Doug H. Hopkins*

Doug is the leader of the Business Law Practice Group. He advises entrepreneurs, business owners and institutions regarding corporate and commercial matters.

Doug’s corporate practice focuses on advising clients on the incorporation of companies, trusts and societies, their organization, reorganization and governance, regulatory compliance, amalgamation, arrangements, continuations, alterations of share capital, dissolutions and wind-ups, liquidations, revivals, restorations, shareholder agreements, meetings and disputes and directors’ and shareholders’ rights and liabilities. He also advises clients on partnerships, limited partnerships and joint ventures.

Doug’s commercial practice is focused on business mergers and acquisitions, principally, share and asset purchases. This includes the negotiating and drafting of the transaction documents, all financing arrangements and due diligence. Doug also advises on both bank and equity financings, barter systems, vehicle dealership arrangements, assignments of loan portfolios and related security, conditional sales, agencies, distribution and factoring arrangements.

Doug also advises on ethical and conflict of interest matters. Since 2003, he has been involved in either advising or acting as the project conflict of interest adjudicator for various entities, including the Provincial Government, Local-Government, and Crown Corporations relating to their procurement process. Representative projects include the Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project, Hwy 91 to Hwy 17 and Deltaport Upgrade Project, Millennium Line Broadway Extension, Highway Maintenance Procurement, Evergreen Line Rapid Transit Project, Hospital Projects, including the Children and Women’s Hospital Project, Port Mann Highway Improvement Project, including the Port Mann Bridge Replacement, Okanagan Correctional Centre, Lions Gate Secondary Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the BC Hydro Site C Clean Energy and Smart Meter Projects. Doug also acts as conduct review advisor to Boards of Directors regarding ethical and conflict of interest matters.

Doug has been listed in Best Lawyers in Canada for the practice area of Corporate Governance each year from 2013 to 2023.

Doug is also an active participant in The Ride to Conquer Cancer (RTCC) benefiting BC Cancer Foundation. Information about his dedication to this cause can be found on Doug’s RTCC Personal Page. In the 2018 ride Doug’s team, called the “Brainiacs”, raised a total of $678,641.

Professional Activities

• Principal Editor, O’Brien’s Encyclopedia of Forms – Division II Corporations for British Columbia
• Counsel, Better Business Bureau of Mainland British Columbia
• Contributor, The Continuing Legal Education Society of BC
• Past Chair, Board of Variance, District of North Vancouver

Representative Transactions

Advised family shareholder in connection with a comprehensive Shareholders Agreement relating to a multi-million dollar family owned business

Acted for the purchaser in connection with the acquisition of a major downtown Vancouver hotel and related assets

Counsel to various lower mainland automobile dealerships in connection with their ongoing business matters, including their dealings with automobile manufacturers such as Ford, General Motors, Toyota and others

Acted for a foreign based systems service provider in connection with their establishment of operations in Canada, which included considerations such as corporate structuring, taxation, immigration, employment, banking and related matters

Sale of industrial freezer designer and manufacturer business

Privatization and eventual sale of laboratory testing company

Purchase and financing of hotel, including its subsequent off-shore financing

General counsel to worldwide chemical distributor, including purchase of chemical distribution business

Purchase of office and warehouse facilities

Establishment of industrial finance group, including its single purpose B.C. trust company

Purchase of “Bill – 13″ logging and road building contracts

Sale of cablevision company

Sale and restructuring of family owned real estate property

Reorganization of family trusts in connection with 21 year deemed disposition rules

Development of financing structures for First Nations economic development projects

Conflict of interest adjudicator for B.C. provincial government public/private partnership projects (P3 Projects)