John P. Vettese

John Vettese* is a corporate finance and M&A lawyer practising in our firm’s Securities Group. John has acted as lead counsel for a number of public clients and investment dealers involved in complex and innovative securities matters. His practice is focused in the mining, income trusts, technology and diversified industries sectors. John has acted as lead counsel on several recent M&A transactions.

John has significant experience advising emerging and mid-market companies navigating their way through the public markets for the first time. His strong understanding of the commercial objectives of a transaction, together with his practical approach, are frequently relied upon by companies that require more than just legal advice when facing such critical decisions as structuring a going-public transaction, choosing and structuring a business relationship with an underwriter, constructing a management team and board of directors and developing an overall approach to matters of executive compensation and corporate governance.

Most recently, he has developed an expertise in the emerging area of cross-border initial public offerings by US emerging and mid-market issuers seeking listings on Canadian stock exchanges. John has been recognized as an expert in this area in the Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada and in the Corporate Mid Market section of the Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada. He is also ranked as a leading lawyer in natural resources law by Best Lawyers in Canada.

At the age of 36, John became the youngest member appointed to the firm’s Executive Committee and is a past Chair of the Securities Group.

Some of John’s recent representative transactions include:

• Lead counsel for Teranet Income Fund in connection with the $1.6 billion hostile takeover bid by Borealis Infrastructure Management Inc.
• Lead counsel for the underwriters in connection with the $214 million financing by PBS Coals Limited; subsequent merger of PBS Coals with Penfold Capital Acquisition Corporation and subsequent $1 billion takeover by Severstal Resources.
• Lead counsel for Amtelecom Income Fund in connection with its successful defence of a hostile takeover bid by Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund and subsequent successful $145 million takeover bid by Bragg Communications Inc.
• Lead counsel for High River Gold Mines Ltd. in connection with its strategic review process and subsequent US$45 Million strategic investment and change of control transaction by an affiliate of Severstal Resources.
• Lead counsel for Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines Ltd. in connection with approximately $1 billion of financings including the strategic investment by Wuhon Iron & Steel Group (China) and the acquisition of Quinto Mining Corporation.

*denotes Professional Corporation

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