Krista Hill is widely recognized as an industry leader in infrastructure and energy M&A, privatizations and joint ventures/partnerships, both in Canada and internationally.Krista is the co-head of the Infrastructure and Energy practice, as well as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.Krista has deep experience in complex, innovative, first-of-kind transactions and projects. With robust insight into all types of energy projects and infrastructure asset classes, she regularly leads large teams working to advance significant projects and transactions. Krista is also an accomplished lead negotiator and has extensive experience advising multiple stakeholders with respect to their complex projects and transactions.
Power
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
David A.N. Lever is a partner in McCarthy Tétrault’s Corporate Finance and Mergers & Acquisitions Group in Toronto. In addition, he is the Industry Group Leader of the firm’s Infrastructure Group and Co-Head of the firm’s Projects practice. Known for his expertise in M&A and project finance and development, David has been actively involved in the power industry for over three decades. He has acted for developers, investors and lenders in connection with wind, hydro, nuclear and co-generation power projects in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the United States. David has provided counsel in the areas of development, financing, contract negotiation, permitting and regulatory matters and ownership structures. He has extensive experience in financings for public and private corporations and income funds in both public and private markets. David also has significant experience in the purchase and sale of businesses in the energy industry.
Rising stars
Rising stars with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Huw Evans brings skilled deal acumen, strategic thinking, and a rigorous approach to advising institutional and other leading investors on their projects and complex transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Huw practises corporate law, with an emphasis on transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He regularly acts for infrastructure funds, pension funds and other infrastructure investors in connection with M&A transactions, joint ventures, project financings and developments. Huw has led numerous significant acquisitions and divestures of energy and infrastructure assets, including renewable power projects and PPP assets. In addition, he regularly advises clients in these industries on a broad range of corporate, securities and governance matters.
Ky's practice focuses on commercial transactions and project development, primarily focusing on energy and natural resources. He works extensively on power related matters, including the full life cycle of numerous types of development and operational generation projects, including natural gas, wind, solar, hydro and biomass. In addition to his work in the power sector, Ky frequently works on other matters in the energy transition, oil and gas, midstream, agriculture, petrochemical, technology and mining sectors. His experience includes working on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, power purchase agreements, commodities trading and derivatives agreements, carbon emissions and offset trading, EPC and supply chain agreements, ESG matters, corporate reorganizations, project and acquisition financings, insolvency and distressed asset transactions, and infrastructure development and operational agreements. As an associate, Ky spent time seconded to the Firm's offices in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. During that time, he acted for Canadian companies with investments in the Middle East as well as some of the largest enterprises based in the region. Prior to joining Blakes, Ky obtained industry experience working in the legal department of a large Canadian-based international oil and gas company.
Leading individuals
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Jeff is a litigation partner practicing exclusively in the energy, utility and natural resource sectors. He represents clients before regulatory tribunals such as the BC Oil and Gas Commission, Canada Energy Regulator, and Alberta Utilities Commission. He also advises clients on cross-border energy and natural resource development; regulatory and legislative reform issues; and related litigation and dispute resolution. He has a background in engineering and earth sciences, and is head of the Regulatory Litigation Department at Lawson Lundell. Currently, Jeff is a member of the Canadian delegation negotiating a modernized Columbia River Treaty with the United States, representing BC Hydro.
A skilled litigator with significant experience in the energy industry, Luigi (Lou) Cusano helps clients navigate complex energy regulatory frameworks across high-stakes matters and disputes, bringing decades of knowledge of Canada’s evolving electricity and oil and gas sectors. Lou is the managing partner of the firm’s Calgary office. His practice focuses on administrative, regulatory and environmental law and commercial litigation in the energy sector. Lou has been involved in the restructuring of Alberta’s power industry and has experience in all aspects of both the regulated and the unregulated electricity sectors, including utility rates, cost of capital, market rules, reliability standards, energy price-setting plans, transmission, distribution and generation facilities (both renewable and non-renewable), cogeneration facilities, industrial systems, merchant transmission and generation, market surveillance investigations, and disputes regarding Alberta’s legislated Power Purchase Arrangements. In the oil and gas sector, Lou provides comprehensive regulatory advice across the spectrum of clients’ operations, including related to pipelines (greenfield, conversion and tolls and tariffs-related issues), heavy oil/oilsands development, well licensing, off-target penalties, pooling, common processors and carriers, processing facilities, public consultation, facility proliferation, environmental matters, land reclamation, emergency response and surface rights. Lou’s significant litigation experience includes many types of contractual disputes and power and oil and gas facility-related issues. He has appeared before numerous regulatory tribunals, including the Alberta Utilities Commission, Alberta Energy Regulator, the Natural Resources Conservation Board, Alberta Environmental Appeal Board, British Columbia Utilities Commission, Canadian Energy Regulator and the Alberta Securities Commission, as well as before all levels of Alberta courts and in mediations and arbitrations.
Clara practices primarily in the area of energy and regulatory law with a focus on public utility regulation and administrative law. She advises private sector, public sector and government clients on a broad range of matters before regulatory boards and the courts including, market rules and compliance, rate design, regulatory requirements and facilities applications. Clara has appeared as counsel before administrative tribunals in BC, Alberta and the Northwest Territories and regularly assists clients in proceedings before the British Columbia Utilities Commission and Alberta Utilities Commission. Clara also acts for clients with respect to matters before the BC Oil and Gas Commission and Canada Energy Regulator (formerly National Energy Board). Clara has appeared at all levels of the Alberta court, including numerous matters before the Alberta and BC Court of Appeal. Clara has trial experience and participated as counsel at a Coroner's Inquest in the Northwest Territories.
By applying creative solutions and managing strong relationships among numerous project participants, Valerie supports clients to progress some of the country’s most complex multi-party infrastructure and energy projects.Valerie has been at the forefront of the development and financing of renewable energy projects across Canada. She worked on some of the earliest and most innovative renewable projects, including Erie Shores Wind Farm, Grand Renewables Solar and Henvey Inlet Wind Farm, as well as PPAs in connection with Emera’s proposed Atlantic Link Project. Valerie acts for the spectrum of clients involved in project development and financing, including Indigenous groups, project proponents, lenders, investors, contractors and governmental authorities.Trusted counsel to Indigenous and non-Indigenous project participants, Valerie often advises on complex infrastructure projects impacting Indigenous interests and parties, where she brings a robust perspective on different parties’ interests and priorities. She is the co-head of Torys’ Indigenous practice and her recent project work related to Indigenous involvement notably includes the Wataynikaneyap Transmission Project in northwestern Ontario and working with The Honorable Frank Iacobucci in advising the Government of Canada in its re-initiated consultation process with Indigenous groups on the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project.Valerie has held various industry appointments in the power sector including serving as a board member of the Canadian Wind Energy Association, past Chair of the Ontario Waterpower Association, and past member of the Independent Electricity System Operator Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
A leading energy lawyer, Charles Keizer advises clients on some of the most sophisticated work in the sector, combining skilled advocacy and deep regulatory knowledge to help advance projects and unique and complex matters.Charles is co-head of Torys’ Infrastructure and Energy Practice and leads the Energy Regulatory Practice. He maintains an active practice with an emphasis on administrative law and project development in the energy sector. He frequently advises generators (renewable and conventional), transmitters, and electricity and natural gas distributors in relation to regulatory, project development and contractual matters.Charles regularly appears before the Ontario Energy Board on rates, licensing and leave to construct matters applications, some of which are the most complex and unique matters considered by that tribunal.As lead counsel on a number of generation and transmission projects, Charles has provided strategic advice related to federal and provincial regulatory regimes, and he has a strong understanding of project development—from the initial stages to connection and commercial operation.
Vivian’s practice focuses on power, infrastructure / construction and mergers and acquisitions. She is regularly engaged on major project work throughout Canada, including in the social infrastructure, health-care, transportation and renewable energy sectors. Vivian has recently led complicated M&A transactions in the renewable energy space, involving portfolios comprising wind, solar and hydro resources and storage assets and spanning multiple jurisdictions (domestically and internationally). The scope and breadth of her expertise is such that she is able to provide pragmatic advice throughout the lifecycle of a renewable project, including the development, construction, operations, financing, acquisition and divestiture phases. She continuously adapts her broad practice to reflect market developments and accommodate her clients’ needs. Vivian is currently advising clients participating in the largest Canadian energy storage procurement. Vivian worked as senior legal counsel with a construction industry leader, acquiring invaluable in-house experience as the responsible lawyer on complex domestic and international projects. Vivian also clerked at the British Columbia Court of Appeal, where she gained experience in corporate/commercial disputes in British Columbia's highest court. She is a national co-chair of the Firm’s Power and Renewable Energy group and a primary contact of the Blakes Japan practice group.
Suzanne Murphy is a partner in our Business Law Group in Toronto with a practice focused on private mergers and acquisitions, private corporate finance and general corporate matters in the power industry. She regularly represents acquirers, investors and developers of a variety of energy assets including natural gas, wind, solar, biomass, nuclear, energy storage and thermal energy. Suzanne has significant experience preparing and negotiating complex commercial agreements in the energy sector including acquisition agreements, power purchase agreements, operations and maintenance agreements, supply agreements, shared services agreements, joint venture agreements, partnership agreements and shareholder agreements.
Ron Clark is a member of the Aird & Berlis Corporate/Commercial Group and Energy Group.