Philip D. Backman Q.C: Corporate Borrower and Lender Lawyer at Bennett Jones Calgary



With financing experience in North America and internationally, Phil acts for both corporate borrowers and lenders involved in syndicated credit agreements, public and private debt issues, cross-border financings, leveraged loans, project financings, debt restructurings, derivatives and other types of financings in oil and gas, oil sands, utilities, pipelines and other industries.

 

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** North West Redwater Partnership in connection with its $3.5 billion credit facility and $1.0 billion bond offering, the proceeds of which will contribute to the funding of the construction of North West's $8+ Billion bitumen refinery in the Alberta Heartland. The project is supported by 30-year tolling commitments of the Government of Alberta and Canadian Natural.

 

** Husky Energy Inc. in connection with $3.2 billion of credit facilities.

 

** Acted as lead counsel to Canadian Natural Resources Limited in connection with $4.5 billion syndicated credit facilities with Royal Bank of Canada and other Canadian and international banks.

 

** Veresen Inc. in connection with Cutbank midstream acquisition which included a C$500 million bridge financing, C$550 million credit agreement and C$500 million senior notes.

 

** Cenovus Energy Inc. in a $5 billion term and bridge financing commitment from Royal Bank, the largest commitment in the history of the bank at the time, which was subsequently reduced to $2.5 billion as a result of a successful US$3.5 billion bond offering.

 

** Encana Corporation in connection with a C$4 billion credit agreement.

 

** Precision Drilling Corporation in connection with a US$1 billion credit facility with a group of Canadian and US banks.

 

** Acted as counsel to Precision Drilling Corporation in connection with a $650 million high yield note offering in the U.S. led by Credit Suisse.

 

** Acted as counsel to Precision Drilling Corporation in connection with a $200 million high yield note offering in Canada led the Royal Bank of Canada.

 

** Acted as lead counsel to Flint Energy Services Ltd. in connection with a $175 million syndicated credit facility led by Bank of Montreal.

 

** Acted as counsel to Flint Energy Services Ltd. in connection with a $175 million unsecured high yield note offering led by Credit Suisse.

 

** Clowhom Power LP, a subsidiary of Veresen Inc. in connection with a project financing for a BC hydro project.

 

** Acted as lead counsel to Royal Bank of Canada in connection with a $1 billion credit facility for ARC Resources Ltd.

 

** Acted as counsel for Calfrac Well Services in connection with its $300 million credit facilities and high yield note offerings.

 

 

** Acted for a public oil sands company in a project financing led by Alberta Treasury Branches and Bank of China (Canada).

 

** Acted for Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline in a $180,000,000 bond offering for its pipeline project.

 

** Riverstone Holdings LLC / Niska Gas Storage Canada ULC in connection with an offering of US$800 million of unsecured notes and a US$400 million secured operating facility.

 

** Alberta Ethane Gathering System LP, in connection with its $110 million issue of series A senior notes.

 

** Deer Creek Pipelines Limited and Deer Creek Energy Limited (now Total EP Canada Limited), in connection with the establishment and structuring of project financing for Joslyn Oil Sands Project.

 

** Nexen Inc., and its U.S. and U.K. subsidiaries, in connection with an aggregate of US$3 billion revolving term credit facilities.

 

** Nexen Inc., in connection with a US$500 million offering of 7.875 percent notes due on March 15, 2032.

 

** ATCO Group, in connection with the sale of its retail energy business to Direct Energy Marketing Limited.

 

** Shell Canada, in connection with Terasen Pipelines (Corridor) Inc.'s $525 million refinancing of the Corridor Pipeline System.

 

** A Canadian company working in oil sands development, in connection with seven credit agreements with Canadian and international banks totalling more than $2 billion.

 

** BNP Paribas, in connection with the completion of a cross-border US$180 million term loan B facility and a US$15 million working capital facility for Connacher Finance Corporation, the proceeds of which were used to finance the construction of Connacher's oil sands project in Northern Alberta and finance the operation of a refinery in Montana.

 

** Northwest Capital Appreciation, Inc., in connection with a $58 million leveraged buy-out of Northern Crane Services and with respect to the debt and equity financing for the acquisition.

 

** Canadian Natural Resources Limited, in connection with a $3.85 billion loan transaction for the purpose of assisting with the acquisition of Anadarko Canada Corporation.