Field Law’s Business Group has more than 30 lawyers dedicated to serving the diverse needs of small, mid-sized and multinational clients with interests in Alberta, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon and British Columbia.
Choosing the right legal structure for your business is essential. We work to identify the best legal structure to suit a client's specific needs based on a variety of factors including tax, ownership, control and liability implications. We have extensive experience in business structuring and formation, including sole proprietorships, corporations (including unlimited liability companies), partnerships (including general, limited and limited liability partnerships), and joint ventures.
We develop business solutions for institutions, governments, private and public companies and other organizations spanning a broad range of industries. They rely on our extensive resources and experience to help them seize opportunities and manage risk throughout their life cycles. Our service areas include:
Clients like that Field Law offers flexibility, versatility and value for their dollars. These qualities are part of our culture and allow us to understand our clients’ business and adapt to their needs, customizing our service levels and staffing structures accordingly. Our firm has also been trained in process improvement allowing us to be highly proficient in managing teams of lawyers and consultants to drive complex deals to closing. Our lawyers concentrate on the relevant details and work hard to avoid unnecessary battles with opposing parties that ultimately increase costs and prevent the ideal result.
We are proud to build long-lasting relationships with clients, some of which we have helped grow over the past 100 years. We are committed to close collaboration and delivering value as we grow with them over time. This commitment ensures that we understand our clients’ needs and concerns and that each strategy is tailored to achieve their goals. Our membership of SCG Legal, a seamless global network of firms, allows Field Law to assist with projects throughout Canada and around the world.
Providing diligent and timely service on commercial financings
Background: The cyclical nature of Alberta’s resource-based economy provides unique opportunities and challenges for companies operating in the province. During the economic downtown which accompanied falling oil prices in 2015 and 2016, most companies in the oil and gas industry experienced a sharp decline in revenues. Our client, a publicly traded company and leading provider of oil and gas services throughout the province, was faced with an operating shortfall and needed financing quickly.
Field Law Service: The lawyers in our Business Law Group immediately began working to coordinate the financing, which included amendments to credit agreements with our client’s senior secured lenders. Concurrent with the financing, our Business Law Group addressed securities and corporate compliance issues. We were able to close the financing transaction in a matter of weeks and our client was able to continue its operations.
Teamwork and issue spotting in a high-stakes business acquisition
Our client: An entity in a highly-regulated industry, looking to acquire a business operation.
Where we began: Rick Pabst's role was to negotiate business terms with the seller. "We had a 10-page letter of intent that provided the basic framework. We had to consider the tax implications for the seller and buyer in addition to the regulatory compliance and time-line issues."
Our approach: "I was part of a team of tax, employment and real estate in a heavily-regulated deal worth tens of millions of dollars. We had extensive due diligence and negotiations on the non-compete and purchase/sale agreements." Rick also spotted some trademark issues and helped with the financing for the acquisition. "Transactions evolve, with operational issues typically coming a bit later in the process."
The result: The acquisition is completed, and the new business is a successful addition to the client’s other businesses.