Our services

Our clients come from a broad spectrum of businesses ranging from individual entrepreneurs, to owner-managed small businesses, and from large private companies to small-cap public corporations. We've worked with clients from a diverse set of industries, including technology, manufacturing, distribution, import/export, construction, service, real estate development, finance, banking and others.

Complex Transactions

Business transactions are becoming increasingly complex, and we've built a reputation for effectively providing advice and direction on a wide range of highly technical and complex agreements. Transactions are also increasingly international in scope, and the lawyers at MGBW have a wealth of experience in facilitating international agreements and transactions in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia and South America.

Mergers & Acquisitions

As more and more business sectors consolidate, we have seen a continuous and accelerated growth in mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other business combinations. MGBW has experience in acting for companies on either side of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other business combination arrangements and we have handled transactions valued at more than $200 million.

Equity & Debt Financing

Our advice and assistance is frequently required when our clients look for financing, and we can assist you with private placements, public offerings, venture capital, secured loans, and funding from other sources.

A diverse range of business transactions
Many of our clients have sought our assistance involving such issues as:

Acquisitions (Assets or Shares)
Corporate reorganizations & amalgamations
Divestitures (Assets or Shares)
Joint ventures
Partnerships & limited partnerships
Shareholder' agreements, rights, and remedies
Corporate governance
Corporate tax planning and implementation

We provide our clients with a first-hand familiarity with the demands of managing an emerging company in this fast moving, high-growth area -- as well as the expertise that only comes with daily exposure to the challenges of a high-tech enterprise.

Our clients include software and hardware developers and other technology companies in "Canada's Technology Triangle"

We can assist you in drafting and negotiating such agreements as:

Confidentiality and Non Disclosure Agreement
Technology licensing and transfer arrangements
Software development contracts
Distribution agreements (including Reseller and OEM Agreements)
End-user agreements
as well as other complex arrangements. Our experience includes negotiating and concluding international agreements in Canada, United States, Asia, Europe, and South America.

In addition to technology-specific issues such as these, we provide clients with advice and direction on financing (including private placements, public offerings, venture capital, government funding, loans), acquisitions, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, tax matters, and other aspects of corporate law.

We also work with a network of highly skilled patent & trademark lawyers and litigation lawyers specializing in intellectual property and other technology-based issues should the need arise for those services.

Land Development

We have broad experience in all aspects of land development, including property acquisitions and land assembly, official plan amendments and rezoning, subdivision applications and registrations, and financing. We have assisted many local and regional developers with the creation of subdivisions and condominiums, and provided advice to developers, lenders, builders, syndicators, REITs and others.

We have the expertise to guide development projects through every phase to completion. Our hands-on experience managing commercial, industrial and residential subdivisions -- including selecting and leading development teams, budgeting, tendering, and so on -- enable us to become value-added resources for our clients.

Our firm acts for a number of the area's leading land developers and builders. We have an excellent track record in working with other industry professionals (civil and environmental engineers, planners, surveyors, specialized consultants and so forth) to provide a team approach to projects.

Commercial Purchase & Sale

Our advice and assistance is sought by clients purchasing, selling, joint venturing, leasing, refurbishing/renovating commercial properties, as well as the structuring of financing, including private syndications and limited partnerships.

Projects in which our firm has been involved include subdivisions, shopping malls and plazas, property syndications, limited partnership participation programs and joint ventures.

Condominium

At MGBW we have an extensive condominium practice which includes acting on
behalf of clients who are developing condominiums, undertaking condominium
conversion or amalgamations, acting as legal counsel to Condominium Boards
and Management Companies, updating existing Condominium Bylaws and so forth.

MGBW has acted on the registration of several hundred condominium projects
and currently acts for approximately 150 Condominium Corporations.

At MGBW we are familiar with the provisions of the Condominium Act 1998 and
have registered Standard, Phased, Vacant Land and Common Element
Condominiums under that legislation on behalf of various clients. In
addition to the foregoing, we deal with routine condominium matters
including the registration of Condominium Liens and other aspects of
condominium administration.

We have advised a number of business owners on a range of issues related to estate and succession planning, including:

Developing estate plans for both senior and junior generations
Structuring business succession plans and family buy-sell agreements
Establishing Family and other trusts
Drafting complex wills as a component to the estate plan
Providing tax planning advice to reduce or defer tax burdens
Financing the transfer
Insuring risks
Preparing shareholders' and other agreements as components to the estate plan
The lawyers at MGB are familiar with the sensitivity required to deal effectively with the family issues and dynamics involved -- which we recognize may often be more significant than the legal issues.
We have a good working relationship with accounting, insurance, financial planning, tax and other specialty service providers and work as a team to ensure that all issues are considered. Our clients receive well thought-out, well-rounded plans that deal with legal, tax, financial, and other issues involved in estate and succession planning.