Doug advises public and private companies on M&A, financing and corporate/governance matters. His M&A experience includes public take-over bids, share and asset acquisitions and divestitures, privatizations and corporate restructurings. His financing experience includes domestic and cross-border public and private offerings of equity and debt, initial public offerings and other securities offerings and monetizations.
Doug's clients have included Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal, Morgan Stanley, Dream Unlimited Corp., Dream Office REIT, Dream Industrial REIT and Dream Global REIT. Doug is recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers Global, Lexpert, Who’s Who Legal Canada and Best Lawyers in Canada. Doug has lectured on securities law, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters at universities and private conferences. Doug is a former member of the Securities Advisory Committee to the Ontario Securities Commission.
Representative Work
- Dream Industrial REIT
Dream Industrial REIT in its $850 million European logistics portfolio acquisition and associated financing
- The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Newstrike Brands
The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Newstrike Brands in its proposed acquisition by HEXO Corp
- Bayshore Capital
Bayshore Capital in Broadridge’s USD$300 million acquisition of RPM Technologies
- Dream Office REIT and DREAM Hard Assets Alternatives Trust
Dream Office REIT and DREAM Hard Assets Alternatives Trust in connection with its sale of a portfolio of properties to Kingsett Capital
- Dream Office REIT
Dream Office REIT in connection with its sale of properties to existing co-owners and Kingsett Capital
- E-L Financial Corporation Limited in connection with its acquisition of Guardian Assurance Limited’s 19% share of holding company E-L Financial Services Limited resulting in 100% ownership of E-L Financial Services Limited which owns 98.3% of The Empire Life Insurance Company
- Bank of Montreal in connection with its acquisition of General Electric Capital Corporation’s Transportation Finance business
- Dream Asset Management Corporation in connection with a reorganization of the management structure of Dream Office REIT
- Royal Bank of Canada in its agreement to acquire City National Corporation for approximately US$2.7 billion in cash and approximately 44 million common shares, representing a total current transaction value of approximately US$5.4 billion
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DREAM Unlimited Corp. in its agreement to form a joint venture with Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. The joint venture will maximize the value of CP’s surplus real estate portfolio by leveraging the experience and expertise of DREAM to develop select properties
- Dream Asset Management Corporation in connection with the formation and initial public offering of Dream Hard Asset Alternatives Trust and the coincident acquisition by Dream Alternatives of its approximately $725 million of initial assets pursuant to a reorganization of certain investment funds managed by Return on Innovation Advisers Ltd.
- Bank of Montreal in connection with its acquisition of F&C Asset Management plc.
- The Underwriters in connection with the US$3 billion offering of common shares by Barrick Gold Corporation
- Dream Asset Management Corporation in connection with the spin-off of DREAM Unlimited Corp. by Dundee Corporation by means of a plan of arrangement
- Dream Industrial REIT in connection with its take-over bid for all of the shares of C2C Industrial Properties Inc. and subsequent going private amalgamation of DIR Industrial Properties Inc. and C2C Industrial Properties Inc.
- Royal Bank of Canada in connection with its acquisition of the Canadian automobile finance and deposit business of Ally Financial Inc.
- Dream Industrial REIT in connection with its acquisition of a portfolio of industrial properties and initial public offering.
- Gazit America Inc. in connection with its privatization by Gazit-Globe Ltd. and sale of properties to First Capital Realty Inc.
- Dream Office REIT in connection with its acquisition of Whiterock Real Estate Investment Trust
- Dream Global REIT in connection with its acquisition of an approximately $1 billion portfolio of real estate assets in Germany and $447.5 million initial public offering in Canada
- Bank of Montreal in connection with its acquisition of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation
- Dream Office REIT in connection with its acquisition of Realex Properties Corp.
Dream Industrial REIT in its $850 million European logistics portfolio acquisition and associated financing
The Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Newstrike Brands in its proposed acquisition by HEXO Corp
Bayshore Capital in Broadridge’s USD$300 million acquisition of RPM Technologies
Dream Office REIT and DREAM Hard Assets Alternatives Trust in connection with its sale of a portfolio of properties to Kingsett Capital
Dream Office REIT in connection with its sale of properties to existing co-owners and Kingsett Capital
- E-L Financial Corporation Limited in connection with its acquisition of Guardian Assurance Limited’s 19% share of holding company E-L Financial Services Limited resulting in 100% ownership of E-L Financial Services Limited which owns 98.3% of The Empire Life Insurance Company
- Bank of Montreal in connection with its acquisition of General Electric Capital Corporation’s Transportation Finance business
- Dream Asset Management Corporation in connection with a reorganization of the management structure of Dream Office REIT
- Royal Bank of Canada in its agreement to acquire City National Corporation for approximately US$2.7 billion in cash and approximately 44 million common shares, representing a total current transaction value of approximately US$5.4 billion
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DREAM Unlimited Corp. in its agreement to form a joint venture with Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. The joint venture will maximize the value of CP’s surplus real estate portfolio by leveraging the experience and expertise of DREAM to develop select properties
- Dream Asset Management Corporation in connection with the formation and initial public offering of Dream Hard Asset Alternatives Trust and the coincident acquisition by Dream Alternatives of its approximately $725 million of initial assets pursuant to a reorganization of certain investment funds managed by Return on Innovation Advisers Ltd.
- Bank of Montreal in connection with its acquisition of F&C Asset Management plc.
- The Underwriters in connection with the US$3 billion offering of common shares by Barrick Gold Corporation
- Dream Asset Management Corporation in connection with the spin-off of DREAM Unlimited Corp. by Dundee Corporation by means of a plan of arrangement
- Dream Industrial REIT in connection with its take-over bid for all of the shares of C2C Industrial Properties Inc. and subsequent going private amalgamation of DIR Industrial Properties Inc. and C2C Industrial Properties Inc.
- Royal Bank of Canada in connection with its acquisition of the Canadian automobile finance and deposit business of Ally Financial Inc.
- Dream Industrial REIT in connection with its acquisition of a portfolio of industrial properties and initial public offering.
- Gazit America Inc. in connection with its privatization by Gazit-Globe Ltd. and sale of properties to First Capital Realty Inc.
- Dream Office REIT in connection with its acquisition of Whiterock Real Estate Investment Trust
- Dream Global REIT in connection with its acquisition of an approximately $1 billion portfolio of real estate assets in Germany and $447.5 million initial public offering in Canada
- Bank of Montreal in connection with its acquisition of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation
- Dream Office REIT in connection with its acquisition of Realex Properties Corp.
Latest Insights
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Osler Update December 17, 2021
Cineplex awarded $1.2 billion by Ontario court for ‘busted deal’
In a highly anticipated decision, an Ontario Court has held that Cineworld improperly terminated its December 2019 agreement to purchase Cineplex’s...
Read more
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Osler Update May 17, 2021
Potential Canadian implications of the Archegos fallout
Global bank losses following the Archegos Capital Management fallout now surpass $10 billion, prompting renewed focus in the United States on...
Read more -
Osler Update February 21, 2020
New guidance on special committees and going private transactions
The Ontario Securities Commission’s reasons for its decision in Re The Catalyst Capital Group Inc. have important disclosure and procedural...
Read more -
Osler Update December 18, 2018
The take-over bid regime after two years
It has now been over two years since Canada’s take-over bid regime was revamped to provide for a minimum 105-day bid period, a mandatory 50%...
Read more
Awards and Recognition
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Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Corporate/M&A
- “…is highly regarded for his M&A and financing expertise, as well as his experience of REITs transactions.”
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The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Recognized in Corporate Finance & Securities; Mergers & Acquisitions; Corporate Commercial Law
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The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada: Recognized in Corporate Finance & Securities
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Best Lawyers in Canada: Recognized in Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law; Corporate Governance Practice
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Legal 500: Recognized as a Leading Lawyer, Corporate and M&A
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IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms: Recognized in M&A (Highly Regarded)
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Who’s Who Legal: Recognized in Capital Markets – Debt and Equity (International); M&A (International); Capital Markets (Canada); M&A (Canada)
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Thomson Reuters: “Stand-out Lawyer”
Community Involvement
- Branksome Hall, Board of Governors (2012–2018)
Credentials
Education
- University of Toronto, LL.B.
- University of Western Ontario, B.A.
Languages
- English
Professional Affiliations
- Canadian Bar Association
- American Bar Association
