Bruce McNeely's initial professional training was as an economist and mathematician at Queen's University. This led to a short career as an economist with the federal public service followed by law school at the University of Ottawa and over 37 years of practice as a corporate-commercial lawyer in downtown Toronto. Bruce enjoys the practice of law. Bruce has had extensive experience throughout his career in negotiating and closing merger and acquisition transactions. Transactions include: · Developing a unique contractual approach to settle a complex parallel interest investment in a commercial arrangement between two sophisticated business parties · Acting as principal client lawyer in successfully effecting a public auction in the face of a highly restrictive controlling shareholders agreement, which resulted in a significant Ontario Court of Appeal judgement Bruce has acted for all levels of government. Transactions include: · Acting for the Ontario Ministry of Finance in drafting the trust agreement and other arrangements under which Ontario's principal nuclear power generator will meet its nuclear fuel management and decommissioning obligations set out in licences issued under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act (Canada) · Acting for the Ontario Attorney General in completing the organization of the Ontario Power Authority and constitution of its board · Successfully acting for a limited partner in defending an attempt by a U.K. Utility to include the Ontario assets of an Ontario limited partnership in the Utility's restructuring As a lending lawyer, Bruce has acted for a broad range of senior lenders and borrowers with particular emphasis on credit and priority agreements, personal property security issues, securities transfer issues, limitations issues and opinions. Transactions include: · Acting for a major Canadian Banks in respect of bridge loans made to private equity entities for acquisitions in a variety of industries with conventional credit facilities to the operating businesses on closing · Advice to independent board members in various circumstances Bruce is actively involved in knowledge management at Cassels. He is leading the development of not-for-profit materials for the firm arising out of the modernization of not-for-profit corporate law by the recent coming into force of the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act and the anticipated coming into force of the Not-for-profit Corporations Act, 2010 by Ontario. Bruce has always been an active legal writer. Recent publications include the firm's Carrying on Business in Canada publication, and commentaries on the implications to business arising from the Limitations Act, 2002 (Ontario), Securities Transfer Act, 2006 (Ontario) and changes to the obligations of consumer product supply chain participants under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act and the not-for-profit legislation referenced above. Achievements · Martindale-Hubbell, BV Distinguished™ rating Associations · American Bar Association · Canadian Bar Association · The Canadian Counsel for Public-Private Partnerships · International Bar Association · Ontario Bar Association Presentations Indemnities and Limitations of Liability - Beyond the Basics Caught by the Act - Little Known Legal Quirks Articles Caught by the Act, 11/24/2010 Newsletters Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (New Act), 10/18/2011 49% / 51% Shareholder Corporations: Avoiding Deadlock, 06/07/2011 Business Law Group e-LERT - Not-For-Profit Corporations, 04/28/2011 Business Law Group e-COMMUNIQUÉ - July 2010, 07/20/2010 Consumer Product Safety - New Regulatory Regime in Canada, 10/16/2009 Transactions Cassels Brock Acts for Sprott Power Corp. in Its $45 Million Debt Financing, 09/09/2011 Blackstone Group L.P. Invests in TDI USA Holdings Corp., 03/04/2010 |