Benjamin Silver is counsel in our Business Law Group in Montréal, and primarily advises public companies on corporate governance and continuous disclosure matters, and acts for them on acquisitions, reorganizations and public offerings.
Mr. Silver has acted in numerous major public company M&A transactions, both for targets and buyers, and implemented by plan of arrangement, amalgamation or tender offer, including the combination of Innergex Power Income Fund and Innergex Renewable Energy and the acquisitions of Zarlink Semiconductor by Microsemi, Draxis Health by Jubilant Organosys, Cambior by Iamgold Corporation, Novicourt by Falconbridge, The Hockey Company by Reebok, BioChem Pharma by Shire Pharmaceuticals Group plc, Vidéotron by Quebecor Media (competing bid), Boomerang Tracking by Lojack Corporation, Ad Opt Technologies by Kronos Incorporated, Ariane Gold Corp. and Sequoia Minerals by Cambior and Steinberg by Socanov-Caisse Acquisition Corp (competing bid). He also acted in proxy contests relating to the composition of the board of directors of Call-Net Entreprises and of Zarlink Semiconductor.
Mr. Silver has also acted in numerous new issues by prospectus and private placement (including the issue of structured products by financial institutions), as well as several initial public offerings including those of Innergex Renewable Energy, The Hockey Company, Great Lakes Hydro Income Fund, Advanced Fiber Technologies (AFT) Income Fund (a spin-off of CAE Inc.) and Tecsys Inc.
He was for many years a member of the advisory committee to the Québec securities regulator (Autorité des marchés financiers).
Mr. Silver has taught corporate law at McGill University Law Faculty. He received from the McGill University his BA in 1972, his science degree in 1976 and his LL.B. in 1980. He was called to the Québec bar in 1982.