Fraser Milner Casgrain 2434247 221338505 2008-06-24T02:26:02Z Eastlaw 1046972 Removed category "Companies established in 1839"; Quick-adding category "Law firms established in 1839" (using [[WP:HOTCAT|HotCat]]) {{Infobox Company | company_name = Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP | company_logo = [[Image:FMC_web_2_logo1.gif|300px|FMC's brand logo]] | company_type = Private | foundation = [[1839]] | location = [[Canada]] with offices in [[Montreal]], [[Ottawa]], [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]], [[Calgary]], [[Vancouver]], and [[New York City]] | industry = [[Canadian Business & Litigation Law Firm]] | homepage = [http://fmc-law.com/ www.fmc-law.com] }} '''Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP''' ('''FMC''') is one of Canada’s leading business & litigation [[law firms]]. With more than 520 lawyers (175 litigators) it is the fifth largest law firm in Canada as well as the largest law firm in Western Canada.<ref>''The 30 Largest Law Firms in Canada-2007''[http://www.lexpert.ca/directory/files/1-Canada-Top30Firms.pdf]</ref> FMC is a fully integrated national partnership with offices in [[Montreal]], [[Ottawa]], [[Toronto]], [[Edmonton]], [[Calgary]], [[Vancouver]], and [[New York City]]. ==History== For more than 165 years, Fraser Milner Casgrain has grown organically and through mergers, the most notable being the 1998 merger between Fraser & Beatty and Calgary-based Milner Fenerty, to form Fraser Milner and its subsequent merger with Montreal-based Byers Casgrain in 2000 to form Fraser Milner Casgrain. The following list of dates can be found on FMC's website:<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *'''1839''' — John Willoughby Crawford opens his law office in Toronto, the earliest predecessor of Fraser & Beatty. *'''1916''' — George Hobson Steer joins the Edmonton law firm of Rutherford, Jamieson & Grant, a predecessor of Milner Fenerty, and the firm is renamed Rutherford, Jamieson, Grant & Steer. *'''1920''' — Crombie, Worrell & Gwynne, Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries, a predecessor of Fraser & Beatty, becomes Worrell, Gwynne & Beatty, Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries. *'''1921''' — Hyndman, Milner & Matheson, a predecessor of Milner Fenerty, becomes Hyndman, Milner, Matheson, Carr & Dafoe. *'''1945''' — Milner, Steer, Poirier, Martland & Bowker, a predecessor of Milner Fenerty, becomes Milner, Steer, Dyde, Poirier, Martland & Bowker. *'''1980''' — J. Donald Mawhinney, Q.C. and Howard J. Kellough, Q.C. establish Mawhinney & Kellough in Vancouver. *'''1989''' — The Supreme Court of Canada rules that national law firms are allowed to do business in Canada, a ruling that would set the stage for the union of Fraser & Beatty with Mawhinney & Kellough, and later with Milner Fenerty and Byers Casgrain. The case was one of the earliest to deal with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. *'''1990''' — Fraser & Beatty, Barristers & Solicitors, with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, merges with Mawhinney & Kellough in Vancouver under the name Fraser & Beatty. When Fraser & Beatty merged with Mawhinney & Kellough, it was one of the first law firm mergers in Canada after the 1989 ruling. *'''1991''' — Milner Steer joins Fenerty Robertson, becomes Milner Fenerty. *'''1998''' — Fraser & Beatty and Alberta-based Milner Fenerty, becomes Fraser Milner. *'''2000''' — On June 6, Fraser Milner, with offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, merges with Byers Casgrain in Montréal to form Fraser Milner Casgrain. ==Areas of Expertise== According to the FMC website they have over 520 lawyers (175 litigators) practicing in 40 Areas of Expertise (often referred to as “Practice Areas”). FMC’s areas of expertise are: <table> <tr><td valign="top"> *Aboriginal *Aviation *Communications *Competition and Antitrust *Construction and Infrastructure *Corporate and Commercial *Corporate Governance *Cross-Border *Employment and Labour *Energy *Entertainment, Sports and Media *Environmental *Financial Services *Forest Products *Franchising *Health *Insolvency, Bankruptcy and Restructuring *Intellectual Property *International Natural Resources Infrastructure *International Trade </td><td valign="top"> *Litigation and Dispute Resolution **Alternative Dispute Resolution **Class Actions **Insurance **Professional Liability *Mergers and Acquisitions *Mining *Pensions and Benefits *Privacy *Private Equity and Venture Capital *Public Policy *Public-Private Partnerships *Real Estate *Securities and Corporate Finance *Tax *Technology **Technology Transactions **Tech Companies and Venture Capital *Transportation *Wealth Management </td></tr> </table> ==Notable Past & Present Firm Members== *[[David Tsubouchi]] (Former Ontario Progressive Conservative Cabinet Minister) *[[Brian Tobin]] (Former Federal Liberal Cabinet Minister) *[[Blair McCreadie]] (President of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party) *[[David Paul Smith|Senator David Smith]] (Liberal Senator) *[[Peter Van Loan]] (Current Conservative MP) *[[Jean Bazin]] (Conservative Senator from 1986 to 1989) *[[Honourable E. Peter Lougheed]] (Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985) *[[David Wachowich]] (Past President of the Liberal Party in Alberta) *[[Jim Prentice]] (Current Minister of Industry) *[[Lloyd Axworthy]] (Past Minister of Foreign Affairs) *[[Kent Hehr]] (Current Member of Legislative Assembly of Alberta) *Judges: [[Lloyd Malin]], [[Shauna Miller]], [[Andrea Moen]], [[Ken Nielson]], [[Barbara Conway]], Mary V. Newbury, [http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/ca/presiders/], [[William A. McGillivray]], [[Denny Thomas]] and [[Susan Griffin]] *[[Cheryl Gibson]] (Silver Medalist in Swimming, 1976 Montreal Olympics) ==Notable Recent Deals and Cases== *Counsel to Gateway Casinos, Star of Fortune Gaming Management and Star of Fortune shareholders in connection with the $1.4B acquisition of Gateway by New World Gaming <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Acting for the Special Committee of Arizona Star Resource Corp. on $773M takeover bid by Barrick Gold <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Counsel to Skyservice Airlines Inc. in its acquisition by Gibralt Capital Corporation <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Acted for Meridian Gold in the $3.5 billion takeover bid by Yamana Gold <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Acted for Millennium in connection with $750M credit facilities financing a million+ sq. ft. mixed-use residential development part of which will temporarily house athletes during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Counsel to BMO Capital Markets in the announced $209M acquisition of Golf Town by OMERS Capital Partners <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Represented Rio Narcea Gold Mines, Ltd. in Lundin Mining Corporation’s $956 million take-over bid for Rio Narcea <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Counsel to Société générale de financement du Québec (SGF) on US$400m investment deal with Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. <ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Advised Pogo Producing Co. of Houston, Texas on their $2 billion (US) sale of their Calgary-based oil and gas company, Northrock Resources Ltd., to Abu Dhabi National Energy Co. (TAQA)<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Represented the author and publisher of the Harry Potter novels in Canada in connection with all Canadian copyright protection issues and embargo enforcement rights and remedies, including winning a number of injunctions to protect the copyright in and pre-release date confidentiality of the Harry Potter novels.<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Counsel to the family of Deirdre Molson Stevenson in the $7.7B merger of Molson Inc. and Adolph Coors Co. to create the world's fifth largest brewer.<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Counsel to Underwriters (Goldman Sachs, Nesbitt Burns and Scotia McLeod) on its $2.1 billion cross border initial public offering by Canadian National Railway Company.<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Acted for Royal Bank of Canada in one of the most important claims in damages in Quebec ($95M in capital and interest) against a financial institution by a religious corporation concerning the Marché Central financing.<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Counsel to a lending syndicate providing US$1.3 billion acquisition financing to a large multinational for its acquisition of Canada's largest vintner and wine seller.<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Counsel to the borrower in connection with the financing of international transactions in the United States, England, Germany, Scotland, Israel, India, Russia and Mexico.<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> *Advising in the development of multi-billion dollar LNG production and shipping facilities in the State of Qatar, including multi-million dollar purchase and sale agreements, large-scale financings and complex EPC contracts.<ref>[http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain]</ref> ==Recognition and Rankings== A sample of rankings and recognition: *''[http://www.lexpert.ca/500/ Lexpert® / ALM Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada]'' ranks 15 FMC partners as leaders in their respective areas of expertise *''[http://www.chambersandpartners.co.uk/global/rankings36.aspx?fid=3766&solbar=1/ Chambers Global 2008]'' ranks FMC among Canada's leading firms in 2008 in 7 areas of expertise *''[http://www.chambersandpartners.co.uk/global/FirmProfile.aspx?fid=3766&mode=firms&display=1/ Chambers Global 2008]'' recommends 24 FMC partners as leaders in their field *''[http://www.lexpert.ca/ LEXPERT Guide to the US/Canada Cross-Border Litigation Lawyers in Canada]'' features 7 elite FMC lawyers *''[http://www.lexpert.ca/ LEXPERT]'' references FMC as the fifth largest law firm in Canada and rated its offices in 18 practice areas, ranking them as "Most Frequently Recommended" in three instances *Is the largest law firm in Western Canada with more than 240 lawyers in Alberta and British Columbia. *The ''[http://www.chambersandpartners.com/ 2007 Chambers Global Guide]'' ranks 29 FMC lawyers as leaders in their field *''[http://www.whoswholegal.com/home.cfm Who’s Who Legal]'' lists 10 FMC lawyers in its 2006 international business law directory *The inaugural edition of ''[http://www.bestlawyers.com/ The Best Lawyers in Canada]'' was published in June 2006 and featured 69 of Fraser Milner Casgrain’s lawyers *''[http://www.expertguides.com/ Expert Guides (Euromoney)]'' recommends 15 FMC lawyers in its 2006 edition *''[http://www.practicallaw.com/main.jsp PLC Which Lawyer?]'' identifies 23 FMC lawyers in its 2007 edition *''[[Martindale-Hubbell]]'' rated 213 of FMC’s lawyers in 2006 *''[http://www.lexpert.ca/ American Lawyer 2007 Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada]'' lists 12 of FMC’s lawyers *The 2006 Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory recommends 69 of FMC’s lawyers *''[http://www.internationaltaxreview.com/ 2006 International Tax Review]'' places FMC in the fourth category group within its Best Tax Law Firms in Canada *''[http://www.internationallawoffice.com/ International Law Office]'' (ILO) Client Choice Award for Leading Client Service by a Canadian law firm (2005 winner, 2006 finalist) == External links == * [http://www.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP Website] * [http://fr.fmc-law.com Fraser Milner Casgrain S.E.N.C.R.L. French Website] [[Category:Law firms of Canada]] [[Category:Law firms established in 1839]] ==References== <references/>