Steve Malas
Senior Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Steve Malas practises in the area of corporate finance and securities, mergers and acquisitions, privatizations and corporate governance.
He has extensive experience in M&A transactions, acting for both buyers and sellers in public and private transactions and advising boards of directors and special committees in such transactions. He also acts in Canadian and Canada/US cross-border offerings and private placements on behalf of issuers and underwriters. Steve frequently advises on directors’ and officers’ liability, governance issues, continuous disclosure obligations and matters relating to shareholder relations and engagement, and has worked on complex financing and joint venture transactions for the development of mining projects in Canada and abroad.
Professional experience
Collapse allB.C.L./LL.B., McGill University, 1989
- California State Bar 1992
- Quebec 1991
Steve has advised the following clients, among others:
- The special committee of the board of directors of Nuvei Corporation in its all-cash going private transaction with US private equity firm Advent International LP., alongside CEO Philip Fayer, Novacap Management Inc. and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, a deal valued at US$6.3 billion
- Patriot Battery Metals Inc. in connection with various corporate finance and strategic investment transactions in connection with the development of its Shaakichiuwaanaan project in Quebec’s James Bay region
- Investissement Québec in connection with (i) restructuring transactions undertaken by Nemaska Lithium Inc. and its affiliates under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA), and subsequent co-investment transactions into Nemaska with Arcadium Lithium, and (ii) the restructuring transactions undertaken by Cirque du Soleil and its Canadian and US affiliates under the CCAA
- Falcon Energy Materials plc in connection with its redomiciliation from Canada to the Abu Dhabi Global Market in the UAE, an advising on strategic matters relating to the development of its Lola graphite project in the Republic of Guinea
- Aya Gold & Silver Inc. on strategic matters relating to the development of its Zgounder and Boudamine projects in the Kingdom of Morocco, the spinout of its Amizmiz gold project and related project financing activities
- Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. in connection with the $4.3 billion going-private acquisition by Rio Tinto plc of all of the Turquoise Hill shares not already owned by Rio Tinto, as well as various corporate finance and governance matters, including a binding heads of agreement with Rio Tinto providing an updated funding plan for the Oyu Tolgoi Project, the US$4.4 billion project financing for the Oyu Tolgoi Project, and a US$2.4 billion rights offering and bridge facilities with Rio Tinto in an aggregate amount of US$825 million
- Stornoway Diamond Corporation in its $946 million comprehensive financing transaction with US private equity firm Orion Mine Finance, Investissement Québec, and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec to fund the construction of the Renard Diamond Project, Quebec's first diamond mine; and the subsequent restructuring transactions undertaken under the CCAA, including the option agreement entered into with Winsome Resources
- Arianne Phosphate Inc. in connection with the development of its Lac-a-Paul project, an open-pit phosphate mine with an annual capacity of 3 million tonnes of phosphate concentrate, including in connection with the strategic investment by a global mining company in Arianne Phosphate by way of a convertible debenture
- Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd in connection with its acquisition of royalties over the Spring Valley and Moonlight projects in Nevada and a precious metals offtake over the Almaden project in Idaho, and the acquisition of the San Antonio gold project in Sonora, Mexico
- Metro Inc. in connection with its acquisition by way of a combination agreement pursuant to which Metro acquires all of the outstanding Jean Coutu Group class A subordinate shares and Class B shares for $24.50 per share, representing a total consideration of approximately $4.5 billion
- Best Lawyers in Canada: Mining Law, 2022-2025; Corporate Law, 2024-2025; Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities Law, 2025
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2018-2024: recommended in Corporate Finance & Securities; 2020-2024: recommended in Corporate Mid-Market; 2019-2024: recommended in Mining; 2023-2024: recommended in Mergers & Acquisitions; 2024: recommended in Corporate Commercial Law
- Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A, 2023-2024: Leading Lawyer in Finance and M&A
- Acritas StarsTM 2019-2021 – Designated as an "Independently rated lawyer"
- Acritas StarsTM 2017 and 2018 – Designated as a "Star" lawyer by a panel of over 4,300 clients
- IFLR (International Financial Law Review) 1000 – The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms – Leading lawyer in mergers and acquisitions
- Canadian Bar Association
- Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
- Audit Committee, Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal