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Bruce Lawrence

Senior Counsel

Calgary
[email protected]
403.232.9597

Expertise

Nicole Peterson

Practice Assistant

Calgary
[email protected]
403.266.1395
403.232.9150
Bruce has nearly four decades of experience advising clients on corporate/commercial matters, working closely with clients involved in the natural resources sector. 
He advises natural resources clients in various corporate and securities transactions, such as:
  • public and private financings
  • mergers
  • acquisitions
  • take-over bids
  • plans of arrangement

Bruce is also involved in oil sands and off-shore oil and gas development.

In addition to his work in the natural resource sector, Bruce offers advice in all issues surrounding franchising.

Bruce is the former Regional Chair of BLG’s Oil and Gas Group.

Bruce provides legal services through a Law Corporation.

Experience

  • Optiom Inc., in its sale of a majority interest to private equity firm Novacap Investments, Inc.
  • Public offerings of all types including IPOs and Secondary Offerings involving trust units, common shares, preferred shares, exchangeable shares, warrants, limited partnership units, debt securities and other securities. 
  • Mergers, acquisitions and take-over bids (friendly and hostile) involving private and public companies.
  • Plans of arrangement including conventional take-over bids, mergers, public newco spin-outs and cross-border take-over bids utilizing exchangeable shares.
  • Significant number of private placements in all provinces of Canada and in the United States.
  • Counsel on all aspects of corporate governance, including the creation of internal policies regarding whistle blowing reserve committees, audit committees and insider trading, as well as acting as counsel to special and independent committees.
  • Day-to-day corporate activities, including stock-option plan preparation and grants, board meeting attendances and counsel, and contract review and drafting.
  • All aspects of conventional and frontier oil & gas operations (ranging from routine lease acquisitions and interpretations, area acquisitions and dispositions, to facilities construction, ownership and operation agreement negotiation and finalization).
  • Counsel on various oil sands initiatives (including acquisitions, ownership and management, as well as negotiating and finalizing supply, transportation and sales contracts of bitumen and refined products, and operational contracts involving the construction, ownership and operation of mining and refining co-generation facilities).
  • Sale and licensing of both on and off-shore seismic data and seismic companies.
  • Advisor on all aspects of franchise operations including management, financing and the preparation and review of franchise offering documents and agreements.
  • Purchase and sale of hard-rock mining interests and companies.

Beyond our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association (CBA); former Chair, CBA Securities Subsection, Southern Alberta Branch
  • Former Member, Securities Advisory Committee, Province of Alberta
  • Member, numerous Boards of Directors (public and private) and Audit, Compensation and Reserves Committees

Community Involvement

  • Member, Western Showcase Committee, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede
  • Former Director, Glenbow Museum Acquisitions Society

Awards & Recognitions

  • Recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Natural Resources Law, Securities Law), in the 2022 edition (and since 2017) of The Best Lawyers in Canada® (Oil & Gas Law), in the 2022 edition (and since 2021) (Corporate Law, Natural Resources Law) and in the 2022 edition (Mergers and Acquisitions Law).
  • Recognized in the 2023 (and since 2021) edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Corporate Finance & Securities) and since 2015 (Corporate Mid-Market).
  • Recognized in the 2022 edition of Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A
  • Recognized in the 2020 edition (and since 2014) of the Lexpert Global Mining Special Edition – Canada's Leading Lawyers in Global Mining
  • Recognized in the 2023 edition (and since 2014) of the Lexpert®/ROB Special Edition – Canada's Leading Energy Lawyers.
  • Recognized in the 2021 edition of The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Corporate Finance & Securities) and since 2015 (Corporate Mid-Market).
  • Recognized as a 2019 Acritas Star.
  • Martindale-Hubbell® BV® Distinguished™ 4.4 out of 5 Peer Review Rated.

Bar Admission & Education

  • Alberta, 1983
  • LLB, University of Alberta, 1982
  • B.Comm., University of Calgary, 1979