Dani M. Shields
Admitted to the Ontario Bar: 2004
*Practising as a professional corporation- Bio
- Awards & Recognition
- Representative Matters
- Education
Dani has almost two decades of experience providing sophisticated and practical legal advice in the context of business-driven goals. She began her career at another large Bay Street law firm, before becoming the vice-president and general counsel for the Canadian operations of a multi-billion dollar, publicly traded global health-care company. In addition to providing top-level strategic legal counsel, Dani served as a key member of the company’s executive team, ensuring legal advice enhanced the business’s growth and objectives.
While working in-house for more than 10 years, Dani oversaw the legal affairs of several health-care companies’ Canadian operations, including portfolio companies in the retail, medical technologies, wholesale and distribution, regulated health care and software industries. Her unique perspective, together with her legal expertise, enables her to provide practical advice to position her clients for success.
Dani is a partner and member of the firm’s Corporate/Commercial Group. Her practice focuses on providing strategic advice and counsel with respect to M&A, private equity investments, divestitures, privacy, regulatory compliance, advertising, marketing and general corporate/commercial matters. Throughout her career, she has closed the acquisition of more than 150 companies and negotiated the completion of over 100 debt and equity investments. Dani is creative in her approach, always looking for innovative ways to navigate complicated legal restrictions to protect her clients’ interests, maximize their opportunities and elevate them in the marketplace. She is also a member of the firm's Associates Committee and was recognized in the field of Health Care Law in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada.
Dani advises clients across a variety of sectors, with an emphasis on private and public health-care companies, regulated health professionals and consumer products companies as well as high-growth and emerging businesses. Having earned an MBA and worked in-house, Dani understands strategic business planning and knows first-hand the challenges of managing, operating and growing a business. She provides tailored legal solutions to meet the needs and accelerate the growth of her clients. Dani enjoys serving as valued resource and trusted legal business partner, and she is committed to building long-standing client relationships.
Awards & Recognition
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of Health Care Law
Representative Matters
Mergers & Acquisitions
Structuring, drafting, negotiating and executing acquisitions, partnerships, equity investments, restructurings, divestitures and financings.
Managing all aspects of asset and share purchase transactions, including drafting and negotiating agreements, closing the transactions and working with the sellers throughout the integration.
Presenting strategic business cases on potential acquisitions and investments, including legal and financial analysis and business rationales.
Structuring equity investments and drafting subscription and shareholder agreements.
Negotiating and mediating buyouts and inter-shareholder agreements of a client’s Canadian subsidiaries.
Structuring and negotiating the conversion of debt to equity interests in a client’s debtor customers.
Executing a rapid growth and acquisition strategy for a Canadian startup and preparing it for sale while ultimately staying on as the sole remaining executive post-merger.
Sitting on several management boards and providing legal counsel to investment portfolio companies across Canada.
General Corporate
Drafting and negotiating distribution and exclusivity agreements for a national Canadian distributor of medical devices.
Advising two medical technologies companies on all aspects of growing in Canada.
Structuring supply agreements for the Canadian division of a global equipment manufacturer and distributor.
Attending board meetings as a legal advisor and acting as corporate secretary to several clients’ boards of directors.
Managing all aspects of a client’s national real estate portfolio growing to over 300 retail stores.
Structured Finance
Structuring credit facilities and designing creative financing options for a client’s loan portfolio, including preparing and negotiating loan documentation such as credit agreements, promissory notes, revolving credit facility agreements, share pledges, security agreements, right of first refusal agreements, personal guarantees, cross guarantees, pari passu agreements and intercreditor agreements.
Working with defaulting customers on payment plans, amending agreements, waivers to breaches of agreements and enforcing security interests when required.
Regulatory & Compliance
Acting as Chief Privacy Officer to several privately-held Canadian healthcare companies managing governance, protocols, policies and complaints.
Overseeing regulatory compliance in the medical devices, medical product and technology sectors including involvement in launching global compliance and presentations on Canadian privacy laws and initiatives.
Acting for clients on regulatory health compliance matters and advising their regulated health professionals on complaints, including preparing letters to colleges and participating in tribunals.
Advising physicians on conflict of interest rules and regulations and ensuring compliance in the structuring of business and facility agreements.
Intellectual Property, Advertising & Marketing
Overseeing several Canadian clients’ intellectual property portfolios, including preparing trademark applications.
Preparing, negotiating and executing licensing agreements over corporate trademarks, software and copyrights.
Preparing distribution, exclusivity and territory agreements for medical products and devices.
Drafting and negotiating software and intellectual property licensing agreements and facilitating the sale and assignments of such licences.
Advising on advertising and marketing rules and responding to complaints from third parties and regulatory agencies.
Education
- JD, University of Toronto, 2003
- MBA, University of Toronto, 2003