Oliver MacLaren

Oliver MacLaren is a partner at OKT, and leads the firm’s corporate practice group.  Oliver works across Canada advising First Nations and their businesses on economic development initiatives, including on-reserve business development, strategic investments, leveraging opportunities flowing from impact benefits agreements in the natural resources sector, and transactional work arising from indigenous partnerships in the renewable energy and electricity sectors.

Oliver is a member of the Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba bars. 

Expertise

• Equity partnerships
• Indigenous corporate finance
• Structuring and governance of indigenous owned businesses

Representative Work

• Counsel to Missinippi Rail LP, a consortium of First Nations and Municipal communities formed to participate in the purchase of the 1300km Hudson Bay Railway, Port of Churchill, and Churchill Marine Fuel Tank Farm in northern Manitoba, in partnership with Fairfax Financial Holdings and AGT Food and Ingredients (Purchase and Sale; Partnership Agreement; and Government Contribution Agreements entered September 1, 2018);
• Counsel to seven First Nations regarding a 50-50 partnership to manage the forestry operations of a pulp and paper producer in the Pas, Manitoba;
• Advice to First Nations in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario regarding their investment in the medical and recreational marijuana sector;
• Advice to an Alberta First Nation offsetting their diesel municipal electricity system with renewable supply and battery storage;
• Counsel to six First Nations involving a 20% ownership stake in a 450km electricity transmission line running from Thunder Bay to Wawa, in northern Ontario;
• Counsel to two First Nations on three renewable projects under Ontario’s competitively bid Large Renewable Procurement regime (two 10MW solar projects, one 60MW wind project);
• Counsel to a First Nation regarding a 33% ownership interest in a 25MW Hydro Facility in northeastern Ontario (commercial operation March 2017);
• Counsel to two First Nations on the purchase and financing of a 37.5% interest in four 10MW solar facilities in northeastern Ontario (purchase closed December 2014);
• Counsel to two First Nations regarding a 50% ownership interest in a 100MW wind farm near Lake Huron in southwestern Ontario (commercial operation July 2016);
• Counsel to six First Nations regarding a 50% ownership interest in a 60MW wind farm on Manitoulin Island, Ontario (commercial operation May 2014);
• Counsel to six First Nations regarding the financing, construction, operation, and management of a 40 room hotel and conference centre on Manitoulin Island, Ontario (construction complete June 2013).