John F. Clifford Partner Toronto Tel : 416.865.7134 Fax : 416.865.7048 Email : john.clifford@mcmillan.ca VCard :

John is an experienced, client-focused and service-orientated advisor to business, with particular expertise on cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions and antitrust/competition law matters.

John's practice is focused on M&A transactions. He has extensive experience advising Canadian and international clients on domestic and cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, debt financings and complex re-organizations and regularly advises clients on legal requirements for establishing new businesses in Canada, including complying with Canada's foreign investment review legislation. John chairs a working group of Canadian M&A deal lawyers that studies and develops reports for the American Bar Association's M&A Committee on trends in deal terms used in Canadian private company acquisitions and is Vice-Chair of a Task Force that is updating the ABA's Model Asset Purchase Agreement.

John also is a recognized expert on antitrust/competition matters. He has advised on the Competition Act implications of hundreds of merger transactions and regularly assists clients to defend investigations and litigation relating to matters such as alleged unlawful conspiracies, abuse of dominance and distribution practices.

John's industry-specific experience is broad. He advises a diverse range of clients in the automotive, business services, consumer goods, distribution, financial services, investment fund, manufacturing, motion picture and pharmaceutical sectors, including some of the world's best known Europe- and Asia-based automotive companies.

John is the chair or past chair of a number of leading business and legal associations and charitable organizations. In 2007, he founded exeQutive, a forum for LGBT business leaders in Toronto, a group that he continues to lead. Within McMillan, John is an active contributor to the direction and management of the firm, having been the firm's Chief Marketing Partner and leader of the firm's student program and key client service and development initiatives.

Rankings and Recognitions

February 2012 Canadian merger notification and investment review thresholds increase competition/antitrust bulletin

August 2011 Doing a Deal in Canada? 10 things You Should Know Deal Points (Summer 2011)

August 2011 Mergers, Competitor Collaborations and Distribution Practices in the US and Canada Panel Chair, American Bar Association Annual Meeting

May 2011 What's the Market for that Cross-Border Deal? The European, US and Canadian Private Target M&A Deal Points Studies Business Law International