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-
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