Robert K. McDermott
Partner
Toronto
|
|
Tel :
|
416.865.7085
|
|
Fax :
|
416.865.7048
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Professional Experience
Bob practises business law with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, mining, securities and corporate finance. He has Canadian and international experience in planning, negotiating and implementing large, complex, time-sensitive transactions.
He advises boards and special committees of public companies on a variety of corporate governance matters. From 1997 to 2001, he was a director and senior officer, and a de facto member of the audit committee, of Boliden Limited, an international mining company whose shares were listed on the Toronto and Stockholm stock exchanges. He is currently a director of Canadian Solar Inc., a solar module and product company whose shares are listed on the NASDAQ. Recent assignments include advising the special committee of DuPont Canada Inc. in connection with the take-over of DuPont Canada by E.I. duPont de Nemours & Co; the special committee of Dundee Realty Inc. in connection with a reorganization of substantially all of the real estate properties of Dundee Realty into a REIT; and the board of directors of Crystallex International Corporation and Golden China Resources Corporation in connection with corporate governance matters.
Bob led the McMillan teams that acted for:
- Toronto Hydro Corporation in connection with its C$225 million debenture offering and C$500 million syndicated bank credit facilities (2003)
- Boliden Limited in connection with its "redomiciliation" from Canada to Sweden (2001)
- Boliden Limited in connection with the disposition of its Norwegian zinc smelter and refinery and its Chilean copper mining assets (2001)
- Boliden Limited in connection with the restructuring of its US$750 million syndicated bank credit facilities (2001)
- Boliden Limited in connection with its preferred and common share rights offerings in Canada and Sweden (1999, 2000 and 2001)
- Boliden Limited in connection with its take-over of Westmin Resources Limited (1998)
- Boliden Limited in connection with its initial public offering (1997)
- Royal Bank of Canada in connection with its acquisition of the custodial business of Montreal Trust Company (1997)
- Noranda Minerals Inc. in connection with its participation in the Kafue Consortium (a joint venture comprising Noranda, Avmin, Phelps Dodge and Commonwealth Development Corporation and formed to bid for and acquire certain assets of Zambia Copper Company) (1997)
- Falconbridge Limited in connection with its proposed acquisition of Diamond Fields Resources Inc. (1996)
- Falconbridge Limited in connection with the "bought deal" sale by Trelleborg AB of its 29% interest in Falconbridge (1995)
- Merrill Lynch in connection with its financing of the acquisition by Brazos Buy-Out Funds of certain mortgage loans and real property owned by North American Trust Company (1995)
- Noranda Minerals Inc. in connection with the disposition of its Central Canadian Potash business (1994-1995)
- Falconbridge Limited in connection with its initial public offering (1994)
- Royal Bank of Canada in connection with its acquisition of Royal Trust (1993)
Earlier experience includes acting for:
- Falconbridge Limited in connection with the disposition of its Indusmin industrial minerals business and its Fahramet metals business (1990)
- Denison Mines Limited in connection with the Koongarra Project (a proposed joint venture of Denison and aboriginal peoples to develop a uranium property located in the Northern Territory of Australia) (1982-1984)
- the Ontario Government and the Ontario Energy Corporation (1974-1988) in connection with:
- the government's task force on the future of public sector pension funds (the task force's report, In Whose Interest?, led to the establishment of several public sector pension funds and changes in the government's method of funding public sector pensions) (1987-1988)
- the corporation's investments in a variety of oil and gas joint ventures and energy from waste projects (1982-1986)
- the government's monitoring of the activities of Ontario Hydro, including uranium purchase contracts, long-term load forecast, construction of heavy water plants, nuclear waste disposal and disaster planning (1978-1982)
- the government's participation in the development and financing of the Syncrude Project (a joint venture of three Canadian governments and three international oil companies formed to develop the Alberta tar sands) (1974-1978)
- Viking Rideau Corporation (a joint venture of Eaton's, J.J. Barnicke, Citicom and others) in connection with the development and financing of the Rideau Centre (a multi-purpose real estate development in Ottawa involving the government of Canada and the City of Ottawa and the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carlton) (1979-1984).
Before joining McMillan in 1971, Bob was associated with the Paris law firm of Debost, Borel & Leservoisier.
publications and presentations
|