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John M. Mercury

Executive Chair & Chair of the Board

Executive Chair & Chair of the Board | Email

T: 403.298.4493

Email

Calgary

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Mercury John
 
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T: 403.298.4493


Email

Calgary

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  • Education
  • Bar Admissions
  • Select Experience
  • Recent Recognition
  • Insights, News & Events
  • Related Services
  • Select Experience
  • Recent Recognition
  • Insights, News & Events
  • Related Services

John Mercury is Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Bennett Jones. As Chair, John has overall responsibility for the direction, management and financial performance of the firm, with a focus on its strategic plan, market and industry initiatives, and client relationships. 

In his practice, John was formerly the head of the firm's private equity practice and has been recognized as one of Canada's leading M&A lawyers with a significant focus on cross-border transactions. He will continue to practice and serve clients in his new role.

John joined Bennett Jones after spending nearly a decade in New York, where he practised corporate and U.S. tax law with a leading New York-based law firm and where he worked as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch in its M&A group. In these roles, John provided legal and financial advice to a broad range of U.S., Canadian and foreign companies, primarily in the fields of mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, debt and equity financings and corporate governance matters.

John serves on a number of corporate and not-for-profit boards. He is also a member of the American Bar Association and the New York City Bar.

Education

Northwestern University, BA, 1990, summa cum laude (Economics) Yale University, MA, 1995 (Finance) University of Toronto, LLB, 1996, dean's honour list 

Bar Admissions

Ontario, 1998 New York, 1999 Alberta, 2007 

Select Experience

The controlling shareholder of Westbrick Energy in its C$1.075-billion sale to Vermilion Energy
NOVA Infrastructure, an infrastructure investment firm, as Canadian counsel, in connection with its take-private acquisition of UGE International, a Canadian publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., in connection with its C$1.19-billion acquisition of an indirect minority equity interest in the Labrador-Island Link from Emera Inc. 

Carnelian Energy Capital Management, L.P. in its equity financing in Parallax Energy, L.P., a Calgary-based upstream oil and gas company focused on acquisition and development opportunities in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Riverstone Holdings LLC, in its acquisition of all issued and outstanding common shares of Hammerhead Energy Inc. by Crescent Point Energy Corp. for total consideration of $2.55-billion.  
The Blackstone Group in connection with its evaluation of a number of Canadian investments
NGP Energy Capital Management, LLC in its investment in Cygnet Energy Ltd., a private company focused on capturing scalable resource opportunities in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Datasite LLC, a portfolio company of CapVest Partners LLP, in its acquisition of Firmex Inc., a leading virtual data room and subscription file-sharing provider
Stone Canyon Industries Holdings LLC and Kissner Group Holdings, as Canadian counsel, in their US$3.2-billion agreement to acquire K+S Aktiengesellschaft's North and South American salt business, including Morton Salt and Windsor Salt
Apollo Global Management, Inc., in connection with its joint venture investment of up to US$200 million in Great Bay Renewables, a subsidiary of Altius Minerals Corporation, a publicly traded company listed on the TSX
The senior management team of Dalradian Resources Inc., in Dalradian's $537-million acquisition by Orion Mine Finance
Kissner Group Holdings LP, completed its acquisition of NSC Minerals Ltd., a market-leading provider of salt products in Western Canada and the North Central United States, from an investor group led by Altas Partners
Vesta Energy Corp. in connection with a $295-million equity financing co-led by energy private equity firms Riverstone Holdings, LLC and JOG Capital Corp
Riverstone Holdings, LLC, and NGP Energy Capital Management, LLC in Waterous Energy Fund's acquisition of approximately 67 percent of the issued and outstanding common shares of Northern Blizzard Resources Inc. from affiliates of Riverstone and NGP for cash consideration of approximately $244 million
RS Energy Group Management Team with a capital commitment from Warburg Pincus
Riverstone Investment Group LLC with its acquisition of a 50-percent interest in the Utopia Pipeline Project from Kinder Morgan, Inc.
Sanjel Corporation, an Alberta-based energy services and pressure pumping company, with the sale of its U.S. fracturing, coiled tubing and cementing assets to Liberty Oilfield Services Holdings LLC
Sanjel Corporation, an Alberta-based energy services and pressure pumping company, with the sale of its Canadian fracturing, coiled tubing and cementing assets to STEP Energy Services Ltd. and 1961531 Alberta Ltd.
Edge Natural Resources LLC with a plan of arrangement whereby a group of investors including Edge, senior management and certain other shareholders acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares and warrants of Canamax Energy Ltd. in a transaction valued at approximately $82 million
Lone Pine Resources Canada Ltd. and Lone Pine Resources Inc. with a $400-million cross-border recapitalization and restructuring transaction pursuant to a plan of compromise and arrangement under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) and ancillary proceedings under Chapter 15 of the United States Bankruptcy Code
Natural Gas Partners (NGP) and Riverstone Holdings, LLC with Northern Blizzard Resources Inc's initial public offering and secondary offering for approximately $500 million
Tamarind Energy and its management team with its US$800 million capital commitment from Blackstone Energy Partners to create a significant upstream company with an emphasis on South East Asia oil and gas development
Apollo Global Management, LLC with its strategic partnership with CSV Midstream Solutions Corporation. Funds managed by Apollo have provided CSV Midstream with an equity commitment to fund the company's construction and operation of midstream facilities in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Metalmark Capital with the acquisition by its newly-formed portfolio company, PTW Holdings Inc., of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Tarpon Energy Services Inc., Pyramid Corporation, Warwick Industries and Kent Steel
Natural Gas Partners with its investments in Northern Blizzard, Ravenwood Energy, Mosaic Energy, Spry Resources, Petrus Resources, Canera Resources, Canera Resources II, Ferus Gas, Steppe Resources, Seven Generations and ILTA Grain Holdings Inc. and its connection with its initial public offering of Parallel Energy Trust
Enerflow Industries Inc. with its sale to National Oilwell Varco (NOV)
KKR with in its investment in Westbrick Energy Ltd. and in its evaluation of various investment opportunities in Canada
Riverstone Holdings LLC with its investments in Shelter Bay Energy, Mistral Energy, Gibson Energy, Northern Blizzard and Canera Resources
Brookfield Special Situations Fund with the going private acquisition of Ember Resources Inc.
NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Ltd., a portfolio company of NCA Management LLC, with over 10 share and asset acquisitions in Canada and the United States
Kayne Anderson with the acquisition by its portfolio company, Newton Energy Inc., of Merit Energy (Canada), and in connection with Kayne's investments in Laricina Energy and the Camcor Oilsands Fund
MatlinPatterson with its acquisition of Stone Mountain Resources Inc.
SFC Energy Partners with its acquisitions of Rampart Energy, Tuzo Energy and Bernum Petroleum
EnCap Investments LLC with its acquisition of Unconventional Resources Canada, a private energy company based in the Province of Alberta
Trilantic Capital Partners with its investment in Velvet Energy Ltd.
Energy Spectrum Capital with its investment in Kanata Energy Ltd.
Aquila Sonnet Co-Investment Fund with its formation and investment in the Kemble Water Company
Coller Investment Management, a Guernsey company, with the formation of Coller International Partners V-C, L.P., an Alberta feeder fund into a Caymans-based master fund
Kootenay Capital Management Corp. with its establishment of Kootenay Global Energy Absolute Return Fund LP
Longbow Capital Inc. with its establishment of Longbow RSP Energy Fund

Recent Recognition

Chambers Canada
Ranked, Private Equity: Buyouts
Chambers Global
Band 3, Private Equity: Buyouts
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
Consistently Recommended, Corporate Commercial Law; Private Equity
Repeatedly Recommended, Corporate Mid-Market; Corporate Finance & Securities; Mergers & Acquisitions; Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
The Legal 500 Canada
Leading Lawyer, Corporate and M&A
Recommended, International Expertise
Lexpert Special Edition—Canada's Leading Finance and M&A Lawyers
Recognized as a leading Finance and M&A lawyer
Lexpert Guide to the Leading U.S./Canada Cross-border Corporate Lawyers in Canada
Recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the area of private equity
Recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the area of corporate commercial
Recognized as one of the leading lawyers in the area of mergers and acquisitions
Lexpert Special Edition
Recognized as a leading corporate lawyer in Canada
Recognized as a leading infrastructure lawyer in Canada
Recognized as a leading energy lawyer in Canada
Who's Who Legal: Canada
Recognized as a leading lawyer in the area of energy
Who's Who Legal: Energy
Recognized as one of the world's leading energy lawyers

Insights, News & Events

Announcements

Chambers Global Ranks Bennett Jones Lawyers in 2025 Guide

February 13, 2025
       

Client Work

Vermilion Energy Announces $1.075 Billion Acquisition of Westbrick Energy

December 27, 2024
       

Announcements

Bennett Jones Recognized as Top-Tier Firm in Legal 500 Canada Rankings

November 14, 2024
       

Related Services

Commercial Transactions
Mergers & Acquisitions
Private Equity & Investment Funds
Transportation
Emerging Enterprises
Infrastructure
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