Lexpert Roundup on the Business of Law
Lexpert identifies and reports on emerging business issues and practice areas in the business of law. Whether online, in our magazine or in the DealsWire e-newsletter, we chronicle deals and lawsuits of interest, and cover issues of broad concern to the legal profession and those who purchase legal services. We hope you enjoy this sampling of our latest content.
Crude Reality: International oil majors step away from Canada's oilsands reserves
The decade from 2005 to 2015 was very good to the oil industry in Canada, but with falling oil prices, the major players are retreating from Alberta's oilsands reserves. Lawyers working in the oil and gas sector, though, say that big companies like ExxonMobil and Conoco Phillips are biding their time: they'll be returning to the patch when conditions are right.
Crash Course
Recent measures cracking down on easy mortgages have unleashed a flood of criticism from a variety of disparate stakeholders. First-time homebuyers, mortgage brokers and alternative lenders all cried foul simultaneously, arguing that the government, in trying to cool the housing market, would be favouring big banks over smaller specialty mortgage lenders, while putting a dent in the brokerage industry and disqualifying thousands of Canadians from home ownership. However, prominent economists say the federal government is doing exactly what it needs to be doing.
The Announced Deal Spotlight in this week's Lexpert DealsWire newsletter features the key players and figures in MacDonald Dettwiler's agreement to buy satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe.
In DealsWire's Closed Transactions section, we look at the legal teams on Cara's pick up of a majority interest in Original Joe's, as well as the $400-million sale of a downtown Montréal office property to Great West Life, London Life and Investors Real Property Fund.
We also look at the players behind Baytex Energy acquiring heavy oil assets from Murphy Oil Canada.
Finally, we present the teams on Axium Infrastructure's acquisition of a North American solar portfolio.
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