Julie's dual practice focuses on securities registrant regulation and compliance and mergers and acquisitions.
She has considerable experience in advising derivatives and securities market participants on Canadian registration requirements and compliance, as well as risk-management matters. As a trusted adviser, she has an active private M&A practice that caters specifically to securities registrants, marketplace participants, fintech and financial institutions. Her clients include:
- dealers, futures commission merchants, commodity trading advisers and foreign exchange dealers
- trading platforms, alternative trading systems and marketplace participants and related technology service providers
- digital asset (tokenized securities, NFTs and crypto currency) creators, developers and distributors
- money services businesses (for both fiat and virtual currency)
- commodity producers and physical metal brokers
- domestic and foreign asset managers
She also provides regulatory advice on topics such as:
- emerging financial services products that are web and app-based, including crowdfunding platforms, lending and investment platforms, cryptocurrencies, digital assets, blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) and robo-advisers
- high frequency and algorithmic trading
- proprietary trading activities
- the development and distribution of novel over-the-counter derivative products including crypto derivatives, contracts for difference (CFDs) and foreign exchange (FX) to investors in Canada
- provision of agricultural risk management products to Canadian commodity producers
- anti-money laundering and terrorist financing
- corporate reorganizations, acquisitions, mergers and divestitures for securities registrants, market participants and financial institutions
Julie is a member of the IIROC Crypto Asset Working Group, IIAC Derivatives and Order Execution Only Committees and recently completed her three year term on the Ontario Securities Commission's Securities Advisory Committee. During her time at the firm, she was seconded to the Ontario Securities Commission, Registrant Legal Services Division and Mergers & Acquisitions, Take-Over Bids Division. Julie is also a leading member of BLG's Digital Asset and Blockchain Group and BLG Derivatives Group which has been recognized as Global Capital's Canadian Law Firm of the Year for derivatives, an award it has received every year since 2014. She has also worked in the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, and was a market research analyst for several Canadian companies in Eastern Europe.
Experience
- Counsel to Guardian Capital Group Limited in its $1.67 billion go-private transaction with Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.
- BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Advisory Services, Inc. in its sale to Guardian Capital Group (TSX: GCG).
- Virtu Financial (NASDAQ: VIRT), a leading provider of financial services and products that leverages cutting-edge technology, in its sale of MATCHNow marketplace to Cboe Global Markets.
- The Humberview Group in its acquisition of: a Toyota dealership located in Oakville, Ontario, a Ford dealership located in Brampton, Ontario and related real estate assets., and a Toyota dealership located in Orangeville, Ontario and related real estate assets.
- Advising and preparing applications on behalf of foreign and domestic investment advisers and dealers in respect of carrying on business in Canada and registration under provincial securities legislation.
- Advising on regulatory proposals and participating on industry committees on behalf of investment dealers and futures commission merchants on topics such as high frequency and algorithmic trading, proprietary trading activities, direct electronic access and presence of unregulated entities in the Canadian market.
- Advises on derivatives matters and the related documentation, with particular experience on the use of derivatives by risk management firms, investment fund managers and other regulated entities.
- Counsel to Guardian Capital Group Limited in its $1.67 billion go-private transaction with Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc.
- BNY Mellon Wealth Management, Advisory Services, Inc. in its sale to Guardian Capital Group (TSX: GCG).
- Virtu Financial (NASDAQ: VIRT), a leading provider of financial services and products that leverages cutting-edge technology, in its sale of MATCHNow marketplace to Cboe Global Markets.
- The Humberview Group in its acquisition of: a Toyota dealership located in Oakville, Ontario, a Ford dealership located in Brampton, Ontario and related real estate assets., and a Toyota dealership located in Orangeville, Ontario and related real estate assets.
- Advising and preparing applications on behalf of foreign and domestic investment advisers and dealers in respect of carrying on business in Canada and registration under provincial securities legislation.
- Advising on regulatory proposals and participating on industry committees on behalf of investment dealers and futures commission merchants on topics such as high frequency and algorithmic trading, proprietary trading activities, direct electronic access and presence of unregulated entities in the Canadian market.
- Advises on derivatives matters and the related documentation, with particular experience on the use of derivatives by risk management firms, investment fund managers and other regulated entities.
