William K. Orr

William K. Orr focuses his practice on corporate governance and has acted for many boards of directors and independent committees of boards. Bill specializes in securities regulation including multi-national transactions in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries. He is a recognized expert in public and private financing, private placements, takeover bids, mergers and acquisitions, going-private transactions, corporate governance, restructurings, and stock exchange and securities enforcement issues. His clients include boards and independent committees of boards of directors, public companies, investment dealers and institutional investors.

Among his current mandates, Bill serves as independent counsel to the Board of OMERS Administration Corporation. 

Bill has taught securities regulation and business law courses at Queen's University, Osgoode Hall Law School, McGill University and the University of Toronto.  In 1985 he co-authored a book, Private Placements in Canada, published by Carswell.

Selected Experience

• MKS completes plan of arrangement with Parametric Technology Corporation
• Samuel Manu-Tech completes going private transaction

News

• A Reference in Canada: Lexpert recommends 22 Fasken Martineau lawyers to readers in the US
• Best Lawyers in Canada: Over 100 Fasken Martineau lawyers again listed among the best

Publications

• 20 Questions Directors Should Ask About Special Committees
• Take-Over and Issuer Bids

Presentations

• Dual Class Share Capital Reorganizations - Key lessons from Magna International
• Fiduciary Obligations of Directors

Membership/Affiliations

• ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors
• Board of Directors, Institute of Corporate Directors

Community Involvement

Bill has served on a number of community and charitable boards of directors, including:

• President, Family Service Association of Metropolitan Toronto
• Chair, Board of Trustees, Trinity College, University of Toronto
• Chair, Board of Directors, Dellcrest Children's Centre
• Member, College of Electors of the University of Toronto
• Director and Honourary Counsel, The Duke of Edinburgh's Award – Young Canadians Challenge

Honours and Awards

• Recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada 2011 as a leading practitioner in Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions Law, Securities Law
• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2010, 2011: consistently recommended, Corporate Finance & Securities; most frequently recommended, Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Mid-Market and Mergers & Acquisitions
• Listed as a recommended lawyer in the area of Directors' duties and liabilities (Canada) by Practical Law Company in 2009
• Consistently named one of the country's top lawyers in Corporate Commercial, Corporate Finance and M&A in the annual Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada published by Lexpert/American Lawyer Media
• Internationally recognized in the area of Corporate Governance in Who's Who Legal's The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers
• Listed and rated in Chambers Global's The World's Leading Lawyers for Business as a Corporate/M&A lawyer
• A Leading Lawyer in Canada in the area of Capital Markets in the International Financial Law Review