LEXPERT • June 2014 | www.lexpert.ca | 77
CORPORATE FINANCE & SECURITIES
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Leo Raffi n is a partner in McMillan's Vancouver offi ce, Co-chair of the national
Capital Markets Group and Co-chair of the Public M&A Group (BC). His primary
practice areas are securities and corporate law, acting for technology, industrial and
natural resource issuers. His experience includes public and private off erings, mergers,
acquisitions and take-over bids, proxy contests, corporate reorganizations, business
alliances, licensing transactions and corporate governance matters.
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Partner and Chair of BLG's National Mining Group. Advises on all aspects of
corporate fi nance, mergers & acquisitions, commercial transactions, corporate
governance and continuous disclosure, with a strong focus on the mining industry.
Considerable experience with Canadian and international mining joint ventures,
project development and construction, tenure issues, royalties and commodity sales.
Clients include public and private companies, boards of directors, special committees,
underwriters, investment funds and real estate investment trusts. Selected by peers
for inclusion in Chambers Global 2014:! e World's Leading Lawyers for Business, ! e
2014 Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, ! e
Best Lawyers in Canada 2014 and the International Who's Who of Mining Lawyers.
Adjunct Professor, University of BC, Faculty of Law (1999–2001). Holds an LLM from
Columbia University, an LLB from the University of Toronto and an AB, magna cum
laude, from Harvard University. Called to BC Bar in 1993.
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Bill Sirett is a partner who practices in the areas of securities and corporate law at
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, with an emphasis on corporate fi nance, mergers and
acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and corporate governance. His practice is
transaction-oriented, acting as counsel for both public and private corporations and
investment banking fi rms in domestic and cross-border fi nancing and merger and
acquisition transactions across a broad range of industries with a particular emphasis
on forestry, mining and energy. Named in ! e Legal Media Group Guide to the World's
Leading Capital Markets Lawyers, ! e Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (2014), ! e
Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (2006–14),
! e Lexpert® Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Corporate Lawyers in
Canada (2012–13), ! e Best Lawyers in Canada (2006–14), Law Business Research's
International Who's Who of Capital Market Lawyers (2008–13) and Law Business
Research's Who's Who Legal: Canada 2013. Admitted to the British Columbia Bar
in 1976.
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John Smith has acquired very broad experience dealing with business law issues
over the last 30 years. He has been involved with many of British Columbia's leading
enterprises in industries including mining, terminal operations, transportation,
forestry, investment funds and consumer products and services. Smith has acted on a
wide variety of transactions, including M&A, IPOs, underwritings and restructurings,
including acting for special committees, and has experience dealing with most
governance and fi nancing structures, including trusts. Smith has also advised clients
with respect to business succession matters. He is regularly involved in directing the
conduct of signifi cant litigation and arbitrations for clients. Smith has a Martindale-
Hubbell AV ranking and was included in the 2012 Lexpert® Guide to the Leading US/
Canada Cross-border Corporate Lawyers in Canada. He received MA and BCL degrees
(fi rst class) from Oxford University and taught law for six years before beginning his
practice. He was Lawson Lundell's Managing Partner from 2007 to 2009 and is an
Adjunct Professor in the UBC Faculty of Law.
Leo Raffi n
McMillan LLP
Tel: (604) 691-7450
Fax: (604) 893-2356
Vancouver
Fred R.
Pletcher
Borden Ladner
Gervais LLP
Tel: (604) 640-4245
Fax: (604) 622-5802
Vancouver
William
F. Sirett
Blake, Cassels &
Graydon LLP
Tel: (604) 631-3371
Fax: (604) 631-3309
Vancouver
John Smith
Lawson
Lundell LLP
Tel: (604) 631-9120
Fax: (604) 694-2925
Vancouver
leo.raffi n@mcmillan.ca
fpletcher@blg.com
bill.sirett@blakes.com
jsmith@lawsonlundell.com
