Tauna Staniland, K.C., ICD.D

Partner

• Suite 1100, Cabot Place
  100 New Gower St.
  St. John’s, N.L.
  A1C 6K3
• +1.709.570.8842
• +1.709.722.4565
• Send Email

Language(s) spoken: English

Bar Admission(s): Newfoundland and Labrador, 2010; Ontario, 2004

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Legal Assistant(s): Kelsey Howlett

Tauna is a seasoned corporate commercial lawyer and trusted advisor to businesses at every stage of their lifecycle, from formation and governance through to acquisitions, financings, and public listings. She regularly guides her clients through complex mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, financings, and corporate reorganizations, bringing a practical, results-oriented approach to each transaction.

Tauna provides strategic counsel to corporations, boards of directors, and shareholders on corporate governance matters and regularly advises on contract interpretation and compliance.

In the natural resources sector, Tauna has developed deep experience in mining and offshore oil and gas, encompassing transactional and contractual matters as well as comprehensive knowledge of provincial mining legislation.

Her diverse client base includes public companies, owner-managed businesses, municipalities, and engineering and other professional services firms.

Selected representative engagements include:

Mergers & acquisitions:

• Representing a private company in the acquisition of a mechanical engineering, design, and consulting business, including the negotiation and closing of related bank financing.
• Acting for a private company on the acquisition of an outdoor accessories design and distribution company.
• Representing a private company in the purchase of a metal fabrication business and structuring of the related acquisition financing.
• Advising multiple vendors on the divestiture of their businesses across a range of industries, including automobile dealerships, restaurants, beauty supply, engineering services and software businesses.

Corporate governance:

• Negotiating shareholders agreements in closely held family companies, joint venture companies and more widely held start-up companies.
• Guiding boards of directors and senior management through complex fiduciary duties and corporate and contractual obligations.
• Advising both widely held and closely held private companies in navigating contested shareholder meetings and contentious board of directors proceedings.
• Preparing and advising boards of directors on corporate governance policies.

Securities and Private Equity:

• Acting for a widely held technology company in the completion of a significant equity investment completed by way of plan of arrangement
• Leading the representation of a TSX-listed issuer on a multi-faceted engagement involving a major business acquisition and a concurrent short form bought deal prospectus offering of subscription receipts, requiring coordination across multiple workstreams.
• Acting for a capital pool company in the completion of its qualifying transaction and listing of securities on the TSXV.
• Representing both issuers and dealers in brokered private placements and public offerings across a variety of industries.

Natural resources:

• Advising a producing mining company in connection with a substantial financing and strategic equity investment.
• Representing a bridge finance company in a major loan and follow-on loan to a mining company advancing into mine development.
• Acting for various junior mining exploration companies in option, joint venture and royalty agreements and related matters.
• Advising service providers in the offshore oil and gas industry, including the negotiation of drilling contracts, supply agreements, and commercial terms and conditions.

Financing:

• Representing clients in the financing of commercial enterprises and commercial real property, including the structuring and registration of security over real and personal property in the province of Newfoundland & Labrador.
• Advising institutional and private lenders on secured lending transactions, including the preparation and negotiation of credit facilities, guarantees, and related security documentation.