Overview

Print Version

Blakes has one of the largest and most active mergers and acquisitions practices in Canada. In each of 2007 and 2008, Blakes was Canada's busiest M&A law firm. We ranked No. 1 in Bloomberg's 2008 M&A league tables in numerous categories, inclucing No. 1 in Canadian announced deals by deal value and deal count and as the No. 1 Canadian firm in global announced deals by deal value and deal count. A significant aspect of out M&A practice involves income trusts, where we have been at the forefront in structuring many of the most complicated transactions in this new wave of M&A. We have been involved in:

• over 50 merger/acquisition/restructuring transactions involving income trusts (including four hostile take-overs)
• over 125 public offerings by income trusts
• numerous bank financings involving income trusts and income trust take-outs, acting for lenders and borrowers

Blakes also provides its buy-side clients with the benefit of strategic advice from our Competition Group, Canada’s top-ranked competition law practice that has unparalleled experience in representing clients before the Canadian Competition Bureau in domestic and cross-border mergers. Our competition lawyers have successfully represented clients in four of the five contested merger cases that have been litigated in Canada and were recently successful in a landmark ruling preventing the Competition Bureau from unduly delaying completion of the Labatt/Lakeport transaction.

Our expertise in securities regulatory matters, tax structuring and addressing benefits, litigation, real estate, environmental, intellectual property and information technology issues, together with industry knowledge gained in serving a diverse client base, ensures that we are able to provide highly effective and specialized advice to clients.

Industry Recognition

In each of the last four years, Blakes was Canada’s busiest M&A law firm.  Our No. 1 rankings in a wide range of M&A categories continued in 2011.

Domestic

• No. 1 in Canada Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 in Canada Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 in Any Canadian Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 in Any Canadian Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 in Any Canadian Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 in Any Canadian Involvement Completed by deal count (Thomson Reuters)

Global

• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Announced – Counsel to Principals by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Announced – Counsel to Principals by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Completed by deal count (Thomson Reuters)

Energy

• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Energy Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Energy Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Oil and Gas Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Oil and Gas Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 in Canada Energy Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 in Canada Energy Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 in Canada Oil and Gas Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Energy Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Energy Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Oil and Gas Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 in Any Canadian Energy Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 in Any Canadian Energy Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 in Any Canadian Oil and Gas Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)

Mining

• No. 1 in Canada Mining Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Mining Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)

Cross-Border

• No. 1 Canadian firm in Cross Border Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Cross Border Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)

Private Equity

• No. 1 Canadian firm in Global Private Equity Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Worldwide Private Equity Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)

United States

• No. 1 Canadian firm in United States Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in United States Announced – Counsel to Principals by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any United States Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any United States Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in United States Target Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any United States Public Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)

China/Asia Pacific

• No. 1 Canadian firm in China Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in China Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Japan Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Asia Pacific Private Equity Announced Deals by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in South Korea Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in South Korea Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Mining Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Energy Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Energy Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific (excluding Japan) Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Emerging Market Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asia Pacific Emerging Market Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asian (excluding Japan) Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asian (excluding Japan) Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asian (excluding Japan) Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asian (excluding Japan) Involvement Completed by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Asian (excluding Japan) Involvement Announced by Target Industry (Telecommunications) by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Japanese Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Japanese Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Japanese Involvement Announced by Target Industry (Healthcare) by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Chinese Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Chinese Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Chinese Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Australia or New Zealand Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)

Europe

• No. 1 Canadian firm in Europe Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Western Europe Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Europe Announced – Counsel to Principals by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in United Kingdom Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in United Kingdom Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Europe Energy Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Involvement Completed by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Western European Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Western European Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Western European Involvement Completed by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Western European Involvement Completed by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Eastern European Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any United Kingdom Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Benelux Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Energy Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Energy Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Oil and Gas Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any European Mining Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)

Middle East

• No. 1 Canadian firm in Middle East Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Middle East Energy Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Middle East Oil and Gas Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Middle East Mining Announced by deal value (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Middle East Mining Announced by deal count (Bloomberg)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle Eastern and North African Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle East and North African Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle East and North African Mining Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle East and North African Mining Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle East and North African Energy Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle East and North African Energy Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle East and North African Oil and Gas Involvement Announced by deal value (Thomson Reuters)
• No. 1 Canadian firm in Any Middle East and North African Oil and Gas Involvement Announced by deal count (Thomson Reuters)

Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2010

IFLR1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms - 2010 Edition

The 2010 Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada

The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2010

PLC Which Lawyer? 2010

PLC Cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions Handbook 2008/09

Law Business Research’s The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2010