About John

John is a Partner in our Halifax office and is the firm’s Corporate Business Unit Leader and Co-Chair of the Cross-Border Group.

John provides practical results oriented advice to small and large private companies, private equity funds, venture capital funds and lenders.  He has experience in a wide range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, cross-border transactions, venture capital and bank financings, commercial agreements, corporate governance, intellectual property licensing and general corporate matters. He is recognized for his practice in the 2019 Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory.

Prior to joining McInnes Cooper in 2008, John practiced for 12 years at law firms in Ontario and California, and as General Counsel for Axeda Systems, Inc. (a Massachusetts based NASDAQ listed software company) and the Irving Group Moncton (a private conglomerate with operations in Canada and the U.S. in tissue, diaper, agriculture, fresh and frozen produce, agri-services, trucking, diaper and hockey industries).

John is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, American Bar Association, Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, Law Society of New Brunswick, Law Society of Ontario and State Bar of California. He obtained his B. Comm., M.B.A., and LL.B. degrees from Dalhousie University, is a Certified Management Accountant and a past director of the Society of Management Accountants of New Brunswick.

Awards & Recognitions

  • Repeatedly Recommended by The Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory for Banking and Financial Law, Corporate Commercial Law, Mergers & Acquisitions and Project Finance (most recently in2024)
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® Canada for his practice in Banking and Finance Law (since 2019), in Corporate Law (since 2021) and Mergers and Acquisitions (since 2021)

Education

  • LL.B., Dalhousie University (1996)
  • Canadian Investment Finance Course (honours), Canadian Securities Institute (1992)
  • M.B.A., Dalhousie University (1991)
  • Canadian Securities Course and Registered Representatives Exam (honours), Canadian Securities Institute (1990)
  • B.Comm., Dalhousie University (1986)

Bar Admissions

  • Ontario (1998)
  • California (2001)
  • New Brunswick (2004)
  • Nova Scotia (2008)

Languages

  • English