Background

Allan Nielsen graduated from the University of Alberta with an arts degree (with honours) in 1969 and with a Law degree in 1972. He articled at Howard, Mackie (predecessor in Calgary to Borden Ladner Gervais LLP). He was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1973 and became a partner in 1979.

Areas of Practice

• Allan handles all kinds of oil and gas matters including titles opinions, financings (includes syndicated loans) purchase/sale transactions, gas sales agreements, transactions related to the service industry, pipelines and midstream assets. He is the national head of the firm’s oil and gas group.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2012 (Banking and Finance)

Professional Experience

• Representative matters handled by Allan include:
  • Purchase and financing transactions involving producing and non-producing reserves, gas plants, an electrical transmission business and industrial facilities;
  • Drafting and negotiating a purchase and sale agreement for East coast offshore rights including title review work;
  • A $40 Million Canadian sale of insitu gas and assets relating thereto located in Saskatchewan between a USA owned Canadian gas exploration company, as vendor, to a city located in Alberta involving unique tax and other problems. The transaction also involved an option to acquire a further $18 Million Canadian gas assets;
  • Butterfly transactions and share sales involving oil and gas corporations;
  • Several Co-generation Projects involving the acquisition of gas plant facilities and/or gas reserves between Alberta exploration corporations and Ontario and Massachusetts corporations;
  • The purchase of several semi-submersible drilling rigs from Canadian and foreign vendors including the financing thereof;
  • The creation, reorganization, financing and refinancing of several Royalty Trusts;
  • Legal work respecting unitization and oil sands mining matters;
  • Numerous secured and unsecured financings of private and publicly traded oil and gas corporations and service industry corporations ranging from $.5 million to $900 million (Cdn) each;
  • Takeover of a major service station business owned by a public company;
  • Dealing with numerous right of first refusal issues and disputes;
  • Dealing with First Nations oil and gas issues;
  • Organization, handling and delivery of petroleum and natural gas title opinions of all sizes and degrees of complexity; and
  • Drafting operating agreements, joint venture agreements, royalty agreements, drilling agreements, management agreements, and other agreements common in the oil and gas business.

Professional and Community Activities

• Director and member of the executive committee of Alberta Theatre Projects (1994-1997).
• Director and President of the Alexandra Community Health Centre (2005).
• Associate editor of the Alberta Law Reports (1989 - present).
• Lecturer at Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen continuing education sessions.
• Author of a chapter in the Canadian Association of Petroleum Landmen Professional Landmen Manual (3rd Edition).
• Lecturer of Canadian Petroleum Law Foundation annual seminars in 1998 and 2001