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Navin Joneja Co-Chair of the Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group | Toronto

About Navin

Navin is Co-Chair of the Blakes Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment group. Consistently ranked as a leading competition law practitioner, Navin is described in leading publications as providing "very practical and timely advice" and delivering "great client service". He is recognized as an "outstanding analytical thinker" who is "deeply competent with respect to agency strategy". Navin was recognized in 2021 as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada by Canadian Lawyer magazine.

Navin's clients rely on him for timely and creative advice on domestic and multinational mergers, joint ventures, strategic alliances, cartels, abuse of dominance investigations, class actions and compliance programs. He is also considered an expert on Canada's foreign investment laws and regulations, including those pertaining to national security and state-owned enterprises.

Blakes is widely regarded as Canada's preeminent competition law practice and was recently named Competition Law Firm of the Year by Best Lawyers in Canada.

Prior to joining Blakes in 2003, Navin practised for several years with a multinational law firm in Washington, D.C.

Select Experience

Navin has advised on numerous high-profile competition and foreign investment matters including:

  • Secure Energy Services Inc. on its C$2.3-billion enterprise value merger with Tervita Corporation before the Competition Bureau, Competition Tribunal and Federal Court of Appeal

  • Fitbit, Inc. on its proposed US$2.1-billion purchase by Google LLC

  • Elanco Animal Health Incorporated on its US$7.6-billion purchase of Bayer AG's animal health business

  • Harris Corporation on its US$34-billion merger with L3 Technologies, Inc.

  • Sappi Canada Enterprises Inc. on its acquisition of Rayonier A.M. Canada Enterprises Inc.'s pulp mill and related assets in Quebec

  • Praxair Inc. in connection with its US$33.9-billion combination with Linde AG

  • Superior Plus Corp. in connection with its C$412-million acquisition of the retail propane business of Gibson Energy Inc.

  • Pembina Pipeline Corporation in connection with its US$9.7-billion acquisition of Veresen Inc.

  • General Electric Company on its C$11.1-billion merger of GE Transportation with Wabtec Corporation

  • GlaxoSmithKline in its joint venture with Pfizer Inc. to create a combined consumer healthcare company with global sales of approximately US$12.7-billion

  • GlaxoSmithKline in respect of the Canadian antitrust aspects of its consumer health-care, vaccines and oncology transactions with Novartis

  • Standard Life in connection with its C$4-billion acquisition by Manulife

  • Superior Plus Corp. in connection with its proposed C$324-million acquisition of Canexus Corporation

  • Deutsche Bank AG in connection with the C$580-million sale of its Fairview Container Terminal to Dubai Ports World

  • Representation of Visa Inc. in connection with Canadian competition law matters

  • Maple Group Acquisition Corporation, as co-counsel, in connection with its acquisition of TMX Group Inc. on a transaction valued at C$3.7-billion

  • Merck & Co., Inc. with respect to its US$41.1-billion merger with Schering-Plough Corporation

  • Continental Airlines on its US$6.2-billion merger with United Airlines

  • Smith International, Inc. with respect to its US$12-billion merger with Schlumberger Limited

  • Bell Canada Enterprises in connection with its C$57.1-billion sale to a group led by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

  • XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. with respect to its US$13-billion merger with Sirius Satellite Inc.

Awards & Recognition

Navin is continuously recognized as a leading competition law practitioner in the most prominent ranking publications:

  • The Legal 500 Canada (2023–2024: Competition and Antitrust; 2021–2022: Recommended – Competition and Antitrust)

  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2022–2024 (Competition/Antitrust)

  • The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada – 2022–2024 (Competition Law)

  • Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2023 (Competition/Antitrust)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023 (Competition)

  • The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada – 2022–2024 (Competition Law)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2021–2023 (Competition / Antitrust Law)

  • IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial and Corporate Law Firms (2023: Competition; 2022–2023: Corporate and M&A, Financial and Corporate, Trade Finance)

  • Who's Who Legal: Thought Leaders – 2022–2023 (Competition)

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada – 2022–2023 (Competition)

  • Who's Who Legal: Global – 2021–2022 (Competition)

  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2021Independently Rated Lawyers (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)

  • Euromoney's LMG Competition and Antitrust Expert Guide 2021

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada (2021: Competition; 2020: Competition: Recommended: "Navin Joneja 'brings a level-headed approach to contentious issues' and impresses with his 'deep knowledge of competition policy'.")

  • Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2021 (Competition/Antitrust: "Navin Joneja is a 'very thoughtful, effective and tremendously gifted lawyer'….")

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2021 (Repeatedly Recommended – Competition Law)

  • Canadian Lawyer Magazine Awards 2021 (The Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers)

  • Global Competition Review (Named one of the top "40 Under 40" competition lawyers worldwide in 2012)

Professional Activities

Navin is the past chair of the Competition Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association and is past chair of the Section's Legislation and Public Policy and Competition Litigation Committees.

He has authored numerous publications on competition law and foreign investment, including with respect to international cooperation in mergers, monopolization and cartel investigations, the interface between intellectual property and competition, and competition and international trade matters.

Navin has taught competition law at Osgoode Hall Law School and has previously been retained by the Canadian Competition Bureau to provide advice on the Canadian competition law regime.

Publications
  • Co-author : Halsbury's Laws of Canada, Competition and Foreign Investment (2023 Reissue)
    LexisNexis Canada, July 2023.
  • Co-author : Ontario Court Awards Blockbuster Damages for Busted Cinema Deal
    Blakes Bulletin on Mergers & Acquisitions / Litigation & Dispute Resolution, December 23, 2021.
  • Co-author : Skating on Thin Ice: Why Canadian Competition Policy Should Not Be Determined by U.S. Antitrust Enforcement
    Competition Policy International, North America Column, December 2021.
Professional Appearances
  • Witness : Bill C-34, An Act to amend the Investment Canada Act
    The House of Commons of Canada's Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (virtually), May 15, 2023.
Media Activities
  • Quoted : Questions linger a year after Canada placed curbs on foreign companies to protect critical minerals
    Interviewed by Naimul Karim, Financial Post, September 24, 2023.
  • Quoted : Parties spar on housing as GST bill tabled
    Interviewed by Bill Curry and Marieke Walsh, The Globe and Mail, September 22, 2023.
  • Quoted : Canada aiming to protect critical minerals - Strategy will shift transaction type and incentivize an exploration of new funding sources
    Interviewed by Aidan Macnab, Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A, April 19, 2023.
Education
Admitted to the New York State Bar – 2000
LLM, International Legal Studies, New York University – 1999
Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1998
LLB, University of Toronto – 1996
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