Practice Expertise

  • Commercial Law
  • Corporate and Business
  • Energy
  • Mergers & Acquisitions

Areas of Practice

  • Commercial Law
  • Corporate and Business
  • Energy
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mining
  • View More

Profile

Karen practices corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on commercial arrangements in the mining sector including procurement, construction and engineering, joint ventures and other strategic arrangements. She also regularly advises clients in the energy sector in connection with major power generation projects and a variety of related commercial/contracting matters.

Karen has represented domestic and foreign-based clients in various industries on general business law matters involving domestic and cross-border transactions. Karen's experience includes advising on licensing arrangements, corporate and contractual joint venture arrangements, negotiating debt and equity financings and negotiating and documenting major resource project development agreements as well as asset and share purchase and sale transactions. Her experience covers a range of sectors and industries including energy, mining, forestry, pulp and paper, financial services, consumer products manufacturing and distribution, food-products, natural healthcare, engineering and construction, non-profit, recreation and resorts, transportation and education.

Karen has also had the opportunity during the course of her career to work in-house with clients in the energy and forest-products sectors where she focused primarily on procurement, construction and engineering and other contracting matters.

In addition to her legal practice, Karen is Lawson Lundell's Chief Inclusiveness Officer where she is responsible for designing, implementing and managing the firm's ongoing diversity and inclusiveness improvement programs.

Bar Admissions
British Columbia (1999)

Education
Simon Fraser University (B.A., 1995)
University of British Columbia (LL.B., 1998)

Areas of Practice

  • Commercial Law
  • Corporate and Business
  • Energy
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Mining

Professional Career

Significant Accomplishments
Representative transactions include:

Advising various mining companies with respect to major construction and procurement matters and a variety of commercial arrangements in connection with projects in North America, South America and Africa.

Advising a major Canadian forest products company on numerous acquisitions of key production assets and equipment and various construction, procurement and contracting matters.

Acting for a dual listed (ASX; TSX) copper producer in the structuring, negotiation and documentation of a strategic alliance with a large multi-national commodities trading company.

Acting for a major British Columbia based forest product company in the disposition of a coastal pulp and paper manufacturing facility and related assets.

Advising Lakota Canada, a Canadian-based manufacturer of natural healthcare products and supplements, in connection with licensing and distribution matters in Canada and internationally.

Acting for a Canadian manufacturer of packaging and paper products in negotiating the acquisition of a Quebec-based manufacturer with cross-border operations.

Advising a major Canadian railway company on licensing arrangements and commercial cross-border and domestic matters related to its North American fibre optic network.

Acting for a leading Canadian private equity firm in connection with various acquisitions and dispositions including:

the negotiation and completion of the $200 million acquisition of a US-based plastics manufacturing company
the acquisition of a multi-national food-products manufacturing company
the acquisition of an Ontario based food-products manufacturing company

Acting for a Canadian-based purchaser in negotiating and completing the acquisition of one of Western Canada’s premiere golf and vacation resorts.

Representing a major U.S.-based owner, operator and developer of ski and golf resorts in the acquisition of a British Columbia ski resort.

Acting for a dual listed (ASX; TSX) gold producer with respect to a public offering of common shares.


Professional Associations
Recognition and Ranking
*2015 Wendy McDonald Award recipient: Outstanding Mentor-Sponsor



Articles

Additional ArticlesKaren Macmillan's article, "Canadian miners rebuilding community trust in Latin America", in Business in Vancouver (May 5, 2015), Author

After Tsilhqot'in - Aboriginal Issues for Project Proponents North of 60, The Northern Miner (November 4, 2014)

Lexpert Special Edition on Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining publishes Lawson Lundell article on "Engagement with Aboriginal Groups as a Threshold Issue in Mining Development" (Fall 2014)

Canada Chapter: The International Comparative Legal Guide to Mining Law 2015

“Polar Mining: The Next Frontier”, Resource World (April 2014)

Lexpert Special Edition on Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining publishes Lawson Lundell article on polar mining "The Next Frontier" (October 31, 2013), Author

Mining Report: Alliances set stage for the future (March 19, 2013), Author

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Transition Disclosure Update (February 25, 2010)

Blogs

North of 60 Blog

Our North of 60 Blog provides commentary on current legal trends and developments, and legislative updates affecting businesses in Northern Canada.

Pensions and Employee Benefits Law Blog

Lawson Lundell's Pension and Employee Benefits Law Blog provides updates on the most recent legal developments impacting pension and employee benefit plans. We cover a range of topics, including recent case law and changes to relevant provincial and federal legislation.

Privacy & Data Management Blog

This blog is authored by members of the Privacy & Data Management Department. We follow new and interesting issues emerging in the legal and business communities. We follow emerging issues, legal developments, and new technology as they impact privacy and data management. We will focus on how organizations can protect, manage and innovate with information considering the various risks, regulatory and governance requirements.

The Business Law Blog

This blog is authored by members of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. We intend to follow new and interesting issues emerging in the legal and business communities. The wide range of experience among the members of our litigation group will provide a diverse and insightful examination of current legal trends and topics. Our goal is to provide a source of valuable information and insight on a wide variety of matters for our readers.

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