Background

Robert G. Owen is a partner at our Vancouver office. Robert was admitted to the British Columbia Bar in 1994 and the Alberta Bar in 2001. He graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Laws in 1993 and from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1990.

Areas of Practice

• Robert practices corporate and commercial law in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate structures, joint ventures and reorganizations, corporate governance and forestry law.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada©  (Natural Resources Law), 2008, 2009, 2010,2011 and 2012 

Professional Experience - Overview

• Extensive experience with a wide variety of mergers and acquisitions, corporate structures, joint ventures and reorganizations
• Extensive experience with commercial and regulatory matters relating to the forest industry

Illustrative Examples of Experience

Acquisitions and Divestitures

• Acquisitions of several insurance restoration companies and businesses in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2001 and 2000
• Acquisition of an insurance company in 2009 and an insurance business in 1999
• Acquisition of the assets of Coe Newnes/McGehee Inc. in 2008
• Acquisitions of several security alarm monitoring companies and businesses in 2007, 2006, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999 and 1997
• Acquisition of the Terrace Sawmill from a receiver in 2005
• Acquisition of the Fort St. James sawmill from Canfor in 2005
• Acquisition of three oriented strand board facilities and related assets in Minnesota from Potlatch Corporation in 2004
• Acquisition of an oriented strand board facility and related assets in Slave Lake, Alberta from Weyerhaeuser in 2004
• Acquisition of the Vavenby sawmill from Weyerhaeuser in 2003
• Acquisition of several manufacturing companies and businesses in 2003, 2000 and 1999
• Acquisition of a bleached chemo thermo mechanical pulp mill in Chetwynd, British Columbia from Louisiana-Pacific in 2002
• Acquisition of Norske Skog Canada MacKenzie Pulp Limited in 2001
• Acquisition of the High Level Lumber Division of Daishowa-Marubeni International Ltd. in Alberta in 1999
• Acquisitions of several technology companies and businesses in 1999 and 1997
• Acquisition of the Douglas Lake Ranch in 1998
• Acquisition of the business of Leaver Mushrooms in 1998
• Divestiture of a major ski hill in British Columbia in 1997
• Acquisition of Repap Manitoba Inc. in 1997
• Acquisition of Evans Forest Products Limited in 1996
• Acquisition of the coastal solid wood division of Weldwood of Canada Limited in 1995

Corporate/Commercial Matters

• Negotiation, settlement and formation in 2010 of a limited partnership in Alberta for the construction and operation of a bio fuel technology facility
• Negotiation, settlement and formation in 2008 of a British Columbia limited partnership and a U.S. limited partnership for real estate marketing
• Negotiation, settlement and formation in 2005 of a general partnership in British Columbia for the marketing of kraft paper
• Negotiation, settlement and formation in 2001 of a limited partnership in Saskatchewan for the construction and operation of an oriented strand board manufacturing facility
• Negotiation and settlement of numerous joint venture arrangements, including shareholders' agreements, general partnership agreements, limited partnership agreements, limited liability partnership agreements and joint venture agreements
• Conversions by limited companies to ULC's and by ULC's to limited companies
• Incorporations, amalgamations, continuations, corporate reorganizations and wind-ups

Forestry Matters

• Regulatory issues in connection with the liquidation of a forest products company in 2007-2008
• Regulatory issues relating to the sale of coastal timber assets to Brascan in 2005
• Regulatory issues relating to the acquisition of Riverside Forest Products Ltd. in 2004
• Fibre supply issues in connection with the financing of Norske Skog Canada Limited in 2001
• Fibre supply issues in connection with the acquisition of Primex Forest Products Ltd. in 2001
• Regulatory issues in connection with the acquisition of Donohue Inc. in 2000
• Regulatory issues relating to Skeena Cellulose Inc. in 1999
• Regulatory issues in connection with the acquisition of Finlay Forest Industries Inc. in 1999
• Regulatory issues in connection with the acquisition of Crestbrook Forest Industries Ltd. in 1999
• Fibre supply issues in connection with the formation of the Pacifica Paper Limited Partnership and the acquisition of MB Paper Limited in 1998
• Negotiation and settlement of road use agreements, market logging agreements, chip, pulplog and other forms of fibre supply agreements, sawlog supply agreements, pulp sales agreements and tenure management agreements
• Negotiation and settlement of all phases of logging contracts in the coastal and interior regions of British Columbia, including those that are subject to the provisions of the Timber Harvesting Contract and Subcontract Regulation

Professional and Community Activities

• Moderator, Strategic Considerations on Investing in the Canadian Forestry Sector Panel, Timberland Investment Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, June 23 - 25, 2010
• Presentation on British Columbia ULC's to the Business Law Subsection of the Canadian Bar Association in January, 2009
• National leader of BLG's Forestry Law Group, 2004 - present
• Editor of the Carswell British Columbia Business Corporation Act Manual, 2004 – present
• Trustee of the Canadian Athletic Foundation, 2001 - present
• Revision of the "Letter of Intent" section of The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia Buying and Selling a Business - Annotated Precedents, 2000 and 2002, 2008 and 2010 updates
• Presenter for Lorman Education Services May, 2000 Buying & Selling a Business in British Columbia Seminar
• Volunteer Moot Court Judge for the University of British Columbia Moot Court Program in 1998
• Faculty for The Continuing Education Society of British Columbia May, 1998 Tax and Corporate Issues for Private Companies CLE
• Legislative liaison for the British Columbia Forestry Law Subsection of the Canadian Bar Association, 1997 - 1998
• Co-coordinator and presenter for The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia June, 1996 Business Acquisitions for Legal Support Staff CLE
• Revision of the "Articles and Table A" section of the Carswell British Columbia Corporation Manual, January, 1996
• Assistance in the preparation of Security of Tenure, materials prepared for The Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia February, 1994 Forestry Law CLE

Memberships & Associations

• Law Society of British Columbia
• Law Society of Alberta
• Canadian Bar Association
• Vancouver Bar Association