Bennett Jones
Darrell Peterson is a highly respected M&A and corporate finance lawyer and has been recognized as "a dynamic, accessible, tactful and productive" lawyer and as having "a great head for business" (Chambers Global).
Darrell has significant experience in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; equity and debt financings; and private equity investments. He has represented:
- issuers of equity and debt in capital markets transactions, including primary and secondary initial public offerings, prospectus offerings, private placements, and seed and series financings;
- private equity funds and investees in structuring (domestic and cross-border) and in industrial, energy and technology investments;
- public companies and special board committees in negotiated and unsolicited M&A transactions;
- independent energy companies, energy services providers, and hydrocarbon upgrading and refiners in M&A, A&D, joint venture, partnership and financing activities; and
- management in MBO and LBO transactions;
In M&A, Darrell has led or co-led some of the largest and most complex transactions in Western Canada, including Flint Energy Services' sale to URS; Deer Creek Energy Limited, on its negotiated takeover by Total E&P Canada Ltd.; and Iteration Energy Inc., on its sale to Chinook Energy Ltd. As well, Darrell advised Newalta Corporation on its "just-say-no" defence against an unsolicited offer by Canadian Crude Separators Inc.; Luscar Coal Income Fund on its defence to a hostile bid by Sherritt Coal Partnership; and Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. on its $1.76-billion opposed bid for Ranger Oil Ltd.
In Corporate Finance, Darrell has led debt financings totalling over $8.0 billion; numerous initial public offerings and stock exchange listings of equity (national and cross-border, including MJDS); the creation and implementation of a number of equity lines of credit; and multiple private placement financings (brokered and unbrokered; national and cross-border).
Darrell's private equity clients include a number of large and mid-cap U.S. and Canadian industrial, energy and technology funds. Darrell provides advice to these clients on fund structuring, investments in management teams and acquiring start-up or operating companies in Canada.
Complementing his practice, Darrell is a holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors, Director Designation (ICD.D) and has also completed the Directors Financial Literacy and Board Oversight of Technology programs offered by the Institute of Corporate Directors, and the Evaluation of Oil & Gas Properties for Technical Professionals Certification course offered by Sproule International.