Bennett Jones LLP
Bennett Jones LLP had a hand in many of the largest cannabis deals to hit the market over the past year. In a highlight example, go-to cannabis transactional specialist Aaron Sonshine advised Cresco Labs on its $2bn acquisition of Columbia Care, which made Cresco the largest cannabis producer and retailer in the US at the time of the transaction. Toronto-based Sonshine co-heads the practice together with firm vice chair and Toronto managing partner Dominique Hussey, who specializes in advising cannabis clients on IP and regulatory matters; she notably provides ongoing regulatory advice to Canopy Growth. Other key contacts include corporate finance specialist Angela Blake, who splits her time between Toronto and Vancouver; Toronto’s Kim Lawton, who is well versed in cannabis-related capital markets and securities issues; and Toronto-based IP and life sciences partner Melissa Dimilta.
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Key clients
- Canopy Growth Corporation
- Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation
- Cresco Labs
- Emerald Health Therapeutics
- FIGR
- Glass House Brands
- Greg Guyatt
- Indiva
- KAOS Capital
- MPX International Corporation
- Nation to Nation (All Nations Cannabis)
- Nova Cannabis
- PharmaCielo Holdings
- Praesidio Health
- PricewaterhouseCoopers
- RedeCan Pharm
- Terrascend Corp
- Trichome Financial Corp, Trichome JWC Acquisition Corp, MYM Nutraceuticals, Trichome Retail Corp, MYM International Brands, and Highland Grow
- VIVO Cannabis
Work highlights
- Advised Cresco Labs on its $2bn acquisition of Columbia Care.
- Acted for RedeCan Pharm and 48North Cannabis Corp on their respective sales to HEXO Corp, totalling nearly $1bn.
- Represented Mr Guyatt, the Chief Financial Officer of CannTrust, as a defendant in a multi-jurisdictional class action in Canada and the US, stemming from the disclosure of unlicensed cultivation discovered by a Health Canada audit.
Lawyers
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.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Aaron Sonshine, Dominique Hussey