Background
Jeff Read is a partner at our Vancouver office. Jeff was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1986. He graduated from Queen's University Law School in 1985.
Prior to that, he received his B.A. from Queen's University (magna cum laude).
Areas of Practice
Jeff practises corporate and securities law, focusing on advising local, national and international companies and securities dealers on their Canadian activities. He works for several of the larger British Columbia based public companies and private equities groups and has been involved with a number of friendly and hostile M&A transactions and proxy fights.
Rankings and Recognitions
· Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (Corporate Law; Securities Law)
· Martindale-Hubbell BV® Distinguished™ 4.4 out of 5 Peer Review Rating
· Recognized in the 2011 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Energy - Oil and Gas)
Professional Experience
· Counsel to Athabasca Potash Inc. (API) with regard to its $341 million acquisitions by BHP Billiton by way of plan of arrangement
· Counsel to the founder of API in her successful proxy fight to remove the former board of directors
· Counsel to Inspectorate and parent companies Inspicio and 3i, a London-based private equity firm, on the $25 million acquisition of PRA Labs
· Acted for CHC Helicopters in the acquisition of 100 helicopters from 2007 to date
· Acted for CHC Helicopters in the incorporation of their new repair and maintenance business Heli One
· Counsel to Providence Service Corporation on their entry into the Canadian workforce initiatives market through their acquisition of WCG International Consultants
· Counsel to Trans Canada Power in development of wood waste power project
· Counsel to Furry Creek Power in development of run of river power project
· Counsel to Synex Power Corporation in development of run of river power projects
· Counsel to Calpine Corporation in proposed development of gas fired power project
· CHIP REIT $1.2 billion acquisition by British Columbia Investment Management Corporation
· Acting as outside legal counsel for NaiKun Wind Development Inc. in the negotiation and structuring of a 320 MW offshore wind farm located in the waters of Hecate Strait
· Canadian Hotel Income Properties Real Estate Investment Trust: creation and initial public offering, subsequent public equity and debt offerings, defence of hostile takeover bid, acquisition of portfolio of hotel properties, securities and corporate governance matters
· Sun-Rype Products Ltd.: initial public offering and listing on TSX, defence of hostile takeover bid, securities and corporate governance matters
· Wall Financial Corporation: securities and corporate governance matters
· Allied Hotel Properties Ltd.: securities and corporate governance matters
· Banyan Capital Partners Limited Partnership, secondary offering of Units of Premium Brands Income Fund for $18.5 million
· Banyan Capital Partners II Limited Partnership offering of limited partnership units for gross capital commitments of $62 million
· Banyan Capital Partners Limited Partnership investment of $5 million in Bevo Agro Inc.
· Corporate counsel to several large private residential real estate development companies
· Corporate and securities counsel to co-operatives on their conversion to corporations
· Represented a number of American, Asian and European investors on their investments into Canada in sectors including computer components, consumer packaging, transportation, infrastructure, oil, gas and energy
Professional Affiliations
· Past Chairman of the Securities Section, B.C. Branch, Canadian Bar Association
· Seconded to the B.C. Securities Commission in 1987 to work in the corporate finance and policy and legislation areas
· Member, Independent Power Producers Association of British Columbia
· Past member, Securities Law Advisory Committee of the British Columbia Securities Commission
· Member, The Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation
· Member, The International Bar Association
· Member, American Bar Association
· Member, Vancouver Chapter of Association of Corporate Growth
Pro Bono
· St. Andrew's Hall, University of British Columbia
Publications
· "Directors' and Officers' Liability", December 2009, co-authored with Matthew J.G. Curtis and Kim M. Willey
· "Reduced CRO and CEO Certification for Venture Issuers", Focus on Securities, December 2007
· "Recent Developments for Public Mining Companies", October 2006
· British Columbia Securities Act and Rules Annotated
· "Mergers and Acquisitions", March 2006
· "MD&A - Putting Best Practices to Work", September 2004
· British Columbia Securities Update
· Independent Board Leaders: Roles and Responsibilities
· "Materiality as it Relates to the Mining Industry", New Disclosure Rules for Mining Companies Conference Board of Canada, December 2002
· "Securities, Stock and Commodity Exchanges", Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (Ontario and Western 3rd editions), August 2002
· National Editor, Carswell eSecurities.pro Newsletter
· Contributing Editor, Federated Press Corporate Governance Journal
Teaching Roles
· Instructor on such subjects as private placements, venture capital, shareholders' meetings, continuous disclosure and securities practice
· Adjunct Professor, Securities Regulation, Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia
· Lecturer, Simon Fraser University for the courses "Organizing and Managing a Public Company", "Corporate Governance" and "The Broker's Practice"
Prior Speaking Engagements
· Presenter, "Audit Committee: Latest Legal Developments", 13th Best Practices for Audit Committee Effectiveness, Federated Press, April 14, 2011
· Presenter, "Internal Controls and Audit Committee Best Practices" - 4th Advanced Securities Compliance, October 20, 2010
· Presenter, "Managing Meetings of Shareholders and Shareholder Issues" - Re-inventing the Corporate Secretary, October 12, 2010
· Speaker, "Reporting on Internal Control: Satisfying the CEO/CFO Certification Requirements", 7th Financial Reporting & Accounting: Best Practices for IFRS Adoption, Calgary, June 16-17, 2009
· Presenter, "Internal Controls and Audit Committee Effectiveness", Federated Press 2nd Internal Controls course, Vancouver, April 23-24, 2009
· Moderator, "Cross-Border Business Forum", 2009 Corporate Counsel World Summit, CCCA, Vancouver, January 27, 2009
· Presenter, "Continuous Disclosure", Federated Press - Advanced Securities Compliance Course, September 16, 2008
· Presenter "Acquisition of a Public Company", Insight Information - Litigation, Securities and Corporate Commercial Law, June 6, 2008
· Presenter, "Best Practices for Continuous Disclosure", February 25-26, 2008
· Presenter, "Securities Agreements", Federated Press, October 16, 2007
· Presenter, "Securities Law Issues in Canada", Canada-China Forum, Vancouver, October 1-2, 2007
· Presenter, "Recent Legal Developments for Audit Committees", Federated Press, September 27, 2007
· Presenter, Mergers & Acquisitions; Takeover Bids", Northwest Securities Institute, Portland, February 2, 2007
· Presenter, "Cross-Border Securities Transaction", Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. - Securities for Lawyers 2006, March 30, 2006
· Presenter, "Mergers and Acquisitions", Continuing Legal Education Society - Securities for Lawyers, March 2006
· Presenter, "Securities Regulatory Update", Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators Dinner, April 18, 2006
· Chair, Annual "Western Canadian Securities Forum", Insight Information, since 1993
· Presenter, "The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the U.S. Experience", British Columbia and Yukon Chamber of Mines Short Course Program 43-101, January 2003
· Presenter, "Investor Protection - The Current Regime, UBC Law Symposium", January 2003
· Presenter, "New Disclosure Rules for Mining Companies", The Conference board of Canada, December 2002
· Lecturer, "Cross-Border Venture Transactions", Washington State Bar Association, March 2001
· Presenter, "Organizing and Managing a Public Company", Securities Program, Continuing Studies, Simon Fraser University