Profile: McCarthy Tetrault LLP

McCarthy Tetrault LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

CORPORATE PRACTICE
McCarthy Tétrault’s contingent of five lawyers in our capital markets chapter is led in the voting by senior partner Garth Girvan. Rene Sorell, like Girvan, is based in Toronto and is reportedly “one of the finest securities lawyers in the country”. Sorell has a great deal of experience before the Ontario Securities Commission and partner Graham Gow completes the firm’s leading Toronto contingent. Richard Balfour and Richard Shaw QC afford the firm a presence in Vancouver and Calgary respectively.

The “excellent” Girvan also appears in the merger and acquisition chapter. He advised the Bank of Nova Scotia on its proposed merger with the Bank of Montreal. Quebec-based Jean-René Gauthier is another “star”, according to contributors to the survey.

In the banking section, McCarthy Tétrault’s head of the national financial services practice, Barry Ryan, was very highly rated by clients and peers: Alberta-based Michael McIntosh is considered “superb” by sources.

Byran Gibson in Vancouver appears in the project finance chapter. He advises proponents of infrastructure projects in the transportation and energy arenas as well as financial institutions on project finance matters. He recently advised the lead proponent of the Ottawa Light Rail system.

McCarthy Tétrault LLP is the best-represented firm in Canada for insolvency and restructuring, fielding three nominees. Toronto’s Kevin McElcheran represents debtors and creditors and acts as an insolvency adviser in complex securitisations and derivatives transactions. “Pre-eminent” Sylvain Vauclair jointly leads the firm’s national bankruptcy and restructuring group from the Montreal office. Philippe Bélanger brings a “fantastic and ever-growing reputation” to the table. His practice focuses on the representation of secured lenders and borrowers. The group advised on Bolloré SA’s acquisition of Avestor.
Two corporate tax practitioners were very highly nominated in the research. Douglas Ewens QC practises from the Calgary office and was rated in the “top ten” by one highly regarded source. He was tax counsel to Alberta Energy in its merger to form EnCana. Jerald Wortsman’s national and international practice focuses on M&A, reorganisations and corporate finance.

Nancy Carroll practises in the Toronto office and is considered “up there” with the best for insurance and reinsurance. Among other matters, she has worked on the strategic acquisition of a life insurance company by a financial products venture company in an all-cash transaction.

REAL ESTATE, ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Six practitioners from four provinces appear in the real estate chapter – by far the strongest showing in Canada. Gordon Sato received the most nominations for the firm. Abraham Costin is a “fantastic lawyer” who “belongs in the hall of fame” for his real estate work, according to one source. Fred Rubinoff joins the others in the Toronto office. “Top-notch” Keith Burrell is based in Vancouver and has great experience representing developers of large residential and mixed-use projects. Pierre-Denis Leroux in Montreal was described as “a very talented individual”. Kieth Mullback in Calgary also appears.
In the environment section, Douglas Thomson was praised as being “at the very top”, providing clients with “senior level advice”. He heads the Toronto environmental group and specialises in environmental litigation, approvals and complex transactions.

Richard Miner in Toronto and Anthony Knox in Vancouver both feature prominently in the mining section. Miner leads McCarthy Tétrault’s global mining group and has worked on projects that include precious and base metals, diamonds, coal, uranium and industrial metals. Knox is the Vancouver office coordinator of the global mining group. The group recently worked on the acquisition of a company dealing in the acquisition and exploration of potentially mineable copper deposits in Peru by China’s largest metals and mining company. In the oil and gas chapter, Calgary practitioner Don Davies is renowned for his representation of oil and gas producers, pipeline companies and industry organisations before the National Energy Board and the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board.

COMPETITION AND TRADE
Five of the firm’s competition group make the cut. Donald Houston was praised for his “sterling work under difficult circumstances” and is well known for his litigation skills. Randal Hughes was also highly nominated for his litigation expertise and has extensive experience working on the competition aspects of mergers and acquisitions, as does Oliver Borgers. In Montreal, Yves Bériault advises on all aspects of Canadian competition law. Madeleine Renaud comes recommended for her “excellent relations with competition agencies” and “fantastic judgement”. Montreal-based Simon Potter appears in the trade and customs chapter, receiving plaudits across the board for his “excellent practice”.

DISPUTES
In the commercial litigation chapter, Toronto practitioner Thomas Heintzman QC is said to be an “excellent” practitioner with a wide-ranging practice. In Montreal, Gérald Tremblay QC is a “prominent member of the bar” with significant experience in class actions and shareholders’ disputes, to name but a few matters. Leonard Doust QC is associate counsel to the Vancouver office and features in the business crime chapter. Product liability specialist Thomas Forbes QC practises from the Toronto office and has particular experience in the medical devices field.

TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS
McCarthy Tétrault has four individuals listed in the internet and e-commerce section whose expertise in privacy and outsourcing matters was noted. The firm is counsel to companies such as Workopolis and eBay. Barry Sookman is “highly capable” and advised on a $90 million seven-year IT services contract between a major life insurer and one of the largest global IT companies. Respondents “have a lot of time for” fellow Toronto lawyer George Takach, a “very big player” in the field. The “very strong” Cheryl Slusarchuk is based in Vancouver and has extensive experience as corporate counsel for a high-tech company. Since she moved into private practice, she has been involved in software licence and distribution agreements, and US/Canada and global cross-border transactions. Michel Racicot is “an important player” in Montreal, where he works on technology transfers, e-commerce and telecoms law and public utilities regulation.
We include two regulatory communications practitioners. Lorne Salzman of the Toronto office focuses his practice on telecommunications and competition matters and has represented clients in proceedings before the Canadian radio-television and telecommunications commission, and Industry Canada. Hank Intven, also in Toronto, leads the practice group and has served as a government-appointed member of the telecommunications policy review panel, which produced a report on a future telecommunications and regulatory framework for Canada.