Markus Viirland Partner | Toronto

Selected transactions include advising:

Mergers and Acquisitions

• GMM Pfaudler Ltd on its acquisition of Professional Mixing Equipment Inc. (MixPro)

• R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company on its sale of substantially all of its Canadian operations to DATA Communications Management Corp. for total consideration of approximately C$131-million, subject to customary post-closing adjustments 

• The Special Committee of Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. on Rio Tinto plc's acquisition of the remaining 49% stake in Turquoise Hill for approximately US$3.3-billion

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

• Sibanye UK Limited on its sale of Lonmin Canada Inc. to Magna Mining Inc. for total consideration of approximately C$16-million

• Ardagh Metal Packaging on its acquisition of Hart Print for approximately US$5-million

• Zeg Oil and Gas Ltd. on its acquisition of a majority of the shares of Oryx Petroleum Corporation Limited from AOG Upstream B.V. and its affiliates for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$16.4-million

• Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Alberta Teachers' Retirement Fund Board on their C$1.7-billion acquisition of Altagas Canada Inc.

• Pattern Energy Group Inc. on its approximately US$6.1-billion all-cash acquisition by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

• Kinross Gold Corporation on its sale of a royalty portfolio to Maverix Metals Inc. for total consideration of C$74-million

• International Petroleum Corporation on its C$675-million acquisition of BlackPearl Resources Inc.

• Lannick on its acquisition by Vaco and Vaco's financial sponsor, Quad C Management

• Kinross Gold Corporation on the sale of its 25% interest in the Cerro Casale project and 100% interest in the Quebrada Seca project to Goldcorp Inc. for US$300-million in cash, the assumption by Goldcorp of a US$20-million payment obligation and the issuance of a 1.25% Goldcorp royalty relating to such projects

• Delek Group Ltd. on its acquisition of all of the outstanding common shares in the capital of Ithaca Energy Inc. not already owned by Delek by way of a supported take-over bid and subsequent compulsory acquisition, which valued Ithaca's enterprise at C$1.68-billion

• The Chief Executive Officer of Migao Corporation on his acquisition of all of the outstanding common shares in the capital of Migao not already owned by him

• Bell on its C$670-million acquisition of GLENTEL Inc. and subsequent sale of a 50% interest in GLENTEL Inc. to Rogers Communications Inc.

• Element Financial Corporation on its US$5-billion acquisition of the PHH Arval vehicle fleet management services business

• The Special Committee of Patheon Inc. on its sale to a joint venture established by its significant shareholder, JLL Partners, and Koninklijke DSM N.V. for US$2-billion

• H&R REIT on its C$2.75-billion acquisition of Primaris Retail REIT and subsequent agreement to sell a portfolio of 18 Primaris properties to a syndicate led by KingSett Capital for C$1.28-billion

• Nord Gold N.V. on its insider bid to acquire the minority interest in High River Gold Ltd., in a deal valuing High River at US$1.2-billion

• Denison Mines Corp. on the sale of its U.S. mining division to Energy Fuels Corp. valued at C$83-million and related capital reorganization

• MBNA Canada on the acquisition of MBNA Canada's credit card portfolio by TD Bank Group in a transaction valued at C$8.5-billion

• Solway Investment Group Limited on its US$170-million acquisition of the Fenix ferro-nickel project from HudBay Minerals Inc.

• Oranje-Nassau Energie B.V. on its C$102-million acquisition of Cirrus Energy Corporation

• Randgold Resources Limited on its C$578-million joint acquisition of Moto Goldmines Limited with AngloGold Ashanti Limited

• Zeg Oil and Gas Ltd. on its acquisition of a majority of the shares of Oryx Petroleum Corporation Limited from AOG Upstream B.V. and its affiliates for an aggregate purchase price of approximately US$16.4-million

Capital Markets

• Intact Financial Corporation on its offerings of C$575-million of common shares and C$400-million of medium term notes in connection with its acquisition of the brokered commercial lines operations of Direct Line Insurance Group plc

• The dealers in connection with Kinross Gold Corporation's issuance of US$500-million of senior notes

• The dealers in connection with First Quantum Minerals' issuance of US$1.3-billion of senior notes

• Rock Tech Lithium Inc. on its public offering of approximately C$40-million of units, each consisting of one common share and one half common share purchase warrant, and its private placement of approximately US$41-million of units, each consisting of one common share and one common share purchase warrant

• Intact Financial Corporation on its offerings of C$4.45-billion of subscription receipts and C$600-million of medium term notes in connection with its C$12.3-billion acquisition, together with Tryg A/S, of RSA Insurance Group Plc

• Intact Financial Corporation on its offerings of an aggregate of C$300-million of limited recourse capital notes, C$550-million of preferred shares, C$300-million of medium term notes, C$250-million of hybrid notes and US$500-million of senior unsecured notes

• The dealers in connection with First Quantum Minerals' issuance of US$750-million of senior notes

• Intact Financial Corporation on its C$1-billion acquisition of The Guarantee Company of North America and Frank Cowan Company Limited and its related offering of C$461-million of subscription receipts

• SoftBank Group Corp. on its C$99-million investment in Nemaska Lithium Inc.

• The dealers in connection with First Quantum Minerals' issuance of US$1.85-billion of senior notes

• Intact Financial Corporation on its US$1.7-billion acquisition of OneBeacon Insurance Group, Ltd., and its related offerings of C$754-million of subscription receipts, C$300-million of preferred shares and C$425-million of medium term notes

• The underwriters in connection with an offering by Liquor Stores N.A. Ltd. of approximately C$77-million aggregate principal amount of convertible unsecured subordinated debentures

• The underwriters in connection with an offering by Guyana Goldfields Inc. and secondary offering of approximately C$130-million of common shares in aggregate

• The underwriters in connection with an offering by Kinross Gold Corporation of approximately US$287-million of common shares

• Zeg Oil and Gas Ltd in connection with its private placement investment of approximately US$30-million in Oryx Petroleum Corporation Limited

• Citigroup Inc. on its C$600-million offering of maple bonds

• Delek Group Ltd in connection with its private placement investment of approximately US$66-million in Ithaca Energy Inc.

• Fiat Chrysler Finance Canada Ltd. in connection with the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. €20-billion global medium term note program

• MBARC Credit Canada Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Daimler AG and a direct wholly owned subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Canada Corporation, on its offerings of an aggregate of more than C$2.8-billion asset-backed notes

• MCAP RMBS Issuer Corporation on its offerings of an aggregate of more than C$700-million residential mortgage-backed securities

• Nissan Canada Financial Services Inc. in connection with its C$750-million commercial paper program

• MCAP CMBS Issuer Corporation on its offering of approximately C$224-million commercial mortgage-backed securities

• BHP Billiton Finance Limited on its C$750-million offering of maple bonds

Strategic and Reorganization Transactions

• PSP Investments on the merger of Loral Space & Communications and Telesat Canada to form a new publicly traded Telesat Corporation

• General Electric Company on the spin-off and US$11.1-billion merger of GE's transportation business with Wabtec Corporation

• BDP on its strategic investment in Quadrangle Architects Limited

• Lundin Petroleum AB on the cross-border spin-off of International Petroleum Corporation as a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq First North exchange with an initial market capitalization in excess of C$500-million on day of listing, and the associated US$100-million issuer bid launched by International Petroleum's wholly owned subsidiary, Lundin Petroleum BV

• R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company on the cross-border spin-off of LSC Communications, Inc. and Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc.

Markus was recognized as a notable practitioner by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2020 in the area of Mining.

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2001
LLB, University of Toronto Law School – 1999
BES, University of Waterloo – 1995