Ron’s practice is focused on mergers & acquisitions, equity and debt financings (both public and private), and complex commercial transactions. He has extensive experience advising public and private companies, investment funds, and special committees on structuring M&A transactions (negotiated and unsolicited), directors’ fiduciary duties, and other corporate governance and securities law matters. Ron regularly advises on cross-border securities transactions. An innovative and practical problem-solver, Ron is able to balance legal rigour with business realities. Prior to joining FARRIS in 2000, Ron was the corporate finance lawyer at the Vancouver office of the predecessor to the TSX Venture Exchange, assisting with the realignment of Canada’s stock exchanges based on market specialization (including the amalgamation of the Vancouver and Alberta stock exchanges) and providing general securities law advice to staff and executives. Ron is a Past Chair of the Securities Law Subsection of the Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch) and a past member of the Securities Law Advisory Committee (SLAC), providing advice to the British Columbia Securities Commission on legal and policy issues relating to securities regulation. He has been an instructor for various securities law seminars.
NexGen Energy Ltd. completed a bought deal financing consisting of 33,400,000 common shares at a price of $4.50 per common share for gross proceeds of approximately $150 million
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Tekmira”) completed a merger of equals with OnCore Biopharma, Inc. (“OnCore”) whereby OnCore merged with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tekmira. As a result of the merger, stockholders of OnCore hold approximately fifty per cent (50%) of the total number of outstanding shares of capital stock of Tekmira. The implied market value of the combined company, based on the closing price of Tekmira common shares on the NASDAQ Global Market on January 9, 2015, was approximately USD$750 million and at time of closing USD$964 million.
On August 15, 2003, QLT Inc., a global bio-pharmaceutical and photodynamic therapy company, completed the issuance of US$172.5 million aggregate principal amount of 3 per cent convertible senior notes due in 2023. The notes are convertible into QLT common shares under certain circumstances at an initial conversion price of approximately US$17.80 per share.
BC-based Hot House Growers Income Fund, a producer of greenhouse tomatoes and sweet bell peppers completed a $70.7 million initial public offering of trust units through a syndicate of underwriters co-led by TD Securities Inc. and RBC Dominion Securities Inc., and included National Bank Financial, HSBC Securities (Canada) Inc., Canaccord Capital Corp. and Raymond James Ltd.
