Background
Bernadette Corpuz is a senior associate at our Toronto office and is a member of the Electricity Markets Group. Bernadette was called to the Ontario Bar in 2001 and holds an LL.B. and J.D., respectively from the Universities of Windsor and Detroit Mercy, as well as an M.B.A. from McMaster University.
Areas of Practice
Bernadette has been a corporate and commercial lawyer throughout her career and has been involved in major corporate and securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and financings. As a member of the Electricity Markets Group, Bernadette advises a wide range of energy market participants, including distributors, transmitters, generators, and commercial users with respect to a variety of commercial and transaction related matters.
Professional Experience
ˇ Advised local distribution companies on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and structuring matters and a wide range of commercial matters including compliance with regulatory requirements.
ˇ Advised energy retailers on a wide range of commercial matters, including regulatory compliance and licensing requirements.
ˇ Advised power generators on a wide range of commercial matters, including regulatory compliance and licensing requirements.
ˇ Negotiated, drafted and advised on energy trading contracts (financial and physical, including OTC-derivative/ISDA-based) and gas and electricity purchase (wholesale and retail) agreements on behalf of suppliers and major industrial users trading in electricity with domestic and international counterparties.
ˇ Advised on district energy matters, including representing owners of multi-residential dwellings in energy efficiency management contract negotiations and suppliers of thermal energy. Negotiated and drafted energy efficiency performance contracts.
ˇ Advised on a wide range of energy regulatory compliance matters.
ˇ Advised on proposed and existing regulatory regimes relating to mandatory greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
ˇ Advised on purchase agreements for emission reductions.
ˇ Advised on wide range of corporate transactions, including share and asset sales, reorganizations, mergers and amalgamations.
ˇ Advised on shareholder and partnership agreements, including corporate governance matters.
ˇ Represented issuers and underwriters in securities matters, including public and private offerings.
ˇ As former general counsel to a major electricity distributor, carried responsibility for directing all legal affairs of the corporation and its non-regulated affiliates, including commercial, corporate, regulatory, litigation and legal advice to the corporation and its board of directors; advising management and providing legal and governance advice to the board of directors; directing negotiations on significant transactions including divestitures of business units.
Professional and Community Activities
ˇ Member of the Canadian Bar Association
- Natural Resources and Energy Law Section
- Business Law Section
Presentations
ˇ EUCI Course on Canadian Electricity Contracts for Non-Lawyers; Presenting instructor; October 4-5, 2010.
ˇ EUCI Course on Introduction to Canadian Electricity Regulation; Presenting instructor; September 22-23, 2010.
ˇ Ontario Centres of Excellence, Discovery 2010; Smart Grid Panel Member; May 17-18, 2010.
ˇ Electricity Revisited: Municipal Musings over LDC Ownership; Presentation at Breakfast Seminar Session for the 2007 Annual conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario
ˇ Climate Change: Corporate Disclosure Obligations; Presentation to the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, August 2007
ˇ Presenter at numerous client seminars and webinars on topics including electricity regulation and markets, smart grid developments and climate change.
Publications
ˇ Contributing writer to The Electricity Industry in Canada, a comprehensive two-volume legal review published by Carswell.
ˇ Author of numerous client bulletins and updates on various electricity related matters.