Margaret T. Nelligan ICD.D
- Bio
- Awards & Recognition
- Professional Involvement
- Representative Matters
- Selected Speaking Engagements
- Selected Publications
- Insights
- Education
With over 30 years of experience as a corporate and securities lawyer, Margaret provides reliable and incisive advice clients can use with confidence. She is actively involved in mergers and acquisitions and works closely with boards on an ongoing basis to help them adopt best governance practices and manage critical issues. As a former member of the Securities Advisory Committee of the Ontario Securities Commission, Margaret brings a depth of perspective and understanding to her practice that provides a tangible benefit to her clients. She keeps on top of emerging issues that affect her clients and draws on her wide-ranging expertise to provide them with guidance on how best to respond.
Margaret is a member and former practice group leader of the firm’s Capital Markets Group. She is also a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions/Private Equity, Energy and Cannabis Groups. Margaret has significant expertise in corporate governance, investments for financial institutions and pension plans, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, public financings, acquisition financings, private placements, proxy solicitations, corporate reorganizations and general corporate work.
Margaret advises public and private companies across a variety of sectors. Her experience includes acting as counsel to one of Canada's largest gas distribution utilities, one of Canada's largest pension plans, various real estate sector participants and large governmental and quasi-governmental not-for-profit entities.
Margaret regularly advises the boards of directors of public companies on corporate governance and other matters. She is a member of the board of trustees of Allied Properties REIT and previously served as a director of a large Ontario electricity distributor. Margaret is also a director of Lakefield College School, and was a director of Alpine Ontario Alpin, the provincial governing body for the sport of alpine ski racing in Ontario.
Awards & Recognition
- Recognized in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a leading lawyer in the area of Corporate Mid-Market
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada in Corporate Law, Corporate Governance Practice and Securities Law
- Listed in the Lexpert Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining Special Edition
- Institute of Corporate Directors ICD.D designation, representing a lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom, a desire to stay current, and to be a more effective director
- Named as an Acritas Star
Professional Involvement
Professional Activities
- Former member of the Securities Advisory Council of the Ontario Securities Commission
- Contributing editor, Corporations, Division II the eleventh edition of O'Brien's Encyclopedia of Forms (the only comprehensive Canadian collection of forms and precedents covering a broad range of legal subjects) published by Canada Law Book
Memberships
- Canadian Association of Law Teachers
- Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA)
- Ontario Energy Association
- Ontario Energy Network
- Women's Executive Network
- Women in Capital Markets
Teaching Engagements
- Former Adjunct Faculty, Osgoode Hall Law School
- Special Lecturer, “Corporate Finance,” University of Windsor, Faculty of Law
Representative Matters
Represented Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, a leading operator of distinctive urban workspace in Canada’s major cities and network-dense urban data centres in Toronto, in its acquisition of six urban office properties from Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust for $794 million.
Advised Melchior Management 777 Corporation in the formation of a new private residential REIT consisting of 38 multi-family properties totalling 1,260 residential units located throughout southern Ontario.
Represented Harvest One Cannabis Inc. (TSXV: HVT), a global cannabis company in the health and wellness space, in its acquisition of biotechnology company Delivra Corp.
Represented Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, a leading owner, manager and developer of urban office environments operating in Canada’s major cities, in its completion of numerous public equity and debt offerings.
Represented Skyline Enterprises Management Inc. in the formation of Skyline Mortgage Investment Trust and the private placement offering of units for gross proceeds of up to $13 million.
Represented Amber Canada Inc., a late-stage LP applicant under the ACMPR, with respect to startup work, including the company’s organization, shareholders’ agreement and initial round of seed-financing.
Represented the special committee of Mettrum Health Corp.'s board of directors in connection with the acquisition of Mettrum by Canopy Growth Corporation.
Represented the special committee of Booth Centennial Healthcare Linen Services’ board of directors in connection with the sale of all or substantially all of its assets to Ecotex Service Corporation in partnership with Fengate Capital Management.
Represented Transeastern Power Trust (TSXV: TEP.un and TEP.db) on its initial public offering of units and convertible unsecured subordinate debentures for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $23 million.
Represented the City of Sudbury in connection with its public private partnership with Toromont Industries for district energy in the downtown core.
Represented a consortium of Canadian institutional investors in connection with a co-investment with CPPIB in the 407 Highway.
Represents a significant Canadian REIT with respect to board governance, securities and financing.
Represented Integrated Grain Processors Co-operative Inc. (the "Co-operative"), an Ontario co-operative with more than 840 members, and its newly incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary IGPC Ethanol Inc. in the completion of the financing necessary to design, develop, build and operate a 150 million litre ethanol production facility in Aylmer, Ontario.
Represented U.S. funds in connection with a successful proxy battle.
Represented a major gas utility in connection with gas transportation agreements.
Represented a major Canadian gas utility in connection with an "unbundling" transaction separating regulated from non-regulated assets.
Represented a municipality in connection with a public/private partnership with a Canadian energy management company relating to a district energy project.
Represented independent directors of a major Canadian public company undergoing restructuring and investigations.
Represented a new REIT in connection with its initial public offering.
Represented a TSX-listed issuer in connection with a $200 million sale to a Canadian public company.
Represented a REIT in connection with convertible debenture offerings, a rights offering and bond financings.
Represented a TSX-listed issuer in a $220 million debt and equity restructuring.
Advised various independent committee directors regarding duties and obligations in connection with related party transactions and restructuring.
Represented a significant Canadian pension plan in connection with various venture capital investments.
Represented a corporate trustee in connection with a disputed restructuring of convertible debentures pursuant to the terms of a trust indenture.
Selected Speaking Engagements
Speaker, "Drafting Opinions for Commercial Transactions," OBA Seminar, October 30, 2007.
Speaker, "Corporate Governance of Crown Corporations in Canada – Lessons Borrowed from the Private Sector," Crown Corporate Governance Summit (Canadian Institute Conference), April and October, 2005.
Speaker, "A Principled Approach to Effective Corporate Governance," IQPC Conference, 2004.
Speaker, "Current Issues in Shareholder Agreements," Insight Conference, 2002 and 2003
Speaker, "Equity Derivatives: Investment Management Strategies, Products and Controls," Strategy Institute Conference.
Selected Publications
"Trust structure poses perplexing problems for businesses," The Lawyers Weekly, June 20, 2008.
"Managing Conflicts of Interest at the Board Table," Canadian Society of Association Executives' Association Magazine, 2006.
"Corporate Governance for Not-For-Profit Organizations," Canadian Society of Association Executives' Association Magazine, 2005.
"Proxy Solicitations: Some Legal and Practical Considerations," Canadian Investment Banking Review, 1992.
Insights
Education
- LLB (Hons., Dean's List), University of Windsor, 1984
- BA (Hons.), History, University of Western Ontario, 1981