Mining

The mining industry today faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities as the factors influencing its health change: the strength of the economies in China and India and other developing countries, commodity prices, interest rates, the availability of credit, currency exchange rates, the cost of fuel and other consumables, the availability of labour, the legal certainty of mining tenements in third world countries and so on. Canadian companies and Canadian professional advisors are particularly well known for their ability and experience in seeing the opportunities and overcoming the challenges.

Lawson Lundell’s Mining Group is recognized around the world as a leader in mining and natural resources law. Chambers & Partners Global recognizes Lawson Lundell as a world leader in the field of Energy: Mining. Supported by the firm’s strength in the corporate finance, environmental & regulatory, aboriginal, industrial relations, OHS, tax and (where necessary) litigation practice groups, the Mining Group meets the needs of Canadian, American, British, Australian and other international mining clients in all parts of the world.

Specifically, we offer advice on:

• acquisitions and dispositions of mines and mining companies
• project development and construction and mine operations throughout Canada and the world
• strategic investments and partnerships including off-take agreements
• exploration agreements including farm-ins and joint ventures
• mergers and acquisitions, both public and private, hostile and friendly
• mineral royalties
• marketing contracts, ore sales contracts, smelting contracts, transportation contracts
• impact benefit agreements with Aboriginals
• environmental and regulatory matters
• debt and equity finance for mining companies

We have structured hundreds of transactions involving diamonds, coal, bitumen, potash, iron ore, platinum/palladium, uranium, copper, silver, gold and nickel and industrial minerals in diverse regions such as: Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, Turkey, Russia, Chile, Guyana, Argentina, Guinea, Guatemala, Brazil, Spain and elsewhere and, of course, Canada including British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Mining – Mergers & Acquisitions and Project Development

Recent projects include:

• sale by Rio Tinto plc of its undeveloped potash assets to Companhia Vale do Rio Doce (“Vale”), for a cash consideration of US$850 million.
• sale of the Corani silver mine in Peru by Rio Tinto
• B2 Gold Corp.'s acquisition of mineral interests in Colombia from AngloGold Ashanti
• sale of royalty portfolios by Rio Tinto to Royal Gold and International Royalty Corp.
• merger of Atna Resources and Canyon Resources
• take-over of Ashton Mining of Canada by Stornoway Diamonds
• sale of a past-producing molybdenum mine in British Columbia by Alcoa to Avanti Mining
• strategic investment in the Boleo copper-cobalt project in Mexico with off-take agreements by a consortium of Korean companies
• sale of mineral royalties by Barrick to Royal Gold Inc.
• development of Newmont’s Hope Bay gold mine in Nunavut.
• development and ongoing operation of the Diavik diamond mine in the Northwest Territories
• operations of three coal mines in British Columbia by Western Canadian Coal Corp.
• development of Western Copper Corp.’s Carmacks copper mine in the Yukon.
• acquisition by B2Gold Corp. of mineral assets of Bema Gold Corporation in connection with a plan of arrangement involving Bema Gold Corporation and Kinross Gold Corporation
• acquisition of Lero Gold Corporation by European Minerals Corporation

Mining – Corporate Finance and Securities

Recent transactions include:

• take-over of Miramar Mining Corporation by Newmont Mining Corporation
• acquisition by Franco-Nevada of oil & gas and mineral royalties from Newmont Capital Corporation and subsequent IPO by Franco-Nevada.
• initial TSX listing and subsequent private placements by Paladin Energy Ltd., an Australian incorporated issuer, raising $185.2 million
• private placements of US$575 million convertible notes by Paladin Energy Ltd.
• initial Canadian offering of subscription receipts by Dioro Exploration NL, an Australian incorporated issuer, raising $50 million
• private placement of $138 million senior unsecured notes by Silver Standard Resources Inc.
• rights offering by Euro Ressources S.A., completed in accordance with French law, raising €7.6 million
• initial Canadian offering by Mirabela Nickel Limited, an Australian incorporated issuer, raising $183 million
• initial public offering by B2Gold Corp., raising $100 million
• reverse take over of King Products Inc. by Moto Goldmines Limited, and subsequent private placements and public offerings by Moto Goldmines Limited, raising $120.5 million
• MJDS equity offerings by Silver Standard Resources Inc., raising $300 million
• public offering of $125 million convertible unsecured subordinated debentures by Western Canadian Coal Corp.
• MJDS offerings of US$400 million high yield notes and equity by Mercer International Inc.
• initial Canadian offering, subsequent private placements and public offerings by Anvil Mining Limited, raising $376.5 million
• dissident proxy contest by Guyana Goldfields Inc. seeking to replace the board of directors of Gold Port Resources Ltd. and successfully defeating the adoption of a shareholder rights plan and the repricing of management’s stock options
• defence of two competing unsolicited take-over bids for bcMetals Corporation
• merger of Kensington Resources Inc. and Shore Gold Inc.
• defence of an unsolicited take-over bid under French Law by IAMGOLD Corporation for Euro Ressources S.A.
• the sale of Moto Goldmines Limited for $655 million following contested takeover bids by Randgold Resources Limited and Red Back Mining Inc.