Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) is ALFA International’s member firm in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. As the largest, full-service Canadian law firm, BLG delivers practical legal advice for domestic and international clients across more practices and industries than any Canadian firm. With more than 725 lawyers, intellectual property agents and other professionals, BLG serves the legal needs of businesses and institutions across Canada and beyond – from M&A and capital markets to disputes, financing, and trademark & patent registration.
Types of corporate transactions in which our firm has particular expertise
BLG’s collaborative, multidisciplinary team is at the forefront of the business and corporate commercial world. The firm offers strategic advice on matters across a wide range of sectors, industries and business needs including financial services, government and public sector, infrastructure and construction, private equity & venture capital, mining, energy and resources, technology and communication, transportation, and more.
BLG supports a diversified client base, ranging from small-cap to mid-market through to large corporate clientele. The firm is well equipped to advise clients on a full range of corporate and transactional matters, including domestic and cross-border securities transactions, M&A and commercial work; public and private companies on financings, regulatory compliance, joint ventures and matters of corporate governance.
The firm’s M&A team works closely with major Canadian and international corporations, public issuers, entrepreneurial and growth-oriented businesses, many of Canada’s best known investment banks and other market industry participants to structure, negotiation, implement and manage complicated financings, business and corporate reorganizations, restructurings, insolvencies, and mergers. The members of the firm specialize in managing regulatory approvals, designing international tax strategies, and dealing with multi-jurisdictional legal issues in corporate finance and M&A transactions.
The M&A team has a wide range of experience and tailors advice to clients in every role of an organization, including in take-over bids, amalgamations and mergers, plans of arrangement, reorganizations, spin-offs and divestitures, going private transactions, as well as share and asset purchases and sales. BLG is consistently recognized by Chambers Canada, Best Lawyers, The Legal 500 Canada, Lexpert and more.
The size of our firm’s corporate transactions team
BLG has more than 40 corporate and transactional lawyers in Alberta, further strengthened by the firm’s corporate and disputes teams in other offices across Canada.
Examples of transactions our firm has undertaken
BLG’s national corporate and transactional teams have advised on the following matters:
- Guardian Capital in its $750 million sale of their insurance distribution network and mutual fund and investment dealers to Desjardins Group
- POSCO Canada Limited and its affiliates in connection with the restructuring of their interest in the Greenhills and Elk Valley coal mines in southeastern British Columbia. This transaction is part of the larger restructuring of the business of POSCAN’s long-time commercial partner, Teck Resources Limited, into two independent, publicly-listed companies: Teck Metals Corp. and EVR.
- Mercer Global Investments in the sale of its Canadian private wealth business to Canaccord Genuity
- ALS GoldSpot Discoveries Ltd. In its acquisition of the consulting exploration tech division from EarthLabs
- Canadian counsel to John Wood Group plc in the US$1.8 billion sale of its environment and infrastructure consulting business to Canadian engineering firm WSP Global
- Pan American Silver Corp. in its US$4.8 billion acquisition with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited of Yamana Gold Inc.
- Argyle in its merger with five other marketing and communications firms to create “super firm” Believeco:partners
- Loblaw Companies Ltd. in its $845 million acquisition of Lifemark Health Group to expand Shoppers Drug Mart’s healthcare services
- Group Mach Acquisition Inc. in its acquisition of approx. $1.5 billion of retail and office properties in connection with the broader $5.7 billion plan of arrangement in which a consortium led by Canderel Real Estate Property Inc. are acquiring Cominar REIT, one of the largest diversified real estate investment trusts in Canada
- K+S Aktiengesellschaft in the US$1.47 billion sale of its Canadian salt business, including Windsor Salt, to Stone Canyon Industries Holdings LLC and affiliates
- Acted for certain investment advisors in GMP Capital’s acquisition of Richardson GMP
- Advise OEMS on regulatory issues and dealer/franchise matters
- Advise clients on matters related to environmental regulatory approvals and transportation of dangerous goods approvals required to do business in Canada