With involvement in tens of billions of dollars’ worth of negotiated and unsolicited merger and acquisition transactions, as well as billions of dollars’ worth of financings, Chambers Global-ranked Michael assists clients in various industries including mining, energy, real estate, forestry, agriculture, renewable energy, technology, engineering, life sciences, telecommunications, airlines, petroleum, and pipelines.
Chinese outbound M&A and investment is an area of concentration in Michael's practice. He is particularly involved in representing Chinese outbound M&A and investment in the mining and natural resource sectors globally.
Michael has acted for Chinese clients on a number of “firsts” in outbound investments. These include Michael representing clients in several successfully concluded transactions, including:
- a Chinese state-owned enterprise (“SOE”) in China’s first direct to shareholders take-over bid (hostile take-over bid) for a TSX-listed company in Canada;
- a Chinese SOE in China’s first proposed investment in Canada (a take-over bid for a TSX-listed mining company) which triggered a National Security Review of Investment under the Investment Canada Act; and
- a private Chinese company in China’s first proxy battle for control of a TSX-listed company.
Michael regularly travels to China to work directly with his clients. From 2010 to 2012, Michael was an officer of several Chinese clients’ Canadian subsidiaries, which were involved in the acquisition, financing and construction of a $1.5 billion mine in northern Québec.
Michael has presented and spoken on mergers and acquisitions and financing topics across China at many events including several Toronto Stock Exchange China Roadshows and other events in China. He also regularly attends China Mining, Mines and Money (Hong Kong), The Asian Mining Congress, Indaba and PDAC conferences.
*denotes Professional Corporation
