Transalta Sale and Leaseback

Calgary-based TransAlta Utilities Corporation completed the sale and leaseback of its downtown Calgary head office facility, to Toronto-based Forum Leasehold Partners Inc. for $66 million. The deal closed on May 9, 2003. The financing was provided by Canadian and U.S. life insurance companies.

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP acted for TransAlta, with a team led by Robert Homme, Q.C., and including Craig Hill and Denise McMullen (taxation), Alicia Quesnel (competition) and Shawn Belecki.

Forum was represented by Aird & Berlis LLP, as lead counsel, with a team led by Michael Smith and including Barbara Worndl (taxation) and Bill VanderBurgh and Glenn Kennedy (competition), and in Alberta by Witten LLP with a team led by James Nesbitt, Q.C., and including Earl Parker and Audrey Wakeling.

Elizabeth Majers and James Inendino of McDermot, Will & Emery in Chicago, acted as lead U.S. counsel to the lenders. In Alberta, the lenders were represented by Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP with a team led by Kevin Keyes, and including Garth Anderson and Rick Myers.

Lawyer(s)

Audrey A. Wakeling Robert A. Homme Shawn M. Belecki Craig R. Hill Garth K. Anderson James R.W. Nesbitt Earl L. Parker Kevin W. Keyes James V. Inendino Michael D. Smith Alicia K. Quesnel William G. Vanderburgh Richard W. Myers Barbara J. Worndl Elizabeth L. Majers Denise D. McMullen

Firm(s)

Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP Aird & Berlis LLP McDermott Will & Emery Gowling WLG