Background

Iwona Albrecht is a lawyer in the Ottawa office where she specializes in securities and mergers and acquisitions.
Iwona was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 2005 and graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa, in 2004. She obtained a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Management, High Honours with majors in both Political Science and Law, from Carleton University in 1999. While completing her BA and while attending law school, Iwona worked in the legal department of Corel Corporation, where she gained valuable experience when drafting and negotiating variety of legal agreements and authoring policies for the corporation.
Iwona completed her articles with BLG and is currently a member of the Securities and Capital Markets and Corporate Commercial Practice Groups. She is fluently bilingual in English and Polish.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Albrecht is a corporate lawyer who specializes in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and securities.

Professional Experience

• Acting for both investors and companies in corporate finance transactions accessing local and international capital markets, including debt financing transactions, private placements, dealer-brokered special warrant financings, and investments by venture capital firms.
• Advising and participating in corporate reorganizations, cross-boarder transactions, acquisitions, dispositions and mergers for both closely and widely held corporations.
• Acting for companies in initial public offerings and take-over bids and advising issuers in respect of compliance with securities legislation and the rules of TSX and TSX Venture Exchange.
• Seconded with the legal department of George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited from September to December 2006.

Representative Transactions

• Advised Amaya Gaming Group Inc. in its initial public offering on TSX Venture Exchange.
• Advised Aztech Associates Inc. in the qualifying transaction with three CPCs to form Aztech Innovations Inc., a publicly listed entity on TSX Venture Exchange.
• Advised the technology company in a series of private placements of debentures and warrants for an aggregate value of $9.1 million.
• Advised the biotechnology company in the exclusive worldwide distribution transaction coupled with a phased acquisition valued at $275 million.
• Advised Novell, Inc. in its $205 million purchase of PlateSpin Ltd.
• Advised Aecon Group Inc. in its $37 million acquisition of the Karson Group Inc.
• Advised the biotechnology company (medical instrument) in a series of private placements of both debt and equity for an aggregate value of $31.5 million.
• Advised Annidis Health Systems Corp. in its series of private placement transactions.
• Advised Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund Inc. in its merger with GrowthWorks Canadian Fund Ltd.
• Advised EEDO Knowledgeware Corporation in its $24 million sale to Outstart Inc.

Conferences and Publications

• “Corporate Law Primer” – Presentation made to the members of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, November 2008.
• Moderator, Canada Top 10 Competition, Technology Section.

Professional and Community Activities

• Director of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce
• Contributor to Carswell's Securities Law and Practice with responsibility for Chapter I “Interpretation” and Chapter 19 “Proxies and Proxy Solicitation”
• Member of the Law Society of Upper Canada
• Member of the Canadian Bar Association
• Member of the American Bar Association
• Member of the Ontario Centre for Research and Innovation (45th Circuit)
• Mentor for Common Law students under the Legal Links and Bridges Program at the University of Ottawa
• Volunteer, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation (Shirley E. Greenberg Women's Health Centre)