Alliance Atlantis to Buy Salter Street Films

Subject to shareholder and Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approval, Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. is buying Halifax-based entertainment company Salter Street Films Limited in a deal worth approximately $75 million, to expand its stable of specialty channels and programs. The deal is expected to close mid-April.

Leading the deal in-house at Alliance Atlantis was Paul Laberge, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Development and General Counsel. The Torys team representing Alliance Atlantis included James Turner, Gary Solway, Candy Saga, Vanessa Grant, Samantha Sheen, Brandon Parent and Terra Rebick (corporate); Jay Holsten and Aaron Emes (competition law); Adam Delean (banking); and John Unger (tax). Regulatory counsel for Alliance Atlantis were Peter Grant and Grant Buchanan of McCarthy Tétrault. Acting for Salter Street Films were Chris Hewat, Jeff Lloyd, Anoop Dogra and James Clarke (corporate); Rob Kwinter (competition law); and Jeff Trossman (tax) of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Daniel Gallivan, Q.C., Jonathan Gale and Jennifer Parsons of Cox Hanson O’Reilly Matheson acted as Nova Scotia counsel to Salter Street Films. Regulatory counsel for Salter Street were Robert Buchan and Joel Fortune of Johnston & Buchan. Advice to the principal shareholders of Salter Street Films was provided by Stephen Halperin and Sheldon Freeman of Goodmans LLP.