Colin Ground leads the Infrastructure and Project Finance teams at Cassels and serves as a key member of the firm’s National Major Projects Team initiative. Colin’s practice focuses on financings and transactions with an emphasis on project finance, public-private partnerships, infrastructure, private equity, venture capital and mergers & acquisitions. Colin has extensive experience acting for domestic and international developers, equity sponsors, government sponsors and other participants in connection with complex infrastructure projects and project financings. He has also acted as lead counsel in public-private partnership transactions, the acquisition and sale of private and public companies, major corporate reorganizations, and many private equity-led transactions. Colin has worked on transactions in a number of industry sectors and asset classes, including transportation, renewable energy, industrial and social infrastructure and services.
Infrastructure and Project Finance
- Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services in connection with the OPP Phase 2 Project & the OPP Phase 3 Project
- Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in connection with the extension to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario
- Michael Garron Hospital in connection with the building of the Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre
- Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in connection with the building of the Groves Memorial Community Hospital
- Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation regarding the $1 billion Highway 407 East Extension project
- Infrastructure Ontario and Markham Stouffville Hospital regarding the $200 Million Markham Stouffville Hospital redevelopment project
- Acting for one of the lead limited partners in the Northleaf Infrastructure Co-Investment Partners Fund
- 407 International Inc., the consortium consisting of SNC-Lavalin Inc., Cintra, Concessiones de Infraestructures de Transporte, S.A. and Capital d’Amérique CDPQ Inc., in respect of its $3.1 billion acquisition from the Province of Ontario of 407 ETR Concession Company Limited, the operator of Highway 407
- Teramira Holdings Inc. in connection with its $370 million acquisition from Ontario SuperBuild Corporation of its 50% equity interest in Teranet Inc.
- Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Transportation regarding the Driver Examination Services project
- SNC Lavalin Operations & Maintenance Inc. in connection with its bid on the City of Edmonton’s Valley Line LRT Project
- Acting for the lead equity provider of one of the bidding groups in connection with its bid in respect of the OLG Niagara Falls Entertainment Centre project
Mergers and Acquisitions
- StenTech, a portfolio company of Align Capital Partners acquires, BlueRing Stencils
- MDpanel, a portfolio company of Aquiline Capital Partners, acquires, Integra Medical Consulting
- Sale by Blackstone Alternative Credit Advisors LP of DCL’s pigment dispersion business to Lorama Group
- SparkRock, a portfolio company of Ionic Partners, acquires Edsembli Inc.
- Sale of Powerline Plus Ltd. and its affiliate to MYR Group Inc. (NASDAQ: MYRG)
- Vanguard Food, a privately-held joint-venture between Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, Sweat Equities, and Village Farms International, Inc., takes private the fresh produce business of Village Farms International
- Investment by ArchiMed in Prollenium Medical Technologies Inc.
- Renewable Energy & Developers Inc. (formerly Sprott Power Corp.) in connection with a series of acquisitions and then in its ultimate merger with Capstone Infrastructure Corporation
- Bionx International Inc. in connection with the acquisition of an electrical vehicle business from Magna E-Cars
- Kingsdale Shareholder Services in connection with the sale of a majority interest to MDC Partners
Venture Capital and Private Equity
- A US Private Equity firm in its acquisition of the Canadian assets of a US-based manufacturing company
- A Canadian private equity fund in its acquisition of a series of private health services providers in Canada
- Structuring and formation of a venture capital fund focused on early stage technology companies (assisted fund with multiple investments in early stage companies and in many exit transactions involving its portfolio companies including sales to Apple, Google, EA Sports and an affiliate of EMC Corporation)
- Creation of a venture capital fund focused on clean tech investments and assisting fund with its initial investments (follow-on investments) in a variety of companies in the United States and Canada
Renewable Energy
- A TSXV company in the acquisition of a solar power company based in Germany
- A Canadian energy company in structuring its carbon offset marketing and sales strategy
- Acted for Renewable Energy Developers Inc. (formerly Sprott Power Corp.) in connection with its acquisition and consolidation strategy, ongoing financings, regulatory matters and project financings (including the Amherst Wind Farm Project in Amherst, NS) and in connection with an arrangement transaction completed with Capstone Infrastructure
- Counsel to an Ontario aboriginal group in connection with its participation in various solar energy projects
- Acted for Acciona Wind Energy Canada Inc. in respect of the Canadian aspects of an international reorganization
- Acting for a US-based fund in connection with its investments in various solar farm projects being developed throughout Ontario
- Counsel to leading producer of electric vehicles in Canada, the United States and Europe
Governmental Negotiations
- Assisting the Chief Negotiator in respect of the transfer of legislative authority over lands and resources in the Northwest Territories to the Government of the Northwest Territories and in Nunavut to the Government of Nunavut
- Prince Rupert Port Authority on more than $1 billion in export infrastructure projects and legal processes, including the sale of Ridley Terminal Inc. by the Government of Canada
