Walied Soliman, KC

Chair, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Toronto
Canada
T:+1 416 216 4820
Toronto
Canada
T:+1 416 216 4820
Walied Soliman, KC

Walied Soliman, KC

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Biography

Walied Soliman is the Canadian chair of Norton Rose Fulbright and co-chair of the Special Situations team. He is widely regarded as one of Canada's leading lawyers in his field, having been involved in some of the most significant and complex M&A transactions and proxy battles in the country, advising buyers and sellers, boards, hostile bidders and shareholder activists. In addition, his practice focuses on restructurings, corporate finance, governance and structured products.

Mr. Soliman was mandated in 2020 by the government of Ontario to chair the Capital Markets Modernization Taskforce. In 2019, Mr. Soliman was chosen by the United Nations Association in Canada to be its Global Citizen Laureate for his professional merit and service to the community. He was the only lawyer featured in The Globe and Mail's Report on Business Magazine Power 50 list in 2017, was designated as a "Star Lawyer" by Acritas for ranking in the top 28 lawyers globally, and he has been continuously recognized by the most prestigious legal rankings over the years, including Chambers & Partners and Legal 500. Mr. Soliman sits on the boards of the BlackNorth Initiative against anti-Black racism, Ryerson University, and the Toronto SickKids Hospital Foundation.

Professional experience

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LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School, 2001

  • Ontario 2002

Mr. Soliman has recently acted as counsel to the following clients:

  • The board of directors of Agrium Inc. in connection with Agrium’s US$36 billion merger of equals transaction with Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.
  • InnVest Real Estate Investment Trust in connection with its $110 million underwritten prospectus offering and concurrent private placement and its $48.3 million underwritten offering under its $500 million base shelf prospectus
  • Canadian Oil Sands Ltd. in connection with the defence of the unsolicited take-over bid made by Suncor Energy Inc., which ultimately resulted in a negotiated transaction representing a total transaction value of $6.6 billion
  • Icahn Enterprises LLP in connection with its US$340 million acquisition of the US automotive aftermarket product distribution business of TSX-listed Uni-Select Inc.
  • Mobilicity Group in its high-profile reorganization
  • The special committee of KEYreit in its successful hostile takeover defence against Huntingdon Capital Corp.
  • Agrium Inc. in its successful high-profile defence against JANA Partners LLC
  • Mundoro Capital Inc. in a shareholder dispute with Northern Minerals Investment Corp. The successful defence established the “Advance Notice Policy” in Canada
  • Viterra Inc. in a high-profile shareholder dispute with Alberta Investment Management Corp.
  • Telus Corporation in a high-profile shareholder dispute with Mason Capital Management LLC. Defence of Telus led to leading Canadian case law on a variety of issues, including empty voting
  • Chambers Global, Canada: Corporate/M&A, Chambers and Partners, 2018-2024
  • Chambers Canada, Ontario: Corporate/Commercial, Chambers and Partners, 2017-2024
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, 2012-2024: recommended in Corporate Finance & Securities; 2020-2024: recommended in Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Mid-Market; 2014-2017: recommended in Investment Funds & Asset Management; 2016-2024: recommended in Mergers & Acquisitions; 2014-2019: recommended in Mining
  • Acritas Stars 2019-2021 – Designated as an "Independently rated lawyer"
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Corporate Law, 2022; Mining Law, 2013-2023; Natural Resources Law, 2014-2023
  • The Legal 500 Canada: Corporate and M&A (Leading Individuals), 2019-2024
  • International Financial Law Review 1000, Canada: Mergers and Acquisitions, 2019-2023
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers, 2022-2024
  • Only lawyer recognized in the Globe and Mail's Report on Business Magazine Power 50 list for 2017
  • Acritas Stars, 2017: Designated as a “Star” lawyer by ranking in the top 28 globally (over 5,000 lawyers) by a panel of over 3,000 senior in-house counsel
  • Named as one of the 25 most influential lawyers in Canada by Canadian Lawyer magazine in 2014
  • Ranked as one of the Top 40 lawyers under 40 in Canada by Lexpert magazine in 2009
  • “Are you Prepared for Changes in Corporate Governance?” 9th Annual Corporate Governance 2016: What You Need To Know, Toronto, December 2016.
  • “Investor Influence - Are you Ready?” CPA Canada Annual Audit Committee Conference, Toronto, November 2016.
  • “Non-standard Accounting Measures: The Media, Regulators, and Shareholders Zero In,” Norton Rose Canada LLP, October 2016.
  • “Active-Passive Investor Summit,” Information Management Network (IMN), New York City, April 2016, April 2015, April 2014 and April 2013.
  • CIRI 26th Annual Investors Relations Conference, Whistler, BC, June 2013. 
  • ICD National Conference, Toronto, May 2013.
  • “Proxy fights: Shareholder Activist and Defense Update,” Norton Rose Canada, Toronto, March 2013.
  • “Shareholder Activism: What IRO’s Need to Know,” CIRI Ontario luncheon, Toronto, February 2013.
  • “The Activist Investor Conference 2013,” Deal Flow Media, New York City, January 2013.
  • Canadian Bar Association

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