Susan Tomaine, Vancouver

About Susan

Susan advises public and private companies with respect to corporate finance transactions and mergers and acquisitions, as well as on corporate governance matters and compliance with securities legislation.

Specifically in the financing context, Susan advises on initial public offerings, equity financing in the public markets, and private equity and venture capital financing rounds, working with both underwriters and investing funds, as well as private companies and public issuers.

Susan has extensive mergers and acquisitions experience advising public acquirors and targets in negotiated business combinations and take-over bids, special committees in acquisitions and going-private transactions, and private buyers and sellers in cross-border private equity and strategic acquisitions.

Susan regularly advises on cross-border transactions and has worked in the U.S. and London, England.

In the area of commercial and corporate law, Susan assists clients with negotiating strategic relationships, such as collaboration agreements, shareholder agreements and joint ventures.

For the past three years, Susan has been recognized as a leading corporate finance, M&A and private equity lawyer by peer-ranking publication The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory. In 2019, she was recognized as one of B.C.'s Most Influential Women in Finance.

Susan is a member of the Blakes Executive Committee.

Select Experience

Recent representative transactions include advising:

Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Collaborations

Carbon Engineering Ltd. on its acquisition by Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation
GGV Capital in their investment in Arteria AI, a company that sells AI-powered software designed to help financial institutions generate, collaborate on, and analyze various documents
IAA, Inc. in connection with its proposed acquisition by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Incorporated for US$7.3-billion
JX Nippon Mining & Metals on its acquisition of eCycle Solutions
Gold Standard Ventures Corp. in connection with its acquisition by Orla Mining Ltd. for C$240-million
Orca Gold Inc. in its sale to Perseus Mining Limited for C$233-million
PayPal on its acquisition of HyperWallet Systems Inc. for US$400-million
Photon Control on its acquisition by MKS Instruments for C$387-million
Fortuna Silver Inc. on its acquisition of Roxgold Inc. for C$1-billion
Central 1 Credit Union as a shareholder on the merger of Credential Financial Inc., QTrade Canada Inc. and NEI Investments to create Aviso Wealth Inc.
Washington Companies in connection with its C$1.5-billion acquisition of Dominion Diamond Corporation and related debt financings
Lucara Diamond Corp., in connection with the C$72-million acquisition of the Karowe Mine in Botswana and strategic collaborations with Louis Vuitton and HB Antwerp, as well as strategic transactions for its wholly owned subsidiary, Clara Diamond Solutions
Kaminak Gold Corporation, a gold exploration company, on its acquisition by Goldcorp Inc. for C$520-million
T&T Supermarkets Inc. on its C$225-million acquisition by Loblaws Companies Ltd. and ongoing matters
Lundin Gold Inc., a gold producer, on its US$240-million acquisition of the Fruta del Norte Project from Kinross Gold Corp.
QuadraFNX Mining Ltd., a copper and base metals producer, on its sale to KGHM Polska Miedz in a transaction valued at C$3.5-billion

Private Equity and Venture Capital Investing

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan on its equity partnership with IFM Investors and British Columbia Investment Management in GCT Global Container Terminals
I Squared Capital, and its portfolio company, TIP Trailer Services, in connection with its acquisition of Trailer Wizards, one of Canada's leading suppliers of trailer rental and leases services, and subsequent amalgamation with TIP Fleet Leasing in Canada
Fulcrum Capital Partners, a Canadian private equity fund, on various investments, including the acquisition of Petrospec Engineering
Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, a Canadian cleantech venture fund, in several investments, including General Fusion, Axine Water Technologies and Minesense
HE Parts International, a U.S. private equity-backed competent manufacture, on its acquisition of Morgan Industrial Supply

Capital Markets and Private Financings

Arras Minerals Corp. on its initial public offering and subsequent financings
Tectonic Metals Inc. on its initial public offering by way of direct listing and subsequent financings
ABC Technologies Holdings Inc. on its C$110-million initial public offering
Indochino Apparel Inc., an innovative men's apparel company, on strategic investments by Mitsui & Co. and Dayang Group, as well as investments by Madrona Venture Capital and Porchlight Equity Management
A syndicate of underwriters led by Raymond James Ltd. and Stifel GMP on the initial public offering of Montage Gold Corp.
Fortuna Silver Mines. Inc. on its US$69-million bought deal financing and ongoing matters
Gold Standard Ventures on its C$30-million bought deal financing and ongoing matters
Zymeworks, a biotech company developing disease therapeutics, in connection with its equity investment and merger agreement with Kairos Therapeutics
GCT Global Container Terminals Inc., the operator of four major container terminals in British Columbia, New York and New Jersey, in connection with its C$1.02-billion refinancing

Awards & Recognition

Susan has also been recognized as a leading lawyer in the following publications:

The Legal 500 Canada 2025 (Energy and Natural Resources: Mining)
The Best Lawyers in Canada 2025 (Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Lexpert Special Edition: Energy and Mining 2024
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – 2023–2024 (Corporate Mid-Market, Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Finance & Securities, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mining)
Lexpert Special Edition: Mining 2023
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2022 (Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Finance & Securities, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mining)
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2021 (Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Finance & Securities, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, Mining)
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2020 (Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Finance & Securities, Corporate Mid-Market, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity)
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2019 (Corporate Finance & Securities, Mining, Private Equity)
BCBusiness (B.C.’s Most Influential Women in Finance 2019)

In 2016, Susan was recognized as one of Business in Vancouver's Forty Under 40, an award presented annually to B.C.'s young business talent, based on their demonstrated excellence in business, judgment, leadership and community contribution. She was also recognized by Lexpert as one of Canada's Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.