TORONTO (July 10, 2005) – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), one of Canada’s leading full-service business law firms, today announced that in the Bloomberg 2005 Q2 Global Legal Mergers & Acquisitions Rankings, it has ranked number one as legal adviser in terms of deal volume (U.S. dollars) and market share in the Canada Announced Deals table. Blakes ranked number one for Q1 as well.
“I am pleased that Blakes has ranked number one in the Bloomberg rankings for volume and market share in the Canada Announced Deals table, both for this quarter as well as the last,” said Jim Christie, Chairman of Blakes. “We work very hard to assemble legal teams who will meet the needs of our clients and the Bloomberg rankings confirm the effectiveness of this approach.”
Bloomberg’s M&A league tables provide constant and timely access to the most comprehensive information available on financial and legal deal representation. Their team of expert analysts provide real-time coverage of global merger and acquisition activity.
Among the deals Blakes was involved in for the first half of this year were: Fortune Brands’ acquisition of certain Allied Domecq brands from Pernod Ricard,the planned merger of Sungard Data Systems Inc. and Solar Capital Corp., and BHP Billiton Limited’s acquisition of WMC Resources Ltd.
Founded in 1856, Blakes has over 500 lawyers in offices in Canada, the United States, Europe and China. In October, and for the second consecutive year, Blakes was the only law firm to earn a place on the 2004 list of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers,” released by the national newsmagazine, Maclean’s. The Firm’s signature “Blakes means business” is not just a catch phrase but a discipline that defines how Blakes helps clients achieve their business objectives. More information on Blakes is available by visiting the Firm’s Web site at www.blakes.com.
