Mergermarket ranks Stikeman Elliott #1 by volume of Canadian M&A deals in its Q1 2010 league tables. Bloomberg also ranks the firm first by volume of Canadian M&A deals.

Income Trust Survey published
Stikeman Elliott, in conjunction with BarnesMcInerney Inc. and Computershare/Georgeson, has produced a comprehensive survey of C-suite executives on the future on income trusts in Canada, with results featured in the Globe and Mail and the Financial Post.

#1 in Best Lawyers Canada
The firm received #1 rankings in M&A, Securities, Corporate, Derivatives, International Arbitration and Media law by the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada.

BACK TO TOP