Background
Jim Surbey is a senior practitioner in the Calgary office. Mr. Surbey was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1977 following his graduation from McGill University Law School. Prior to attending law school he worked as a surveyor, studied mining engineering and received a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University. As a result of his time at McGill, Mr. Surbey has some familiarity with the french language.
Areas of Practice
· Mr. Surbey practices in the corporate, commercial and securities law areas and in the mergers and acquisitions field.
· Other practice areas include the negotiation and drafting of project contracts and the resolution of disputes arising thereunder.
Rankings and Recognitions
· Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rating
Professional Experience
· Jim practices in the corporate/commercial areas and has represented clients with respect to a number of significant acquisitions and take-over bid matters and has experience in the development and financing of projects in the chemical and petrochemical industries.
· Jim has handled a very broad range of corporate, securities and commercial transactions including:
- Public share offerings and private placements for senior and junior issuers.
- Structuring, negotiation and documenting of construction, product sales and project financing arrangements for a significant portion of the ethane/ethylene-based petrochemicals facilities in Alberta over a 20 year period.
- Structured, negotiated, documented and implemented the 1998 Pan-Alberta settlement with its 400 producers, international pipelines and gas purchasers and led the Business/Legal team implementing the settlement transactions.
- Has served as arbitrator in long term contract interpretational disputes.
- Has represented parties to arbitration proceedings under each of the International Arbitration Act, ICC and Alberta Arbitration Act involving disputes as to interpretational issues in long term gas export contracts and long term chemical sales contracts.
- Negotiation and drafting of domestic and international long term technology licensing and product sales agreements for several world scale petrochemical projects.
- Structuring and negotiation of numerous large oil and gas and chemical industry acquisitions and dispositions for both public and private companies.
- Structuring and negotiation of several large chemical and energy industry project finance investments.
- Negotiation of numerous dispute resolution settlements relating to long term gas export contracts.
- Advice to senior management of both private and public companies with respect to corporate reorganizations.
- Successfully handled, on behalf of large foreign and domestic clients, contested take-over bids involving attacks on shareholder rights plans.
- Served for a number of years as the head of course for the Corporations Law portion of the Alberta Law Society's Bar Admission Course and continues to serve as an instructor in this course.
- Served for three years on the Corporate and Commercial Advisory Committee to the Law Society of Alberta, which considered and made recommendations on proposed changes to the corporate law of Alberta.
- Served on the Law Society sub-committee established to consider and report on the application of the 'Silverado Accord' to the Alberta situation and which published Certain Guidelines for the Negotiation and Preparation of Third Party Legal Opinions.