Don Collie

Counsel

About

Areas of FocusCorporate Mergers and Acquisitions Private Equity Mining and Mineral Resources Corporate Venture Capital Emerging Growth and Venture Capital Equity Capital Markets

Bar admissionsBritish Columbia, 1993Ontario, 1992

EXPERIENCE

Acted for FPX Nickel Corp. (TSX-V: FPX, OTCQB: FPOCF) in connection with a ‎strategic equity investment from Sumitomo Metal ‎Mining Co., Ltd. and a related grant of offtake rights in connection with FPX’s Baptiste Nickel Project in British Columbia.
Acted for Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG) (OTCQB: SRGXF) on its acquisition of a 100% interest in the Berg Property from Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Centerra Gold Inc.
Acted for Jourdan Resources Inc. (TSX: JOR; OTCQB: JORFF; FWB and XSTU: 2JR1) in connection with an equity financing and earn-in transaction with Sayona Mining Limited (ASX: SYA; OTCQB: SYAXF), pursuant to which Sayona acquired a 9.9% equity stake in Jourdan, and Sayona’s subsidiary, North American Lithium Inc., entered into an earn-in arrangement with Jourdan to earn up to a 51% interest in Jourdan’s Vallée lithium project in Quebec by meeting certain spending commitments.
Acted for American Copper Development Corporation on its acquisition of the Lordsburg Copper Project in New Mexico and related CSE listing and financing transactions.
Acted for the local Ecuadorian vendors in the sale of their 40% joint venture interest in the La Plata VMS project in Ecuador to Atico Mining Corporation (TSX: ATY).
Acted for Azarga Metals Corp (TSXV: AZR) in its acquisition of the Marg copper-rich VMS project located in Yukon from Golden Predator Mining Corp.
Acted for the Morningside Group, a Hong Kong/Boston based private equity and venture capital firm, in connection with a $100 million financing for precision-farming platform SemiosBio Technologies Inc.
Acted for EMX Royalty Corporation in connection with its acquisition of a portfolio of royalty interests and deferred payments from SSR Mining Inc.
Acted for Q5id, Inc., a leader in identity proofing services, in connection with a private financing round, with Canaccord Genuity Corp as the placement agent.
Advised Surge Copper Corp. (TSXV: SURG) in a bought deal private ‎placement for gross proceeds of $14‎ million, to finance its Ootsa and Berg Mineral Projects in British Columbia.
Acted for FPX Nickel Corp., owner of the Baptiste Nickel Project in British Columbia, in connection with its bought deal prospectus offering
Acted for Sprott Private Resources Lending in connection with a US$80 Million senior secured lending facility to Ascot Resources Ltd., relating to the development of the company's Premier Gold project in northern British Columbia.
Acted for Auteco Minerals Ltd. in connection with its acquisition of an option to earn up to an 80% interest in the Pickle Crow Gold Project in Northern Ontario from PC Gold Inc., a subsidiary of First Mining Gold Corp.
Acted for Karst Investments L.L.C. (“Karst”), the holder of a 3% net smelter return royalty interest in the Pine Point zinc-lead project in the Northwest Territories, in connection with the purchase of Karst by Osisko Metals Incorporated.
Represented Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. and Sumitomo Corporation in the acquisition of the Pogo Gold Mine in Alaska by Northern Star Resources for US$260 million.
Acted for Autopro Automation Consultants Ltd. in connection with its acquisition by Universal mCloud Corp.
Acted for Resolute Mining Limited in connection with a strategic private placement into Orca Gold Inc., a mining company active in Sudan and Cote d’Ivoire, resulting in a 15% equity ownership stake.
Acted for Resolute Mining Limited in connection with a strategic private placement, share swap and related property acquisition transaction with Loncor Resources Inc., a mining company active in the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in Resolute holding a 27% equity ownership stake in Loncor.
Acted for Sprott Private Resource Lending in connection with a 5-year senior secured credit facility in the amount of USD $80 million to Québec Iron Ore Inc., a subsidiary of Champion Iron Limited, relating to the restart of the Bloom Lake Iron Ore Mine in Québec.
Represented Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. in its June 2017 acquisition of an Ontario gold project, joint venture and establishment of strategic partnership with Toronto-based IAMGOLD Corporation, in which Sumitomo acquired a 30% undivided participating interest in IAMGOLD's ownership interest in the Côté Gold Project for US$195 million.
Acted as Canadian counsel to China National Gold Group Corporation in its subsidiary’s purchase of the remaining 82 percent interest in the Jinfeng Mine located in China from Eldorado Gold Corporation, valued at approximately US$300 Million.
Acted as British Columbia counsel for CanWel Building Materials Group Ltd. in its acquisition of Jemi Fibre Corp. by way of a plan of arrangement.
Acted for the Optionors on a mining option transaction in which the Optionors granted Ferrum Americas Mining Inc. (re-named Toachi Mining Inc.) an option to acquire a minimum 60% and maximum 75% interest in the La Plata gold-copper volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) project in Ecuador.
Represented Pattern Renewable Holdings Canada ULC in its purchase of the Meikle and Tumbler Ridge wind power projects in northern British Columbia.
Acted for Western Forest Products Inc. on a $75 million bought deal secondary offering.
Acted for Paragon Minerals Corporation on its acquisition by Canadian Zinc Corporation by way of a plan of arrangement.
Acted for DXP Enterprises, Inc. on its $87 million acquisition of HSE Integrated Ltd. by way of plan of arrangement.
Acted for Far West Mining Ltd. on its $710 million acquisition by Capstone Mining Corp.
Acted for Abacus Mining & Exploration Corporation on its formation of a joint venture with KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. and related agreements with Korea Resources Corporation, in relation to the Ajax Copper-Gold Project near Kamloops, British Columbia.
Acted for StrataGold Corporation on its acquisition by Victoria Gold Corp. by way of plan of arrangement.
Acted for MDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc. on its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners by way of plan of arrangement.

Languages

Education

LL.B., University of Toronto Law School, 1990

M.A., English, University of Toronto, 1987

B.A., English, University of Calgary, 1986

Awards

Best Lawyers in Canada (Securities Law), 2014-2025; (Mining Law), 2017-2025; (Mergers and Acquisitions Law), 2022-2025
Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Mining), 2021-2023
Lexpert, Mining Special Edition, 2023
Ranked as a notable practitioner by IFLR1000 (Capital Markets: Equity, M&A and Mining)

Publications

"Equity crowdfunding in Canada Q&A: what is the current state of the law?", republished in GLOBE-net, October, 2015.

Other Activities

Adjunct professor, Mining Law, University of British Columbia Faculty of Law

Memberships And Affiliations

Member, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Canadian Bar Association, Securities Law, Business Law and Natural Resources Law Subsections
Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME BC)
Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation
British Columbia Securities Commission Securities Law Advisory Committee, 2005-2011