Lexpert®Ranked Lawyers
Christopher, Chris
Blake, Cassels &
Graydon LLP
(403) 260-9662
chris.christopher@
blakes.com
Mr. Christopher's
practice includes
negotiating and
drafting downstream,
midstream and
upstream operational,
commercial and
purchase and sale
agreements. He
also advises on the
development of oil
sands, cogeneration
and wind power
projects.
Convery, Mark A.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Canada LLP
(416) 216-4803
mark.convery@
nortonrosefulbright.
com
Mr. Convery's
domestic and cross-
border corporate and
securities law practice
embraces M&A,
private placements and
public offerings. He
advises at all stages
of development, from
start-ups to mature
public and multinational
companies.
Corley, Richard F.D.
Goodmans LLP
(416) 597-4197
rcorley@goodmans.ca
Mr. Corley has more
than 20 years of
experience assisting
clients to successfully
conclude complex
M&A and commercial
transactions in
renewables, cleantech
and information
technology. He is
focused on the
intersection of
law, business
and technology.
Coburn, F.F. (Rick)
Borden Ladner
Gervais LLP
(416) 367-6038
rcoburn@blg.com
Mr. Coburn's
practice includes
land use approvals
and environmental
aspects of energy and
infrastructure projects.
He has acted on major
transportation and
institutional projects
involving remediation,
site certifi cation
and brownfi elds
assessment.
Corbett, Leland P.
Stikeman Elliott LLP
(403) 266-9046
lcorbett@stikeman.
com
Mr. Corbett's corporate-
commercial practice
embraces public
and private capital
markets transactions,
including corporate and
investment banking
matters, share and
asset acquisitions and
dispositions, securities
dealings and other
M&A.
Craig, Gordon M.
Lawson Lundell LLP
(604) 631-9155
gcraig@
lawsonlundell.com
Mr. Craig's practice
focuses on the energy
sector in western
Canada. He represents
a major electric utility
and active power
marketer in connection
with varied commercial
transactions. He also
represents proponents
and others in BC's
LNG sector.
Energy Deals | 11
energy supply lines from Canada, and other investors look-
ing for access to overseas markets, all spent 2013 watching
for signs that any one of fi ve major pipeline proposals would
fi nd an approved route to tidewater.
Spitznagel suggests 2013 acquisition appetite was further
dulled by concerns over British Columbia LNG taxes, cost
escalations on major projects, a North American gas glut and
the competition for capital posed by US shale plays.
Oslers's M&A lawyer Frank Turner says 2013 activity
"fell off a cliff ," but that's partly due to the comparison with
2012, when the "blockbuster" CNOOC and Petronas deals
boosted totals by more than $20 billion. In talks with SOEs,
he says, he's learned that they are "very concerned" about the
pace of pipeline projects and that played a further part in the
2013 deal-making drought.
Turner says that a er the initial shock, Chinese SOEs are
now coming to terms with restrictions. " e message is get-
ting out there that we continue to welcome their investment
— within the new rules."
A recent PricewaterhouseCoopers poll of some 300 Cal-
gary energy executives showed 65-per-cent support for a re-
examination of the SOE policy. But Turner says he sees no
indication Ottawa is prepared to rethink its position.
Janice Buckingham, also of Oslers, says part of the reason
for the SOE policy impact was a lack of clarity. e policy
statement gives the minister discretion to determine wheth-
er an ostensibly private company is acting on behalf of a for-
eign government and should therefore be classed as an SOE,
as well as what level of SOE ownership constitutes eff ective
control in a particular case.
"We need to provide clarity and certainty on what the
rules are or we risk being uncompetitive," Buckingham says.
Several observers have questioned whether the SOE ban
will be extended to other sectors, most notably LNG proj-
ects, where Petronas and other national oil companies are
prominent players. But Buckingham says she believes SOEs
can continue to invest with confi dence in Canadian LNG
projects. As distinct from buying up established oil sands
companies, Asian LNG investment is helping to build new
"greenfi eld" LNG projects and companies. And, since Asian
countries are the logical buyers of Canadian LNG, she says, it
makes sense that they should be equity investors.
"If we want to be globally competitive [in LNG], we
shouldn't be applying the same limitations on an emerging
"Everything just feels better this year
than it did this time last year."
– PERRY SPITZNAGEL, BENNETT JONES LLP
