Michael Birch Partner | Vancouver

Recent representative transactions include advising:

• Equinox Gold Corp. on its US$578-million all-stock acquisition of Leagold Mining Corporation and concurrent private placement of US$170-million and debt financing of US$500-million

• Equinox Gold Corp. in connection with US$260-million credit facilities used to, among other things, refinance the Aurizona project financing and the Mesquite acquisition financing

• The Bank of Nova Scotia, SG Americas Securities, LLC and ING Capital LLC, as joint lead arrangers in connection with US$480-million credit facilities used to, among other things, refinance an existing construction financing package (including repurchase of a stream) for the development of the Brucejack Mine in British Columbia

• Equinox Gold Corp. in connection with the US$120-million acquisition financing of the Mesquite mine in California

• Ero Copper in connection with US$130-million credit facilities used to, among other things, refinance existing senior secured debt

• Equinox Gold Corp. in connection with the US$85-million project financing of the Aurizona gold project in Maranhão, Brazil

• Macquarie Bank Limited, as agent, collateral agent, lender and hedge provider with respect to the establishment of project financing and hedging facilities for the redevelopment and expansion of a gold mine located in the Western United States

• JDS Silver Inc. in connection with the successful project financing of its Silvertip Project in Northern British Columbia

• GCT Global Container Terminals Inc., the operator of four major container terminals in British Columbia, New York and New Jersey, in connection with its $1.02-billion refinancing comprised of senior secured credit facilities and senior secured notes

• Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. for the structuring and establishment of C$300-million five-year secured revolving credit facilities with a syndicate of nine Canadian and U.S. banks to refinance its existing C$261-million senior secured term and second second-lien debt

• Craigmont Industries Ltd. for the structuring and establishment of C$20-million of mezzanine project financing for the development and construction of a magnetite processing plant and related facilities constructed on a third-party's copper/gold mine site

• Macquarie Bank Limited, as sole underwriter and facility agent, and a syndicate of lenders with respect to the structuring and establishment of US$150-million secured revolving corporate loan facilities for B2Gold Corp.

• Macquarie Bank Limited, as agent, collateral agent, lender and hedge provider with respect to the establishment of US$90-million project financing and hedging facilities for the development and construction of the Riacho dos Machados open pit gold mine project in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, and Macquarie Bank Limited, as purchaser, under long-term gold-stream purchase facilities established in respect of the project

• The lenders to a professional sports franchise

• The lenders in connection with acquisition financing for recent acquisitions, including private equity private-equity-sponsored acquisitions, of businesses in the mining, forestry, marine equipment, health and fitness, recreational, parking, sanitation and janitorial, and light industrial manufacturing industries in Canada and the U.S.

• The lenders in connection with the establishment of a construction facility for a large, mixed-use retail, commercial and residential development, including a 35-storey condo tower

• The lenders to a private utility company for the structuring of new revolving and acquisition facilities in connection with its acquisition of a long-term concession from a major U.S. university and its pending acquisition of a large water and waste-water utilities business operating in 17 states in the U.S.

• The lenders on the structuring and establishment of project financing for a 144 MW wind-power project in Western Canada

• The successful proponent of the South Fraser Perimeter Road project in respect of the structuring and establishment of the project financing

Michael is recognized as a leading Canadian lawyer in the following publications:

• The Best Lawyers in Canada (2019–2025: Banking and Finance Law; 2023–2025: Asset-Based Lending Practice; 2024–2025: Equipment Finance Law; 2024–2025: Project Finance Law)
  

• Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2024 – Independently Rated Lawyers (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2008–2024: Consistently Recommended – Asset-Based Lending, Consistently Recommended – Banking & Financial Institutions; 2022–2023: Repeatedly Recommended – Project Finance)

• Lexpert Special Edition: Energy and Mining 2024

• Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2024

• Lexpert Special Edition: Mining 2023

• Who's Who Legal: Global – 2021–2023 (Project Finance)
  

• IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial and Corporate Law Firms – 2020–2023 (Banking, Project Finance, Real Estate Finance)

• Who's Who Legal: Canada – 2012–2023 (Banking and Project Finance)
  

• The Legal 500 Canada – 2015–2021 (Banking and Finance Law)

• Who's Who Legal: Banking – 2014–2020 (Banking)

• Who's Who Legal: Banking – 2017–2019 (Project Finance)

• The 2016 Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada (Asset-Based Lending)

• The International Who's Who Banking Lawyers – 2014–2016

• Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers in Banking, Finance and Transactional Law – 2013–2015

Admitted to the Alberta Bar – 2005
Admitted to the British Columbia Bar – 2001
LLB, University of Victoria – 2000