overview
Chris is a partner in the Business Law Group in McMillan’s Toronto office and is Co-Chair of its Financial Services Regulatory Group (Insurance). He practices in the areas of corporate and commercial law, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations, and joint ventures.
In addition to mergers and acquisitions, Chris has had significant involvement in general corporate and commercial matters, including advising clients on shareholder and partnership agreements, commercial agreements and corporate governance issues. Chris acts as general counsel to numerous clients, including non-share capital corporations, advising them in a wide variety of matters, including corporate governance, commercial agreements and corporate policies.
Before becoming partner in 2002, Chris gained cross-border experience through a one-year secondment to Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.
Representative Matters
- Act for foreign insurance company in relation to its establishment of a joint venture in Canada
- Act for purchasers of insurance brokers
- Acted for the purchaser on acquisition of an Ontario insurance company
- Acted on the BBM Canada-Nielsen Media Research Limited joint venture which resulted in BBM Electronic Inc. The joint venture was the result of the merger of the portion of the respective operations of BBM and Nielsen Media Research Limited that measured television audiences using wired electronic meters
- Acted for vendor group in sale of a national food distributor
- Acted for an auto parts manufacturer in a commercial restructuring and insolvency matter involving major Canadian automobile manufacturers
- Acted on behalf of a number of health and safety associations in connection with the restructuring of the workplace and workplace-related accident prevention system in Ontario
- Acted on behalf of The Royal Conservatory of Music in connection with a joint venture with Carnegie Hall to launch the Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory The Achievement Program (now The Royal Conservator of Music Development Program)
- Acted on behalf of a software company in connection with the sale of its shares to a U.S. private equity group
- Acted for the Canadian Cancer Society on its amalgamation with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
- Acted for DCC Technology Company Ltd. in its acquisition of JAM Industries Ltd.
- Acted for technology company in the acquisition of the shares of an insurance analytics technology company
- Acted for vendors in the sale of an international chemical company to a private equity firm
Presentations
Practice Gems: Essentials of the Privately Held Company 2019 (Part 1): Setting Up the Company
Québec – Ontario Business Law Summit
Termination Clauses – Don't Leave the Table Without Them
Administration - Privacy and Document Retention: Establishing Effective Document Retention and Destruction Policies
Administration - Privacy and Document Retention: Establishing Effective Document Retention and Destruction Policies
Records Management
Best Practices for Document Retention
Canada and the Ontario Not-For-Profit Law - How will the Historical Changes Impact Not-For-Profit Corporations
Business Law: Keeping Afloat in a Sea of Change
OBA Professional Development: At the Heart of Contract Law
Publications
Charities and Not-for-profit Corporations – AGM Challenges and Solutions During COVID-19 Outbreak
Tips for Supporting an Employee's Application for Provincial Nomination from Recent BC PNP Decision
Doing business in Canada: Immigration (business)
New Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act proclaimed in force. what do we do now?
Revisiting Damages for Breach of Contract
Termination Clauses: Don't Leave The Table Without Them
News
McMillan Lawyers Earn 37 Rankings Across 13 Categories in the 2021 Legal500: Canada Guide
McMillan hosts Ministry of Children and Youth Services Special Announcement on adoption
Education
- University of Toronto, LLB - 1994
- Queen's University, BComm. - 1991
Year Of Call
- Called to the Ontario bar - 1996
Practices
acquisitions and divestitures
negotiated transactions
business formation
corporate governance
business immigration
private equity
charities and not-for-profit
insurance
Industries
service industries
media
healthcare
insurance
manufacturing, distribution and retail
Directorships and Professional Associations
- Ontario Bar Association
- Canadian Bar Association
Awards & Rankings
- Listed in the Legal500 Canada 2021 as a Recommended Lawyer – Insurance