Owen A. Johnson

Owen A. Johnson

Owen Johnson is the Practice Group Leader for our Business Law Group, with particular responsibility for Western Canada and our London, UK Practice. Mr. Johnson has a broad corporate and commercial practice with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance. Mr. Johnson is listed by Lexpert as one of the top 100 cross-border lawyers in Canada.

Transactions & Cases

Major transactions and clients in which Mr. Johnson has been the lead corporate partner include:

Rio Tinto plc

1985-2008

· acting continuously for Rio Tinto plc (and its principal Canadian holding company) on various transactions, including:
- U.S. $38.1 billion acquisition of Alcan Inc., the biggest international mining transaction and Canada's largest take-over to date;
- acquisition of significant equity interest in Ivanhoe Mines;
- sale of its control interest in Ashton Mining of Canada to Stornoway Diamonds;
- U.S.$3 billion European Medium Term Note Programme;
- sale (by way of a public offering of $362 million of installment receipts) of control position in Rio Algom;
- establishment and various amendments to $1 billion commercial paper programme;
- sale of subsidiary, Indal Limited;
- numerous bank and Euro-bond financings.

Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS)

2001-2007

· acted for BNS on issues relating to Argentina's economic crisis and its impact on the bank, including its Argentine subsidiary, Scotiabank Quilmes;

· acted for BNS on its purchase of majority interest in Scotiabank Inverlat in Mexico;

· acted for BNS on its bid to purchase Mexican Bank.

Standard Broadcasting

2001-2002

· acted for Standard on $400 million acquisition of 60 radio stations from Telemedia;

· acted for Standard on sale of Ontario radio stations to Rogers Communications for $100 million;

· acted for Standard on sale of Alberta radio stations to Newfoundland Capital for $40 million;

· acted for Standard on purchase of Manitoba radio stations from Craig Music & Entertainment for $20 million.

Clean Power Income Fund

2001

· acted for Income Fund on its $200 million IPO and four related acquisitions of clean power (hydro, biomass and wind) generating facilities.

The Toronto-Dominion Bank

1997-2001

· acted for TD Bank in connection with public corporate financings, which raised more than $6 billion, including:
- all of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital required by TD Bank in connection with its acquisition of Canada Trust, including $700 million of common shares, $500 million of preferred shares and $1,250 million of debentures;
- as part of TD's financing of its acquisition of Canada Trust, a $900 million offering of TD Cats, the first-ever "innovative" Tier 1 financing by a Canadian chartered bank;
- $1.5 billion cross-border initial public offering of common shares of TD Waterhouse;
- $750 million in four separate offerings of mutual-fund linked notes;
- $350 million of TD Hybrids (preferred shares of TD Mortgage Investment Corporation);
- establishment of TD's $3 billion medium-term note programme.

First Canadian Place Bondholders/First Place Tower Inc.

1994-2000

· acted for the O & Y Bondholders holding security on First Canadian Place in restructuring their debt into a TSE-listed corporation;

· acted subsequently for the new public company, First Place Tower Inc., on its takeover by way of plan of arrangement by O & Y Properties.

Tridel

1982-2001

· acted for Tridel Corporation and Tridel Enterprises Inc. on various debt, insolvency and corporate restructurings, including plan of arrangement under the Ontario Business Corporations Act that created a new public company and effectively split the ownership of real estate and construction technology divisions between the controlling shareholders, the public and the lenders.

Conwest Exploration Company Limited

1981-1997

· acted for Conwest, a TSE-listed company, in all aspects of major transactions until its takeover by Alberta Energy and subsequently in the disposition of its non-oil and gas, non-core assets, including:
- all public and private financings;
- mergers with other public companies;
- all public company advice;
- acquisition of all of its hydro operating assets in British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec;
- sale of the Nanisivik zinc/lead/silver mine in the extreme Northwest Territories.

BCE/Bell ExpressVu

1996-1998

· acted for Bell ExpressVu in negotiation of all principal contracts in connection with its establishment of the first direct-to-home television satellite service in Canada, including a comprehensive systems agreement with Echostar Communications of Denver;

· acted for Bell ExpressVu in its acquisition from Telesat of a half-interest in a new Anik satellite

Carling O'Keefe

1989

· served as one of the principal lawyers in the negotiation and implementation on behalf of Carling O'Keefe of the $1.6 billion partnership with Molson Breweries.

Polysar Limited

1988

· served as one of the principal lawyers acting for Polysar in the $500 million sale of its world-wide latex operations to BASF.

Central Capital Corporation

1988-1989

· acted for Central Capital Corporation in its acquisition of the Canadian insurance operations of USF&G and the insurance company subsidiaries of Scottish & York Holdings Limited.