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Kent D. Howie

Avocat-conseil principal

Toronto
KHowie@blg.com
403.232.9667

Expertise

Grace Brooks

Adjointe à la pratique

Toronto
GBrooks@blg.com
416.350.2648

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Kent provides strategic business advice to senior management and boards of directors on mergers and acquisitions, infrastructure and energy projects, joint ventures and corporate finance transactions.

Kent spent 20+ years as a senior corporate commercial law partner at BLG. Between 2020-2023, he took on non-legal roles at the highest levels of the Department of Finance in Ottawa, initially as a Senior Adviser to the Deputy Minister of Finance during the COVID-19 pandemic and then as an Assistant Deputy Minister of a corporate finance-focused branch. During his time in Ottawa, Kent was a lead negotiator who provided public policy and investment advice to the Government of Canada, including the Minister of Finance, on major equity and debt investments in commercial entities and projects.

Kent’s expertise encompasses corporate commercial law, corporate finance, government, public policy, politics, accounting and taxation, with an outstanding ability to lead teams and help his clients structure, negotiate and complete complex transactions. Kent is a well-connected and solutions-oriented senior lawyer who uses his extensive experience and broad skill set to help clients achieve their goals.

Matters listed include work completed while employed at the Department of Finance.

Experience

  • Senior role contributing to the Government of Canada’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including its vaccine procurement portfolio strategy and funding, and advising on the commercial design and implementation of various federal economic emergency measures put in place to support businesses during the pandemic.
  • Led the design (mandate, investment instruments, go-to-market approach, investment selection criteria and performance metrics) and rapid implementation of the Canada Growth Fund, a new $15 billion decarbonization investment fund created by Canada.
  • Advised on and helped to manage Canada’s ownership of the Trans Mountain Pipeline and construction of its expansion project, including the completion of a $13 billion+ construction financing with a syndicate of Canadian banks, and an array of issues related to the project’s cost overruns, in-service delays, Indigenous community impacts and contemplated divestiture.
  • Negotiated Canada’s $1.44 billion proposed investment in Telesat Canada’s low earth orbit satellite project.
  • Advised on Canada’s response to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, including the quantum and form of Canada’s financial support to grow and decarbonize Canada’s electricity grid by 2035 as well as other matters announced in Budget 2023 to support Canada’s energy transition.
  • Helped create a strategic approach for dealing with significant cost overruns and difficulties faced by the Lower Churchill hydro-electric project in Newfoundland and Labrador using federal government loan guarantees and a $1 billion federal investment in the project.
  • Managed the implementation of Canada’s Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility, which included negotiating and providing financing (debt and equity) to large companies such as Air Canada, Transat, Porter, Gateway Casinos and Goodlife Fitness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Advised Capital Power in its $977 million purchase of the 875 MW natural gas-fired Goreway Power Station in the Greater Toronto Area from Toyota Tsusho Corporation and JERA Co., Inc.
  • Lead lawyer to the Government of Canada in its $4.5 billion acquisition of the Trans Mountain and Puget Sound Pipelines, and related terminals, from Kinder Morgan.
  • Provided an array of legal advice to Canada Hibernia Holding Corporation in its capacity as a joint venture participant in the Hibernia Offshore Oil Project (off Newfoundland Coast), including on federal and provincial royalty and net profits interest matters and the project’s commercial agreements dealing with crude lifting, vessel transportation, crude storage, and marketing of crude.
  • Advised on alternative legal structures, Indigenous ownership issues and the joint venture, power purchase and financing agreements for two large hydro-electric projects in Canada involving private developers and Indigenous communities with estimated capital costs of $9 billion and $2 billion, respectively
  • Supported Husky Energy Inc. in its acquisition from BP plc of a 50 per cent interest in a Toledo, Ohio oil refinery in exchange for a 50 per cent interest in Husky’s Sunrise Oil Sands Project (reported transaction value $10 billion+).
  • Advised Kogas Canada Energy Ltd. on its acquisition of a 10 per cent participant interest in the LNG Canada project, including advising on the key commercial agreements governing that joint venture.
  • Completed a governance review of Ontario’s third-largest municipal electric utility, including chairing a public consultation process and preparing and presenting the final report to the council of the municipal shareholder in a public forum.

Bar Admission & Education

  • Alberta, 2005
  • Ontario, 1995
  • LLB, Université de Victoria, 1994
  • CPA, CA, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 1990
  • B.Comm, Mount Allison University, 1986
  • Certificate in Engineering Science, Mount Allison University, 1986