Our Private Equity practice is focused on:
- private mergers and acquisitions
- going private transactions
- recapitalizations and restructurings
- fund formation
- establishment, fundraising and ongoing representation of private investment funds
Bennett Jones has been recognized as a leading Canadian law firm representing Canadian and U.S. financial sponsors and their portfolio companies in all areas of their business, with a principal focus on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance transactions. The firm's strengths in private M&A span a number of industries – including industrial services, energy services, food and beverage, transportation and hospitality – providing us with familiarity with a wide range of capital structures, industry dynamics and regulatory regimes. In addition, as Canada's premiere national law firm in oil and gas law and energy infrastructure projects, our understanding of the broader macroeconomic setting in which these businesses operate allows us to provide particular expertise and value to private M&A transactions and investments that are taking place within the energy sector.
Our goal is to assist our clients in sourcing, evaluating and negotiating acquisitions, and ultimately exiting such investments in a tax-efficient manner.
2014 has proven to be a very busy year for the Bennett Jones Private Equity practice group. The firm has represented a broad number of financial sponsors (and their portfolio companies) in connection with exits from existing legacy investments, both privately and through the public markets, as well as in connection with the making of new investments. A significant portion of this year's activity has occurred in the energy and energy services industries.
Since January 2014, our Private Equity team has advised our clients on the following transactions:
- Natural Gas Partners (NGP) and Riverstone Holdings, LLC in connection with Northern Blizzard Resources Inc's initial public offering and secondary offering for approximately $500 million.
- Riverstone Holdings, LLC and other investors in connection with the equity commitment of $675 million to back the creation of a new oil and gas company, Calgary-based Canadian Non-Operated Resources LP.
- Riverstone Holdings, LLC in connection with its equity investment of US$225 million in Sierra Oil & Gas S. de R.L. de C.V., Mexico's first independent exploration and production company. Sierra secured equity commitments totalling US$525 million.
- Tamarind Energy and its management team in connection with its US$800 million capital commitment from Blackstone Energy Partners to create a significant upstream company with an emphasis on South East Asia oil and gas development.
- NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Services Corporation, and the shareholders thereof, in connection with the sale of a majority stake in NCSG to an investor syndicate led by TriWest Capital Partners, one of Canada's leading private equity firms, and Alberta Teachers Retirement Fund Board.
- Apollo Global Management, LLC in connection with its strategic partnership with CSV Midstream Solutions Corporation. Funds managed by Apollo have provided CSV Midstream with an equity commitment to fund the company's construction and operation of midstream facilities in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
- Apollo Global Management, LLC in connection with Jupiter Resources' $2 billion purchase of Encana Corp.'s Bighorn assets in Alberta.
- RTL-Westcan Limited Partnership, a leading hauler of bulk commodities in Western and Northern Canada, in connection with the sale of its operating business to Kenan Advantage Group and its industrial properties to Edgefront Realty Corp. The ownership group of RTL-Westcan included TriWest Capital Partners, members of the RTL-Westcan senior management team and others.