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Robb is a partner in the Calgary office and practices in the Corporate Finance and M&A Group. Robb worked at major law firms in both Calgary and Toronto prior to joining Gowlings.
Robb specializes in M&A and transactional work that includes asset and share purchases, amalgamations, plans of arrangements, take-over and issuer bids, reverse take-overs, changes of business, related party transactions, corporate and limited partnership structuring, share splits, and consolidations.
Robb has advised on more than 50 private placements for private and public corporations, both domestic and international, with the total offering ranging from less than $100,000 to over $40 million. He has also advised on more than 30 long-form, short-form, capital pool company, shelf, MJDS, bought deal, agency, and underwritten prospectus offerings with the aggregate raise ranging from $200,000 to $400 million.
His expertise encompasses corporate governance and disclosure, insider and control person reporting, proxy solicitation, start-ups, sponsorships, registrations, inactive issuer reactivations, suspensions and reinstatements, and shareholder meeting and communication requirements.
In addition to practising law, Robb's professional experience includes working as the Vice President of Strategy and Corporate Operations at a TSX-listed financial services company and as part of the executive management team of a large private company in Japan.  Mergers & Acquisitions
Robb is a key member of the firm's mergers and acquisitions group. Robb's M&A and financing experience includes advising oil and gas, mining, financial services, retail, industrial, real estate, technology and agricultural clients.
- Advising on the three cornered amalgamation and $5 million subscription receipt financing of a oil and gas play with properties in Jamaica and Guyana
- Preparing a memorandum and takeover strategy for an international energy services company to acquire a Canadian target
- Working with a transaction team on a $45 million merger and reorganization of periodical wholesalers
- Advising on the acquisition of a TSXV listed corporation by Channel Islands and Italian oil and gas corporations for $36 million
Energy
A substantial portion of Robb's practice relates directly or indirectly to energy and related businesses. His practice in this area ranges from preparing oil and gas disclosure for public corporations to advising on intricate oil and gas transactions.
- Advising on the $20 million private placement of convertible subordinated debentures of a private oil and gas exploration and production corporation by a U.S. private equity fund
- Advising on the approximately $14 million initial public offering of multiple classes of flow through limited partnership units for an oil and gas flow-through entity
- Advising on the $3,600,000 private placement pursuant to an offering memorandum of a South American oil and gas corporation and associated qualifying transaction
- Advising on the acquisition of Asian oil and gas assets from a receiver for aggregate consideration of approximately $30 million
Mining
Mining is one of Robb's sub-specialities. He has worked with mining corporations from around the world.
- Advising on the three cornered amalgamation and $25 million subscription receipt offering of a mining play with properties in Serbia
- Advising on the share exchange and reverse takeover of a capital pool company by a private mining corporation with Canadian properties as its qualifying transaction
- Reviewing documents for the sponsorship and acquisition of a Mexican mining corporation
- Advising on the initial public offering of a mining corporation with interests in Africa
Corporate/Commercial
Robb maintains a varied and active corporate/commercial practice that includes advising oil and gas, mining, financial services, retail, industrial, real estate, technology and agricultural clients. Robb's corporate/commercial practice ranges from advising on start-ups and drafting agreements to structuring businesses and completing complex transactions.
- Managing corporate law and governance issues for a multi-jurisdictional reorganization of a $112 million international mining company
- Drafting documents for a tax-driven reorganization of a uniform provider with $2 billion dollars in revenues
- Designing an execution strategy for a merger of two of Canada's largest insurance companies with combined policies valued at $4 billion
- Advising on the purchase of the operational assets of a retail coffee franchise for $450,000
Corporate Governance
Robb advises boards of directors and executives on meeting their legal and fiduciary obligations and on achieving best governance practices. He is an authority on drafting codes of conduct, authorization guidelines, committee charters, board policy manuals and position descriptions to protect directors and executives from liability, to minimize the risk exposure of the business and to align the interests of various stakeholders in the organization.
- Advising on the code of conduct, committee charters, board policy manual and position descriptions for a TSX listed income fund
- Participating as a member of the corporate governance committee of the board of directors of the Ivey Alumni Association (The University of Western Ontario)
- Preparing a memorandum assessing the independence of the board of directors under Canadian and American laws for a billion dollar communications company
- Drafting the investment policy statement, authorization guidelines and unanimous shareholders agreement for a large private financial services corporation
Technology Transactions
Technology transactions are a key part of Robb's practice. He has advised both public and private technology corporations operating in Canada and abroad.
- Advising on the cross-Canada short form prospectus offering of $3 million in units of a technology driven financial services corporation
- Providing legal advice on the start-up, structuring and international expansion of a technology company with offices in Canada and Japan
- Advising on the cross-border $7 million private placement under an offering memorandum of a private U.S. technology corporation
- Assisting with several acquisitions and rounds of financing (including drafting of the subscription, share purchase, voting trust and shareholders' agreements) by venture capitalists in an intellectual property driven deal
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