Lexpert Special Editions

Special Edition on Energy 2017

The Lexpert Special Editions profiles selected Lexpert-ranked lawyers whose focus is in Corporate, Infrastructure, Energy and Litigation law and relevant practices. It also includes feature articles on legal aspects of Canadian business issues.

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Archer, Marcus W. Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (403) 267-9547 marcus.archer@nortonrosefulbright.com Mr. Archer focuses on debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations and purchases and sales of businesses and assets. He has led or co-led a number of the largest energy-related transactions in Canada in recent years and is Lexpert recommended for Corporate Finance & Securities, is recognized by Best Lawyers in Securities for 2018 and was an Acritas Star lawyer for 2017. Antonopoulos, George Dentons Canada LLP (403) 268-7136 george.antonopoulos@dentons.com Mr. Antonopoulos acts for companies in the energy sector, focusing on the planning, drafting, negotiation and completion of complex energy transactions and project work in both the upstream and midstream oil and gas sectors, including advising clients on M&A, joint venture arrangements, commodity transportation, storage arrangements, corporate re-organizations, and energy project development. Amato, David M.A. Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP (416) 216-1861 david.amato@nortonrosefulbright.com Mr. Amato focuses on corporate finance and is co-chair of our asset- based lending team. As counsel to various foreign and domestic financial institutions, insurance companies and other credit providers, he has significant experience in sophisticated debt financing transactions and has led numerous multijurisdictional, international and domestic debt financing mandates. Alexander, Jr., Frank C. Dentons Canada LLP (403) 268-3062 frank.alexander@dentons.com Mr. Alexander counsels energy companies on petroleum projects worldwide including government petroleum contracts (PSCs); JOAs; farmout agreements and SPAs; study and bid agreements; AMI agreements; unitization agreements; and gas sales agreements. He is the leader of Dentons Canada LLP International Petroleum Practice Group. Ainley, William M. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP (416) 863-5509 wainley@dwpv.com Mr. Ainley has been lead counsel for bidders and target boards in many of Canada's largest, most complex public company M&A transactions. He frequently advises foreign investors on strategic investments in Canadian resource and energy companies and has acted on behalf of foreign purchasers on numerous acquisitions of major Canadian resource companies. Adkins, Robert J.M. Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP (204) 934-2483 rjma@tdslaw.com Mr. Adkins has a varied practice, but for the last 30 years he has been significantly involved in areas of, Indigenous law, natural resource development, including energy and rights of way for transmission and pipelines. LEXPERT-RANKED LAWYERS And the panel advised creating three different pipeline approval processes, depending on size. "Our vision is one where every regulated activity is reviewed and approved in a way commensurate with its scale and risk. "is means that the Governor in Council should determine whether major projects are in the National Interest before licensing hearings, that the CETC-CEA Agency Joint Panels should review major and other significant projects, and finally that mechanisms be put in place to allow the CETC to review lower-risk regulated activ- ities, provided that clear criteria are in place to de- fine these classes of regulated activity." is did not mean any kind of energy project would proceed without approval: "A tiered sys- tem of reviews, as described above, does not in any way mean that lower risk projects should be rubber stamped, or that their environmental im- pacts should not be considered. Quite the oppos- ite, regulatory review and assessment of environ- mental impact should always be required for any regulated activity, but via processes that match the scale of the activity in question." But arguably, the most controversial aspect of the Report had to do with moving certain of the NEB's functions to Ottawa. e panel wrote: "We do agree entirely that Canada's energy transmission infrastructure regulator needs a stronger connection to the seat of the federal gov- ernment. erefore, we propose that the office of the Board of Directors be based in Ottawa, along with a CETC office devoted to governmental coordination. We further envision future invest- ments in staff and resources related to electricity transmission being based in Ottawa, so that as this side of the regulatory business grows, as we expect it to, more of the CETC will be based in the cap- ital. Finally, as the role of energy Report of the Ex- pert Panel on the Modernization of the National Energy Board 65 information provision migrates to the new Canadian Energy Information Agency, it would be prudent to locate that Agency — as well as NEB staff today performing this function — proximate to partners in Statistics Canada, Natural Resources, and Environment and Climate Change Canada, to the extent possible. Our vision calls for an independent Board of Directors (with an office based in Ottawa) and Hearing Commis- sioners who may reside anywhere in Canada, each appointed according to a transparent competency model." At the same time, they called for "greatly increased Indigenous involvement, and much more meaningful engagement with all stakehold- ers on the essential competencies for these govern- ance and decision maker appointments. We feel that these changes will address concerns of the regulator being too close to industry." Presumably the panel was following up on a ser- WWW.LEXPERT.CA | 2017 | LEXPERT 5

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