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Farris LLP: Vancouver's Law Firm

Financial Services

Farris has considerable experience representing both commercial lenders and corporate borrowers in negotiating and structuring credit facilities and other banking transactions.

We count among our clients numerous financial institutions. We also act regularly for a range of commercial borrowers including a number of borrowers with syndicated credit facilities. The lawyers in our Commercial Banking practice area are experienced with credit, loan and security agreements, inter-creditor agreements, and financial restructuring in both the domestic and international arenas.

Noted below are some examples of our involvement in corporate banking transactional matters:

  • Acted as counsel for TELUS in connection with syndicated secured bank facilities in the amount of $7.7 billion relating to its takeover of Clearnet Communications Inc., and in connection with various replacement facilities, including most recently $2.0 billion in unsecured credit facilities and a further $700 million in unsecured facilities.
  • Acted as legal counsel for The Toronto-Dominion Bank on two syndicated loans totalling $360 million to finance the purchase of certain broadcasting companies.
  • Acted as legal counsel for VanCity, British Columbia’s largest credit union, in a $300 million credit facility extended by a banking syndicate led by ABN Bank and secured by VanCity’s mortgage portfolio.
  • Acted as legal counsel for VanCity in several mortgage-backed Eurodollar public financings, involving in excess of $450 million.
  • Acted as legal counsel for Japanese banks in connection with the restructuring of approximately US $238 million of debt of Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Limited Partnership, including an application under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act to make the restructuring binding on a dissenting bank.
  • Acted as counsel for KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, a subsidiary of KfW Bankengruppe, a German export credit bank, in connection with a loan of $108 million to BC Ferries to finance the purchase of the Northern Expedition, a 600 passenger ocean-going vehicle ferry constructed for BC Ferries in Germany.
  • Acted as counsel for two holders in connection with the restructuring of approximately $200 million of “frozen” asset-backed commercial paper and related arrangements.
  • Acted as legal counsel for MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. in connection with approximately $650 million in syndicated credit facilities made available to it and to a US subsidiary and a UK subsidiary.
  • Acted as legal counsel for KfW Bank in connection with $180 million in financing for two vessels being constructed in Germany for a British Columbia marine user.
  • Acted as legal counsel for Glacier Ventures International Corp. in connection with $145 million in syndicated credit facilities for its acquisition of the remaining Hollinger newspapers in Canada.

We regularly act as counsel for financial institutions with respect to acquisition, construction, term, and operating financing transactions.

Our Lawyers

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Michael S. Allen Senior Counsel mallen@farris.com 604 661 9311
Elizabeth J. Harrison, Q.C. Partner eharrison@farris.com 604 661 9367
Mitchell H. Gropper, Q.C. Partner mgropper@farris.com 604 661 9322
Marylee A. Davies Partner mdavies@farris.com 604 661 1707
Scott A. Dawson Partner sdawson@farris.com 604 661 9354
Aaron P.G. Dow Partner adow@farris.com 250 869 3858
Gordon A. Love Partner glove@farris.com 604 661 9317
Maria K. McKenzie Partner mmckenzie@farris.com 604 661 9319
Peter C.T. MacPherson Partner pmacpherson@farris.com 250 869 3881
Rebecca M. Morse Partner rmorse@farris.com 604 661 1712
Bradley A. Newby Partner bnewby@farris.com 604 661 9308
Dominic A. Petraroia, Q.C. Managing Partner, Kelowna dpetraroia@farris.com 250 869 3851
Bo Rothstein Partner brothstein@farris.com 604 661 1747
David J. Selley Partner dselley@farris.com 604 661 1718
Mike Wagner Partner mwagner@farris.com 604 661 9388