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Donald Ross

Senior Of Counsel

New York +1 212 841 1098

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Don is a corporate, M&A and securities lawyer who has assisted numerous companies in a variety of industries carry out strategic transactions in the U.S. and Canada. He has extensive experience in carrying out cross-border mergers and acquisitions.

    Don also advises senior management and boards of directors on corporate governance matters and on a range of other strategic legal issues.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters
    • Represented Cameco Corporation, a public company, in its strategic partnership with Brookfield Renewable Partners to acquire Westinghouse Electric Company in a transaction valued at $7.875 billion. Cameco acquired a 49% equity interest and Brookfield Renewable acquired a 51% equity interest, in Westinghouse. Cameco financed its portion of the purchase price in debt and equity markets. Westinghouse provides nuclear reactors and aftermarket products and services, including nuclear fuel supplies, to commercial nuclear power utilities and government agencies globally.
    • Represented Canadian public company Cameco Corporation in the purchase of a 49% interest, together with Australian-based Silex Systems Limited which purchased a 51% interest, in GE-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment LLC (“GLE”) located in the U.S. from GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy LLC. Cameco also obtained an option from Silex to acquire a majority interest of up to 75% ownership of GLE. GLE is developing a process which uses lasers to enrich uranium. The transaction has excellent potential to expand Cameco’s capabilities in the creation of nuclear fuel for reactors.
    • Counseled Union Pacific Corporation in its successful opposition to a proposed merger of the Canadian Pacific and Norfolk Southern railroads.
    • Assisted Sears Holdings Corporation on its spin out to its shareholders of 44% of the common shares of Sears Canada Inc., thereby providing additional value to the shareholders of Sears Holdings.
    • Advised International Business Machines Corporation in its acquisition by plan of arrangement of Cognos Incorporated, a provider of business intelligence software. This transaction expanded IBM’s position in the business intelligence market.
    • Represented United States Steel Corporation in its acquisition by plan of arrangement of Stelco Inc., an integrated steel company in Canada.
    • Advised Constellation Brands in its $1.52 billion acquisition by takeover bid of Vincor International, a Canadian public company. This transaction expanded Constellation Brands’ ownership of international wineries.

    • Represented Eastman Kodak Company in its successful acquisition by plan of arrangement of Creo Inc. Creo was a Canadian-based company involved in imaging and software technology for computer-to-plate and digital printing. The acquisition expanded Kodak’s print product offerings.
    • Counseled Maple Leaf Foods Inc. in its successful negotiated acquisition of Schneider Corporation, a meat products producer, from Smithfield Foods Inc. The acquisition broadened Maple Leaf Foods’ pork and poultry product lines and significantly increased its market share.
    • Represented the Consortium of Cameco Corporation, TransCanada PipeLines Limited and BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust, in their acquisition from British Energy plc of its direct interest in British Energy (Canada) Ltd. and therefore its indirect interest in Bruce Power L.P., the lessee of two nuclear generating facilities. This acquisition expanded the range of Cameco’s business activities to include the generation of electricity.
    • Counseled The Toronto Stock Exchange in connection with its acquisition by means of a corporate reorganization of the Canadian Venture Exchange Inc. This acquisition made The Toronto Stock Exchange the principal stock exchange in Canada.
    • Represented Psion PLC, a personal computer manufacturer, in connection with its acquisition by a plan of arrangement of Teklogix International Inc., a transaction involving the first use of Canadian exchangeable shares by a UK company to acquire a Canadian corporation. This merger enabled Psion to expand into products utilizing mobile computing and secured wireless networks.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.B.
    • London School of Economics, M.Sc.
    • University of Toronto, B.A.
    Bar Admissions
    • New York
    • Ontario
    Accolades
    • Thomson Reuters, Stand-out Lawyers (2024)
    • Chambers Global, Corporate/M&A (2012)
    • The Best Lawyers in Canada, Corporate Law; Mergers & Acquisitions Law (2013)
    • The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, Corporate Commercial Law (2013)
    • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Corporate/Commercial; Mergers & Acquisitions (2012)
    • Expert Guides: The Legal Media Group Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers, Capital Markets; Mergers & Acquisitions (2011)
    • IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms, Mergers & Acquisition (2009)
    Memberships and Affiliations
    • Law Society of Ontario
    • New York State Bar Association
    • American Bar Association

    Areas of Expertise

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