Gino Martel
Senior Partner
Gino Martel is experienced in corporate and commercial law, mergers and acquisitions, private equity financing, tax-driven reorganizations and the life sciences industry. He has been involved in the planning, structuring and implementation of numerous mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, corporate reorganizations, debt and equity financings, international tax structures, shareholder, partnership and joint venture arrangements and various other corporate and commercial transactions.
As particularly concerns the life sciences industry, Mr. Martel is Canadian corporate counsel to a number of multinational pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies and has been involved in many transactions involving pharmaceutical and biotech companies, including private and public financings, joint ventures, international tax structures, transfer pricing audits and assessments, buying and selling of pharmaceutical plants, companies, divisions and products, and in-licensing, out-licensing, ultra-generic licensing, distribution, co-promotion, manufacturing and pre-commercialization arrangements.
Law school
LL.L., University of Ottawa, 1985
LL.B., University of Ottawa, 1984
Education
B.Comm., Concordia University, 1981
Selected client work
- Advised Enobia Pharma Corp in connection with the negotiation and execution of a Merger Agreement with Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. whereby Enobia was acquired by Alexion for US$1.08 billion, and in connection with its previous C$40.1 million Series B financing, US$50 million series C financing, US$45 million Series C extension financing, US$40 million common stock financing and US$20 million secured debt financing
- Advised Valeant Pharmaceuticals on its US$3.2 billion merger with Biovail, Canada’s largest publicly traded pharmaceutical company, and on each of its recent C$1.5 billion, C$1 billion and C$650 million cross-border private placements and on senior secured credit facilities. Also advised on Valeant’s acquisitions, through its Canadian subsidiary, of Dr. Renaud Inc and Renaud Skin Care Products Inc, worth C$23 million, and of Vital Science, Derma Glow and All Healthy Skin, worth C$10.5 million
- Advised Hydro-Québec Production in connection with the acquisition of a 60% interest in the hydroelectric facility located on the Manicouagan River in Quebec from Abitibi-Consolidated Company of Canada, a subsidiary of AbitibiBowater Inc. ($615 million)
- Acted as Canadian counsel to Wind Point Partners in connection with the leveraged buy-out of the Cameo Crafts group of companies by LabelCorp. Holdings, Inc. and then as their Canadian counsel to LabelCorp. Holdings, Inc. and its Canadian affiliates, including York Label Canada, Ltd. with respect to the closing of its sale to Diamond Castle Holdings, LLC
- Advised Celtic Therapeutics and Kiacta Sàrl in connection with the acquisition and license from Bellus Health of the worldwide rights related to the Phase III investigational product candidate Kiacta™ (eprodisate)
- Advised CTI Life Science Fund in the context of three separate multi-tranche private placements of $3.2 million, C$2.5 million and C$2 million principal amount secured convertible debentures of Zymeworks and as lead investor in the C$10 million Series A financing of Xagenic Canada Inc.
- Advised Merck & Co., Inc. in the acquisition of Elitra Pharmaceuticals and in its in-licensing of the worldwide rights to Ambrilia Biopharma’s lead compound, PPL-100
- Advised Baylis Medical, a leading supplier of high-technology cardiology, pain management and radiology products, in connection with the sale of its worldwide pain management business to Kimberly-Clark Corp.
- Advised Sanofi-aventis Canada in connection with its purchase of the skin care business of Canderm Pharma
- Advised OrbiMed Advisors, the world's largest healthcare-dedicated investment firm, and one of its affiliates, TPG Biotechnology Partners III, LP and New Enterprise Associates 13, Limited Partnership, as lead investor in the private equity financing of Roka Bioscience Inc, a US-based innovative leader in molecular diagnostics and testing
Memberships and activities
Directorships
- bioMérieux Canada, Inc., secretary and board member
- The Kanawaki Golf Club, board member
- Loyola Foundation, past board member
- Loyola Alumni Association, past president and board member