NEW PARTNER
AT NORTON ROSE
Paul Amirault has joined the Ottawa office of Norton Rose OR LLP as a partner in its business law group.
Amirault’s practice focuses on securities and mergers and acquisitions with an emphasis on the technology sector. “He’s very experienced in the Ottawa market, serving clients from startups to larger companies,” said Grant Jameson, national co-chairman of Norton Rose OR’s business law group and managing partner of the Ottawa office. “He also has a great deal of cross-border experience working on transactions with international businesses. He’ll serve our clients extremely well.”
M&A LAWYER
JOINS BLG
Todd Bissett has joined the Waterloo, Ont., office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
Bissett, who hails from the Waterloo region, has a range of international experience following stints practising law in Shanghai and Beijing as well as California’s Silicon Valley.
“We believe Waterloo region is one of Canada’s most dynamic marketplaces, particularly for up-and-coming software, Internet, and other technology companies,” said Neil Henderson, BLG’s managing partner for the Waterloo office.
“Todd’s years of experience representing parties at all stages of private company development and in a wide array of private and public company transactions position him ideally to serve the local Waterloo region market.”
Bissett’s practice focuses on private equity, emerging market venture capital, and mergers-and-acquisitions transactions.
“With venture capital playing a major role in the funding of many of the region’s technology startups and the dynamism of the region with a growing number of companies at every stage of development, my deep experience in venture capital, private equity, and M&A transactions over the past decade will allow me to provide added value to the local market,” Bissett said.
“I also look forward to drawing on my experience in China and the U.S. in helping businesses in the region and BLG’s clients generally to devise and implement international and China-specific entry strategies as I have done for a wide variety of companies in the past.”
NORTON ROSE
LAUDED
Norton Rose Group, a newcomer to the Canadian legal field, has been named the best international law firm for 2011 by the International Takaful Summit, an Islamic insurance organization.
Norton Rose picked up the award during a ceremony in London, England, on July 12. The award marks the fourth consecutive year the firm has been honoured.
“We are delighted to have won this prestigious award, and it is a further endorsement of Norton Rose Group as the leading global legal adviser in takaful and retakaful,” said Susan Dingwall, head of Norton Rose’s takaful practice.
The firm’s takaful team is part of its insurance and Islamic finance practice. The team includes lawyers with experience in regulatory issues, dispute resolution, policy, and contract wording associated with takaful structuring.
CALGARY LAWYER
ON THE MOVE
Alberta lawyer Craig Maurice continues to have a busy year as he finds himself working at his third major firm in 2011 alone.
Maurice began the year at Macleod Dixon LLP before he was snapped up by the fledgling office of what’s now Norton Rose OR LLP in Calgary in January. Six months later, he’s on the move again to another new Alberta player, Torys LLP.
The firm only opened its Calgary office in March, and tax lawyer Maurice is its newest partner.
Maurice, whose practice focuses on the energy industry, advises on the tax aspects of domestic and international mergers-and-acquisitions and financing transactions. He also advises junior resource clients on financings, particularly those using flow-through shares.
