Dalhousie University

Keith W. Templeton

October 10, 2019 by

Keith Templeton* serves as Senior Counsel in the Business Law Group at Cassels. Keith practices corporate and commercial law with a focus on oil and gas, midstream and related service industries. He acts for several energy, midstream and service firms, both public and private, including large multi-nationals, in both domestic and international transactions. Keith has extensive experience in transactions related to the energy, midstream and related service industries, including the acquisition, disposition and operation of energy and midstream service assets as well as joint venture and corporate finance matters. He has also served on the boards of both public and private entities as well as being the corporate secretary for several corporations and is a member of the bars of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Northwest Territories.

Keith’s representative work includes acting for:

Journey Energy Inc. on its strategic joint venture agreement with Kiwetinohk Resources Corp. with respect to the development of Journey’s East Duvernay Oil Resource Lands
US-based multi-national company in the sale of its Production Chemical Business to Secure Energy Services Inc.
Maha Energy AB in its purchase of the Brazilian oil and gas assets of Gran Tierra Energy Inc. through the purchase of all the shares of Gran Tierra Finance (Luxembourg) SARL and Gran Tierra Brazco (Luxembourg) SARL
Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. in the purchases of oil and gas assets from Bonavista Energy Corporation, Suncor Energy Inc., Penn West Petroleum, Husky Energy Ltd. and Farmout agreement with Taqa Inc.
EnCana Oil & Gas Partnership in the negotiation and execution of numerous joint ventures, farmouts and participation agreements with third parties for the joint development of EnCana’s petroleum and natural gas rights
The management of Zedi Inc., an oil and gas technology company, in its going private transaction by way of Plan of Arrangement and all legal matters throughout North America.
Kainaiwa Energy Inc. (the Blood First Nation) in its strategic joint venture agreements with North America Resource Partners
CEDA International Corporation, an industrial oil and service company, as general counsel, on all legal matters throughout North America

*denotes Professional Corporation

Nicole Teehan

October 10, 2019 by

Nicole Teehan (she/her/hers) is the Director of Professional Resources, Learning & Development at Cassels. In this role, Nicole is responsible for administering the firm’s national training and development program for associates and students. Nicole is passionate about professional development and lifelong learning. She completed a Master of Laws at Dalhousie University, focusing her research on administrative law and alternative dispute resolution processes. For almost a decade, she has taught the theory and practice of negotiation as an adjunct faculty member at her alma mater, Osgoode Hall Law School.

Nicole summered and articled with a large full-service Bay Street law firm. Following her call to the Bar in 2010, she returned to firm’s litigation and dispute resolution group. Since 2012, she has focused her career on legal professional development, skills training and adult education.

Jonathan Shepherd

October 10, 2019 by

Jonathan Shepherd is an associate in the Litigation Group at Cassels. He is a creative and thoughtful litigator. Jonathan acts for individuals, corporations, and institutional clients across a range of practice areas, and has worked on complex estate matters, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings, and contractual and commercial disputes.

Jonathan has appeared at every level of court in Ontario. He has experience in arguing complicated motions, including obtaining injunctive relief, and also has trial experience.

Jonathan obtained his J.D. from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. In his spare time, Jonathan spends his time with his family. He enjoys telemark / backcountry cross-country skiing, climbing, running, surfskiing, and long-distance swimming.

William Rand

October 10, 2019 by

William (Bill) Rand serves as a Senior Business Advisor at Cassels. In this role, Bill leverages his considerable experience in organizing and managing public resource companies. Bill joined Cassels following a 25-year career practising securities law and establishing a private company, Rand Edgar Investment Corp., to pursue private investment activities.

Bill has served on the board of numerous natural resource, technology and retail companies as well as on the board of a number of educational and charitable institutions. His current board memberships include:

Lead Director, Member of Audit Committee and Member of Human Resources & Compensation Committee – Lundin Mining Corporation
Director and Member of Compensation Committee – Denison Mines Corp.
Lead Director – New West Energy Services Inc.
Chairman of the Board, Chair of Audit Committee and Chair of Compensation Committee – NGEx Minerals Ltd.

Danielle Maréchal

October 10, 2019 by

Danielle Maréchal is a partner in the Restructuring & Insolvency Group at Cassels. Danielle routinely acts for lenders, court-appointed officials (receivers, monitors, trustees), landlords, purchasers, debtors, secured and unsecured creditors, directors, trustees, receivers and monitors. She advises clients on corporate reorganizations, bankruptcies, receiverships, foreclosures, lease realizations and loan workouts. She is also experienced in secured and unsecured financings, including interim and takeout financing within insolvency proceedings, and securitization within forbearance arrangements. Danielle brings a practical, proactive and strategic approach to the resolution of complicated disputes.

Danielle’s representative work includes acting as counsel for:

The Receiver of Redwater Energy Corporation, including in the landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision
The Monitor in CCAA proceedings of Lutheran Church–Canada, the Alberta-British Columbia District and related entities
An interim lender in the CCAA proceedings of Canada North Group, including in a precedent setting decision regarding the priority of CCAA charges relative to CRA deemed trust claim
The Receiver of Big Eagle Group

Danielle received her J.D. from Dalhousie University and completed her B.Sc. in biological science and her M.Sc. in cancer biology at the University of Calgary. While in law school, Danielle participated in the 2013 Corporate Securities Moot and worked as a teaching assistant for undergraduate biology courses at Dalhousie University. Prior to joining Cassels, Danielle was an associate and completed her articles at an international firm.

Dr. Alison R. Manzer

October 10, 2019 by

Alison Manzer is a partner in the Banking & Specialty Finance Group and Business Law practice at Cassels. Alison has developed expertise in a wide range of practice areas combining skills to work effectively in most corporate/ commercial practice areas, with a focus on financial services and structured transactions. Her recent experience includes block chain and fintech applications. Her cross-border expertise has led to several leadership roles in the leading United States business law organizations such as the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers and the American Bar Association. Alison has written many books on legal topics, primarily in areas of banking and specialized finance, and routinely lectures and speaks on a wide range of topics. She has undertaken extensive formal education in areas key to her practice, holding degrees including a DBA, MBA, LLM, and MSc., and certificates in the advanced Canadian Securities Institute programs. Alison holds her Doctorate of Business Administration from the Henley Business School. She is also an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School teaching the LLM International Finance program, and has been practicing in the field of commercial law since 1979.

Alison’s range of commercial practice includes financial institution regulation, corporate and commercial lending, asset-based financing, securitization and structured finance, private equity, project finance, asset finance and leasing, business reorganization, syndicated lending, fund formation and governance, fintech and blockchain applications and related areas. A significant part of her practice involves multi-jurisdiction transactions where she has expertise in the structuring requirements to solve taxation, conflicts of laws, document structure, currency and rate issues, among others. Alison also has well-recognized expertise in transaction structuring using special purpose entities such as partnerships, limited partnerships and trusts.

Alison has been president of the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys, a continuing legal education organization based in New York, is a regent of The American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Those involvements reflect the multinational nature of her practice. She fills several leaderships roles with the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, including chairing committees.

She has lectured and written extensively on legal matters, particularly dealing with financial institution and partnership issues. Alison has authored several text books, including Canada–U.S. Commercial Law Guide, Asset Based Lending in Canada, Project Finance in Canada, Real Estate Finance in Canada, Law and International Finance, Halsburys Laws of Canada – Banking and Finance, A Practical Guide to Canadian Partnership Law, Banking and Credit Relationships, and Law of Banking and Payment in Canada, among others. Her list of published articles includes over 300 titles written for a wide range of publishers in areas including partnership, financial institution regulation, commercial finance, asset-based lending, block chain and fintech, international and cross-border finance and specialty finance products, among others.

Some of Alison’s publications include:

“Guarantee & Indemnity,” Halsbury’s Laws of Canada (LexisNexis), 2022 Reissue
Real Estate Finance in Canada (LexisNexis)
The Consumer Finance Law Review, 2nd ed (2018) and 3rd ed (2019) (Law Business Research)
Expert Guides Banking, Finance and Transactional Law (Legal Media Group)
Getting the Deal Through – Project Finance (Law Business Research)
Project Finance in Canada (Thomson Reuters)
“Banking and Finance,” Halsbury’s Laws of Canada (LexisNexis)
Law in International Finance (Thomson Carswell), 2009 (with annual updates to date)
Asset Based Lending in Canada (LexisNexis), 2008 (rewritten and issued in 2015)
Canada-US Commercial Law Guide (Thomson Carswell), 2005 (with annual updates to date)
A Guide to Canadian Money Laundering (Canada Law Book), 2002 (and updated versions)
The Corporate Counsel Guide to Banking & Credit Relationships (Canada Law Book), 1999 (rewritten and issued 2015)
Canadian Partnership Law (Canada Law Book), 1994 (with annual updates to date)
Annotated Bank Act and Bank Act Legislation and Commentary (Butterworths/LexisNexis)

Alison has been a director of several financial institutions, including a Schedule II bank, insurance companies, leasing finance companies, securitization trusts and other financial services industry corporations. She was awarded the inaugural Lexpert Zenith award, honouring senior women lawyers who have made outstanding contributions to the practice and business of law. Alison has been repeatedly recognized in all of the major peer based legal rankings in several areas including banking, asset finance and government contracts.