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About Rory

Rory is the Co-Practice Group Leader of the Corporate & Commercial group in Toronto. He specializes in complex multi-jurisdictional mergers and acquisitions, investments, strategic transactions and reorganizations, with particular expertise in navigating transactions in highly regulated fields. As part of his practice, he also provides strategic advice to clients on all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including strategic alliances, joint ventures, partnerships, the establishment and structuring of Canadian operations, and other day-to-day legal matters.

Rory's experience collaborating with and advising strategic, private equity and other financial sponsor clients spans a broad set of industries, including health care, financial services, agribusiness, food and beverage, manufacturing, infrastructure and technology. 

Rory's corporate and M&A experience has been enhanced by his time working in the Amsterdam office of a major international law firm and as a legal secondee to a foreign investment bank. Prior to joining Blakes, Rory also spent a number of years working in the financial advisory group of one of the big four accounting firms where he earned his chartered accountant designation.

Select Experience

Recent representative matters include advising:

M&A and Investments

  • L Catterton and FYihealth on the business combination of FYi’s medical aesthetics business with Functionalab

  • Cox Automotive Inc. on the sale of its Canadian operations of Dealertrack Canada, VinSolutions, Dealer.com, Xtime and Kelley Blue Book to Trader Corporation

  • A consolidator in the Canadian health-care industry on its acquisitions, equity offerings and corporate governance matters

  • CI Financial on its C$780-million purchase of Sentry Investments, as well as its acquisitions of Virtual Brokers, WealthBar Financial Services and Northwood Family Office

  • Pacific Equity Partners on its C$165-million divestiture of AST Investor Services Inc. (Canada) and AST Trust Company (Canada) to the TMX Group Limited

  • Cox Enterprises on its significant strategic investment in Mucci Farms

  • L Catterton on various transactions, including its acquisitions of Birkenstock and Beauty Industry Group and its minority investment in FYidoctors

  • Dell Technologies on its US$4-billion sale of Boomi to Francisco Partners and TPG Capital, as well as its US$2.075-billion sale of RSA Security to a consortium of investors including Symphony Technology Group, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board and AlpInvest Partners

  • OpenGate Capital on its sale of Energi Fenestrations Solutions to Vision Group

  • Charlesbank on its US$235-million purchase of News America Marketing from News Corp.

  • Frontier Capital in relation to its investments in Igloo Inc. and Agreement Express

  • Digital Colony Partners and EQT Infrastructure IV Fund as Canadian counsel in connection with their consortium's US$14.3-billion agreement to acquire, recapitalize and take private Zayo Group Holdings, Inc.

  • Canoe Financial LP on its acquisition of the investment fund management contracts for nine Fiera Capital mutual funds from Fiera Capital Corporation

  • Roynat Capital on various transactions, including its co-investment alongside Persistence Capital in connection with the acquisition of Summit Veterinary Pharmacy and its investment in Legado Capital in connection with the acquisition of Kivuto Solutions

  • WorldStrides on its acquisition of the North American educational travel businesses of Travelopia

  • The Maillis Group, a portfolio company of HIG Capital, on its sale of Wulftec International to Duravant, a portfolio company of Warburg-Pincus

  • Arjun Infrastructure Partners and Fengate Asset Management in connection with the acquisition of the ONroute Service Centres

  • Bartek Ingredients on its sale to TorQuest Partners

  • GMS Inc. on its C$800-million acquisition of WSB Titan from TorQuest Partners

  • Linamar Corporation on its C$1.2-billion acquisition of the MacDon Group of Companies

  • Westlake Chemical Corporation on its US$3.8-billion acquisition of Axiall Corporation

  • Baring Private Equity Asia on its acquisition of a 35% stake in TELUS International

  • Aecon Group Inc. and Airport Development Corporation on the sale of their majority interest in the Quito, Ecuador International Airport to Grupo Odinsa and CCR

  • Holcim in connection with its C$50-billion merger with Lafarge

  • Georgian Partners on investments in Medgate Inc. and technology startup Influitive

  • The Shareholders of ESC Corporate Services Ltd. on the sale of ESC to Information Services Corp.

  • Canadian Western Bank on the sale of Canadian Direct Insurance to Intact Financial Corporation for C$197-million

  • Element Financial Corporation on its US$8.6-billion acquisition of the U.S., Mexico, Australia and New Zealand fleet businesses of GE Capital Fleet Services, a division of GE Capital Corporation, as well as its acquisition of TLS Fleet Management and CoActiv Capital Partners

  • Agrium Inc. on its acquisition of Viterra's wholesale and retail Agri-products division from Glencore International plc and a related third party sale and divesture transaction

  • BCE and Rogers on their C$1.1-billion acquisition of 75% in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment

Strategic Transactions and Reorganizations

  • Acted for Power Financial Corporation on its C$1.65-billion repurchase and cancellation of common shares pursuant to a substantial issuer bid and its tendering into Great-West Lifeco Inc.'s C$2-billion substantial issuer bid, and Power Corporation of Canada on its C$1.35-billion repurchase and cancellation of subordinate voting shares pursuant to a substantial issuer bid and its tendering of common shares into Power Financial Corporation’s substantial issuer bid

  • A major automotive OEM in a global reorganization

  • CBS Corporation on its worldwide reorganization of its Outdoor Advertising Business

  • Granite REIT on its conversion from Granite Real Estate Inc.

Awards & Recognition

Rory is recognized as a leading lawyer in the following publications:

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 (Corporate/Commercial)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 (Corporate Mid-Market, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions)

Professional Activities

Rory is actively involved in mentoring with the Firm's student recruitment activities, having served for a number of years on the Student Committee.

Rory is committed to participating in and furthering legal education. He was a member of the Adjunct Faculty of Osgoode Hall Law School from 2016 to 2020, where he taught an upper-year seminar on contractual remedies. He also regularly leads seminars and lectures to both internal and external audiences on several facets of business law, including M&A, private equity, corporate governance and negotiation.

Rory is a member of the Membership Committee of the Toronto Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, CPA Canada, CPA Ontario, CPA Manitoba and the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA).

Rory acts as a director of the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba (where he also serves on the Finance and Nominations/Governance Committees).

Professional Appearances
Education

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2012
JD (Silver Medallist), University of Toronto – 2011
CPA, CA (2007 UFE National Honour Roll) – 2009
BComm (Hon., Finance Program Gold Medallist), University of Manitoba – 2006

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