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Julie Soloway Co-Chair of the Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group | Toronto

About Julie

Julie is Co-Chair of the Competition, Antitrust & Foreign Investment group, widely regarded as one of the leading competition law practices in Canada and recently named Competition Regional Firm of the Year - Americas by Global Competition Review.

Julie is at the forefront of the most complex and high-profile Canadian and cross-border merger transactions. Canadian Lawyer Magazine named Julie as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers of 2020. Julie received the most votes in the Business Category, and is the only competition lawyer to receive this recognition in the 2020 guide. She is also recognized by the Global Competition Review as one of its top Women in Antitrust, and Who's Who Legal: Canada has praised her for her "truly international practice" and "fantastic legal mind," further noting that she is a very "personable and authoritative" lawyer.  In Chambers Global, clients are quoted as saying that Julie is "extremely bright, extremely capable and extremely responsive".  She is co-founder of Canadian Women in Competition Law and co-author of the book:  Leading the Way: Canadian Women in Law (LexisNexis).

Julie also has special expertise in the Investment Canada Act and the State-Owned Enterprise Guidelines, and has been successful in securing approvals for foreign investors in Canada's key industries, including technology, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, and financial services.

Julie brings clarity to complex competition law and Investment Canada Act challenges, and clients seek her counsel to achieve the best results for their business.

Select Experience

Recent transactions include:

  • Absolute Software Corporation on its US$870-million acquisition by Crosspoint Capital

  • Mubadala Capital, the wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company, on its acquisition of Canada Cartage

  • UBS Group AG on its US$3.2-billion acquisition of Credit Suisse

  • Dar Group in connection with its acquisition of CopperTree Analytics

  • Accel-KKR in connection with its investment in PayProp

  • Sierra Wireless, Inc. on its US$1.2-billion acquisition by Semtech Corporation

  • IAA, Inc. on its US$7.3-billion sale to Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated

  • Pacific Woodtech Corporation on its announced acquisition of Louisiana-Pacific Corporation’s EWP (I-Joist and LVL) division

  • Bouygues S.A. on its €1.7-billion acquisition of EQUANS from Engie S.A.

  • Welbilt Inc. on its US$3.5-billion acquisition by Ali Holding S.r.l.

  • Pretium Resources Inc. in connection with its C$3.5-billion acquisition by Newcrest Mining Limited

  • Capstone Mining Corp. in connection with its C$1.1-billion business combination with Mantos Copper

  • Great Bear Resources in connection with its C$1.8-billion acquisition by Kinross Gold Corporation

  • Piedmont Lithium Inc., as new indirect co-owner, in the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act proceedings of North American Lithium Inc., completed by way of a Reverse Vesting Order, which required clearance under the Competition Act (Canada) and Investment Canada Act

  • Penn National Gaming, Inc. on its US$2-billion acquisition of Score Media and Gaming, Inc.

  • Nasdaq, Inc. on its US$2.75-billion acquisition of Verafin Inc.

  • Canadian Pacific Railway on its US$312-million acquisition of OMERS Infrastructure's 83.5% interest in the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership

  • Investor group led by Colony Capital, Inc. on its investment in a strategic partnership with Vantage Data Centers Management Company, LLC

  • Painted Pony Energy Ltd. on its C$461-million acquisition by Canadian Natural Resources Limited 

  • LVMH Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton SE on its US$16.2-billion acquisition of Tiffany & Co.

  • Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners on its acquisition of Xplornet Communications Inc.

  • The Stars Group Inc. in connection with its announced US$15-billion enterprise value merger of equals with Flutter Entertainment Inc.

  • Kinder Morgan Canada Limited on its C$2.3-billion acquisition by Pembina Pipeline Corporation

  • Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd. on its C$4.5-billion sale of the Trans Mountain Pipeline System and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project to the Government of Canada

  • Digital Colony Partners and EQT Infrastructure IV Fund on their US$14.3-billion proposed acquisition of Zayo Group Holdings, Inc.

  • Stewart Information Services Corporation on its US$1.2-billion sale to Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

  • The Washington Companies on their US$1.2-billion acquisition of Dominion Diamond Corporation

  • Trinidad Drilling Ltd. with respect to the hostile take-over bid made by Ensign Energy Services Inc.

  • Nevsun Resources Ltd. on its C$1.86-billion sale to Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd.

  • Maple Leaf Foods Inc. on its C$215-million acquisition of Viau Foods

  • International Petroleum Corp. on its C$675-million acquisition of BlackPearl Resources Inc. by way of a plan of arrangement

  • Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (CREIT) on its C$3.9-billion combination with Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust

  • Deep Foundations group of companies on its sale to GFL Environmental Inc.

  • Cenovus Energy Ltd. on its C$625-million sale of the Cenovus Pipestone Partnership to NuVista Energy Inc.

  • Cenovus Energy Inc. on its C$1.3-billion sale of its Palliser Block assets located in Alberta to Schlumberger Production Management and Torxen Energy

  • Cenovus Energy Inc. on its C$512-million sale of its Suffield crude oil and natural gas operations in Southern Alberta to International Petroleum Corporation

  • Sagard Holdings and Fairfax Financial on their US$575-million acquisition of the business of Performance Sports Group Ltd.
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. on its US$7.2-billion acquisition of Patheon N.V.

  • SoftBank Group Corp. and Fortress Investment Group LLC in connection with SoftBank Group Corp.'s US$3.3-billion acquisition of Fortress Investment Group LLC

  • Office Depot, Inc. on its US$6.3-billion merger with Staples, Inc.

  • HNA Group on its US$6-billion acquisition of Ingram Micro

  • Koch Industries Inc. on its US$2.5-billion investment in Infor

  • Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board on its C$2.5-billion acquisition of a 40% interest in Glencore Agriculture Products

  • BCE Inc. on its C$594-million acquisition of Glentel Inc.

  • ExxonMobil Canada Ltd. on its C$3.1-billion acquisition of Celtic Exploration Ltd.

  • Marubeni Corporation on its C$2.7-billion acquisition of Gavilon Holdings, LLC, one of the largest general trading companies in Japan

  • Outokumpu Oyj on its US$3.1-billion definitive agreement to acquire Inoxum from ThyssenKrupp AG

  • Intact Financial Corporation on its C$2.6-billion acquisition of the Canadian insurance businesses of AXA SA

Awards & Recognition

Julie is recognized as a leading competition lawyer in the following publications:

  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2019–2025 (Competition/Antitrust)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2020–2022 and 2025 (Competition/Antitrust)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2023–2024: Consistently Recommended – Competition Law; 2020–2022: Competition; 2019: Most Frequently Recommended – Competition)

  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2020–2024 (Competition/Antitrust)

  • The Legal 500 Canada – 2019 and 2021–2024 (Competition and Antitrust)

  • Who's Who Legal: Global – 2022–2023 (Competition, Foreign Investment Review)

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

  • Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders – 2019–2020 and 2022–2023 (Competition)

  • Euromoney’s Women in Business Law Expert Guide 2022 (Competition and Antitrust)

  • Who's Who Legal: Global 2021 (Competition, Foreign Investment Control) – Known to be "the absolute go-to for complex mergers," with sources also commending her "pragmatic approach, which is always appreciated by clients"

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada 2021 (Competition) – Celebrated for her extensive experience in advising on high-profile mergers at home and abroad

  • Global Competition Review: Top Women in Antitrust 2021

  • Who's Who Legal: M&A and Governance – 2019 and 2021 (Foreign Investment Review)

  • Canadian Lawyer Magazine: The Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers of 2020

  • Who's Who Legal: Foreign Investment Review 2020

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada 2020 (Competition) – Described as "a go-to for international clients in the financial services, oil and gas, technology and pharmaceutical industries seeking first-rate competition compliance advice"

Professional Activities

Julie has served on the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law (SAL) leadership for over 11 years and is currently co-chair of SAL's International Committee. She is on the editorial board of Corporate Lawyer's Competition Law Quarterly Legal Reviews. Julie is published in a wide range of journals and has spoken at legal conferences around the world on competition and foreign investment issues.

Publications
  • Co-author : Videogames in the Crosshairs
    Legal Industry Reviews, Canada, Vol. 5, May 2024.
  • Co-author : Significant Changes to Canadian Competition Law Come Into Force
    Legal Industry Reviews, Canada, Vol. 4, January 2024.
  • Co-author : Significant Changes to Canadian Competition Law Underway
    Legal Industry Reviews, Canada, Vol. 3, October 2023.
  • Co-author : Canada Chapter
    The Merger Control Review, Law Business Research, 14th Edition, 2023.
  • Co-author : Halsbury's Laws of Canada, Competition and Foreign Investment (2023 Reissue)
    LexisNexis Canada, July 2023.
  • Co-author : Canada Chapter
    The Merger Control Review, Law Business Research, 13th Edition, 2022.
Professional Appearances
  • Speaker : The New Merger Risks: FDI, FSR, HSR & NSIA
    Global Merger Control Conference, Concurrences, December 8, 2023.
  • Moderator : Foreign Investment Review is Just Getting Started – Where Next?
    GCR Live: Foreign Investment Control Conference, December 7, 2023.
  • Speaker : The Latest Mitigations Strategies Address Emerging FDI Challenges
    C5's 4th European Forum on FDI Review and CFIUS, June 7, 2023.
  • Speaker : Lessons Learned from Recent, High-Profile Transactions Including Syngenta, Couch-Tard and Nuchtech
    C5's 3rd European Forum on FDI Reviews and CFIUS, June 8, 2024.
  • Speaker : Canadian Competition Reform: Views from Practice Roundtable
    USC Gould School of Law, March 31, 2022.
  • Moderator : North America: Canada, USA
    GCR Live: Foreign Investment & Protectionism Conference, December 8, 2021.
Media Activities
  • Quoted : Structural Presumptions for Mergers Met with Backlash in Canada
    Article by Charles McConnell, Global Competition Review, May 3, 2024.
  • Quoted : Business Competition in Canada has Declined Over the Last 20 Years, Watchdog Report Finds
    Article by Irene Galea, The Globe and Mail, October 19, 2023.
  • Quoted : Canadian Government Proposes Overhaul of FDI Regime
    Article by Charles McDonnell, Global Competition Review, December 8, 2022.
Education

Postgraduate Diploma (EC Competition Law), King's College London – 2003
SJD (Doctorate, International Trade Law), University of Toronto – 2000
Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1995
LLM (International, European and Comparative Law), Vrije Universiteit Brussel – 1993
LLB, University of Western Ontario – 1992
BA (Economics), University of Western Ontario – 1989

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