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Virginia Schweitzer Ottawa lawyer

Virginia K. Schweitzer

Partner | Co-Managing Partner, Ottawa Fasken
Time invested in advance to get your legal “house” in order, before contemplating a sale of your business, will pay off when the time comes to structure and finalize your deal and sell the business.
Jurisdiction Ontario, 1997
Language(s) English
Office(s) Ottawa
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Overview

Virginia Schweitzer practices in the areas of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, securities, mining, energy and technology law.

Regularly advising clients on public offerings, including IPOs, in Canada and the United States, Virginia has assisted with private placements for technology, biotechnology and mining clients. Her experience also extends to negotiating mergers, takeovers and acquisitions on behalf of both public and non-public companies. Virginia also advises corporations (profit and non-profit) on matters related to corporate governance.

Acting for various public companies, Virginia has advised clients including Ur-Energy Inc., BluMetric Environmental Inc., Aura Silver Resources Inc., Enablence Technologies Inc. and Intouch Insight Ltd. She recently assisted Sidense Corp. on its sale to Synopsys, Inc., a NASDAQ listed company, and N-able Technologies International, Inc. (N-able) on its sale to SolarWinds WorldWide, LLC, a NASDAQ listed company, for US $120 million in an all cash transaction.

Achievements

  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Mergers & Acquisitions, Lexpert 2023 to 2026
  • Recognized in Mining Law in Ottawa, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Technology Transactions, Lexpert 2020 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Corporate Commercial Law and Mining, Lexpert 2016 to 2026
  • Recognized in Technology Law in Ottawa, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2015 to 2026
  • Recognized in Corporate Law in Ottawa, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2014 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Private Equity, Lexpert 2014 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Corporate Finance & Securities and Corporate Mid-Market, Lexpert 2013 to 2026
  • Recognized as Lawyer of the Year in Technology Law in Ottawa, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in Private Equity, Lexpert 2022 to 2024

Experience

  • Replica Analytics in its acquisition by Aetion Inc., [Deal - Replica Analytics Ltd.], Replica Analytics sales of issued and outstanding shares.
  • Guyana Goldfields Inc. acquired by Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. for aggregate proceeds of C$323 million, [Deal - Guyana Goldfields Inc.], Guyana Goldfields acquired by Hong Kong based Zijin after multiple public offers for the company
  • Aura Silver Resources closes its non-brokered private offering of C$280,020, [Deal - Aura Silver Resources Inc.], On June 1, 2018, - Aura Silver Resources Inc. (TSXV: AUU) (the "Company") closed its non-brokered private placement of units raising proceeds of $280,020 (the "Offering"). A total of 9,334,000 units were issued to investors at $0.03 per unit.  Each unit consisted of one common share of the Compan...
  • Acasti Pharma completed US$11.5 million common share and warrant offering, [Deal - Mackie Research Capital Corporation], On May 9, 2018, Acasti Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:ACST) (TSXV:ACST) (the “Company” ) closed an underwritten public offering of units of the Company at a price of $1.05 per Unit for gross aggregate proceeds to the Company of $10,006,500 pursuant to an underwriting agreement dated April 24, 2018 with Mack...
  • Intouch Insight closes on US$3.52 million financing, [Deal - Intouch Insight Ltd.], On November 28, 2017, Intouch Insight Ltd. announced that it closed two private placements for $3,000,000 and $520,000 by way of non-brokered private placements for 6,000,000 units at a price of $0.50 each and 1,000,000 units of the Company at a price of $0.52 each (the "offerings").  Each unit i...
  • Sidense acquires by Synopsis Canada, [Deal - Sidense Corp.], On October 17, 2017, Sidense Corporation was acquired in a private transaction by Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS). The acquisition adds to Synopsys’ DesignWare NVM IP portfolio by offering Sidense’s one-time programmable non-volatile memory for automotive, mobile, industrial and Internet of Things (...
  • Ur-Energy completes US$6.46 million bought deal financing, [Deal - Ur-Energy Inc.], On February 17, 2016, Ur-Energy Inc. (Ur-Energy) announced the completion of a bought deal financing with a syndicate of investment dealers led by Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation and including Raymond James Ltd. and Dundee Securities Ltd. (the Underwriters), where the Underwriters purchased,...
  • Maplesoft Group acquired by Smart Employee Benefits, [Deal - Maplesoft Group Inc.], On December 4, 2015, Maplesoft Group Inc. (Maplesoft) announced its acquisition by Smart Employee Benefits Inc. (SEB), a Mississauga, Ontario-based company. The acquisition is expected to increase the consolidated annual revenue of SEB by over $50 million and contribute substantially to the overa...
  • Kingspan Group PLC acquires Vicwest for US$350 million and immediately sells Vicwest’s Westeel Division for US$221.5 million to AG Growth International, [Deal - Kingspan Group PLC], On May 20, 2015, Kingspan Group, through an acquisition company, completed by way of a plan of arrangement, a series of complex transactions involving the acquisition of Oakville, Ontario-based Vicwest Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of engineered storage and handling systems for grain, fert...

Career & Education

Education

  • BCL McGill University
  • LLB McGill University
  • BA (Honours), History and Political Science McGill University

Community involvement

  • Sessional lecturer on Business Acquisitions at the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa 
  • Actively participates in the Girl Guides of Canada – Guides du Canada
  • Member of the National Council of Women of Canada

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Ontario Bar Association
  • Member, County of Carleton Law Association
  • Member, Licensing Executive Society

Knowledge

  • Updates On CBCA Diversity Disclosure Guidelines: How To Successfully Disclose Diversity For The Upcoming Proxy Season, 3/24/2022
  • Considerations for Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Under the New Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010, 12/17/2021
  • Coming Soon: Elimination of the Director Residency Requirement for OBCA Corporations, 4/19/2021

Events

  • Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? The Fateful Choice and Narrow Path to Leave Canada, 3/5/2025
  • High Stakes, Smart Decisions: Navigating the M&A Minefield, 3/4/2025
  • ESG: Addressing Diversity and Inclusive Sustainability for Resource Companies, 3/6/2023
  • Fasken Ottawa Symposium (11th Edition), 6/28/2022
  • Looking for an Effective Corporate Board? Focus on Diversity, 6/3/2022
  • Fasken Ottawa Symposium (10th Edition), 6/10/2021
  • Fasken Ottawa Symposium (8th Edition), 6/15/2018
  • Fasken Martineau Ottawa Symposium (7th Edition), 6/6/2017
  • 7th Annual PDAC Primer, 3/1/2017
  • Fasken Martineau Ottawa Symposium (6th Edition), 5/17/2016

News

  • Fasken will attend the 2026 IBA in Copenhagen, 4/13/2026
  • Virginia Schweitzer comments on leading M&A trends in the National Capital Region in the Ottawa Business Journal, 3/2/2026
  • Fasken Welcomes the IBA to Toronto, 5/1/2025
  • Fasken will attend the 2024 IBA in Mexico City, 6/13/2024
  • Fasken will Attend the 2023 IBA in Paris, 7/21/2023
  • Fasken Wins “Workers' Compensation Law Firm of the Year” and “Mining Law Firm of the Year” in the 2022 Best Lawyers in Canada Guide, 8/26/2021
  • Fasken Celebrates International Women’s Day 2019, 3/8/2019
  • Fasken Wins Labour and Employment Law Firm of the Year in the 2019 Best Lawyers in Canada Guide, 8/21/2018
  • Lexpert Highlights Fasken lawyers in Special Edition on Corporate law, 4/27/2018
  • The 2018 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory recognizes 200 Fasken lawyers, 4/12/2018

Publications

  • Current amendments and future amendments to the CBCA, 5/27/2019
  • Bill C-25’s Proposed Changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act, 3/22/2017
  • 10 tips for the seller: Avoid common pitfalls in a sales transaction, 6/15/2016
  • Women’s roles on boards and in executive officer positions – Canadian Disclosure Regime, 3/22/2016
  • Crowdfunding - Will it be a good thing for start-up companies?, 6/24/2014
  • Continuing under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act: The deadline is fast approaching, 3/21/2014
Blog Post, Author Current amendments and future amendments to the CBCA Ottawa Business Journal
Article Bill C-25’s Proposed Changes to the Canada Business Corporations Act Capital Perspectives
Article 10 tips for the seller: Avoid common pitfalls in a sales transaction Capital Perspectives

Speaking Engagements

  • Establishing a Start-Up Company, 6/3/2013
Establishing a Start-Up Company Photonics North 2013 location location Ottawa