Team > Lawyers > Mann, Valerie
Valerie carries on a transactional (mergers and acquisitions / corporate finance) and advisory practice. She is also the Chair of the firm’s Technology and Competition Law groups and Co-Chair of the firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions practice group. After obtaining an honours bachelor of commerce degree, Valerie worked in marketing management with a large US based consumer packaged goods company, prior to obtaining her law degree.
She has been involved in transactions for private and public companies including mergers and acquisitions, financings and corporate reorganizations as well as licensing, strategic alliances and joint ventures.
Valerie’s practice includes acting for entrepreneurs and early-stage companies through to public companies as well as for those who finance technology ventures including venture capital companies. Clients in the technology sector include hardware manufacturers, software developers, e-commerce companies, new media ventures and biotechnology companies as well as venture capital companies.
As part of her mergers and acquisitions practice Valerie has significant expertise in competition law matters, particularly with respect to pre-merger requirements, including negotiations and agreements with regulatory authorities.
Recognition and Ranking
- Practical Law Company Which Lawyer: recommended for corporate law and mergers & acquisitions
- Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for technology law
Professional Activities
- Canadian IT Law Association, Director (2004-2008) and Co-Chair Private Equity Sub-Committee
- Vancouver Board of Trade, Member – Economic Development Committee
- B.C. Law Society’s Bar Admission Program, regular guest lecturer on corporate and commercial law
- CATA - WIT, BC Chapter, Director - Finance
- Wired Woman Society, Director and Secretary
- Institute of Corporate Directors, Member
Bar Admissions
- British Columbia (1992)
Education
- Osgoode Hall Law School (J.D., 1991)
- Queen’s University (B.Comm (Hons)., 1986)
- Registered Trade Mark Agent (1996)
Experience
In addition to acting as counsel to clients engaged in the technology, manufacturing, forestry, and financial management industries, Valerie's recent experience includes advising:
- An institutional investor in a $100 million private placement in a forestry company
- An alternative energy company in its financing and acquisition activities
- A US based public clean energy company in a strategic acquisition in Western Canada
- A resort company in its financing activities in Canada and the United States and its operational activities in Canada
- A private equity fund in acquisitions of manufacturing businesses in Western Canada
- A large publicly traded European construction company in its BC-based activities in the resort industry
- A food products manufacturer and brand company in its strategic acquisitions in North America and internationally
- Institutional investors in a $1.0 billion forestry acquisition
- A newsprint and directory company in its acquisition of a recycled paper facility
- A pension fund in a series of acquisitions in the hotel industry
- A BC public company in its $1.2 billion acquisition of a newsprint and directory manufacturing business
- A venture capital fund in the formation of a new $235 million venture capital fund which invests in technology companies
- Numerous investments by venture capital investors in early-stage technology companies
- A large forestry company in the outsourcing of information systems and other non-core functions
In addition, Valerie’s experience includes:
- Private placement financings for non-reporting technology companies
- Numerous licensing agreements on behalf of technology developers and customers of technology
- Corporate and technology law advice including clinical trial agreements and material transfer agreements to a publicly-traded biotechnology company
- Business formation, structuring and early-stage financings for several technology companies involved in wireless applications, software development and new media
- Numerous pre-merger notification applications and other competition advice in respect of transactions in the forestry, mining, manufacturing and real estate sectors
News / Publications
New Conspiracy / Cartel Law in Effect (March 2010)
Federal Budget 2010: Taxation Measures of Interest to Technology Companies, Private Equity and Venture Capital" (March 2010)
Getting The Deal Through (Law Business Research, September 11, 2009)
Purchase and Sale Agreements (Insight, March 21, 2009)
Venture Capital Financing – The Canadian Perspective
Maintenance and Support Agreements: “By the Way – Sign Here” (May 7, 2005)
Venture Capital Investment Terms – Comments to the NVCA Term Sheet (October 27, 2005)
Acquisition Agreements (Federated Press, 2007)
“Electronic Signatures Law, 2nd Edition,” Co-author of chapter on Canadian Law (2007)
Valerie has written and presented on various topics related to venture capital financing, technology licensing, outsourcing, e-commerce, mergers and acquisitions, and competition law.
Conferences
Speaking engagements include:
10th Annual Negotiating & Drafting Major Business Agreements Conference, Federated Press, Vancouver, BC (November 2-3, 2009), Chair and Speaker
"Looking Out for Your Own: Tips for Directors and Officers in Tough Economic Times", Practical Tips for Tough Economic Times Seminar, Vancouver, BC (May 20, 2009),
2009 Negotiating and Drafting Major Business Agreements, Insight, Vancouver, BC (March 2-3, 2009)
Canadian Financing Forum, Vancouver, BC (2008 and 2009)
2007 IT Can Annual Conference on Technology Law in Canada, Co-Chair
“Buying and Selling a Business” Law Society of British Columbia bar admission course, Frequent Lecturer and Author
