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ENERGETIC, EFFICIENT AND EXPERIENCED COUNSEL FOR MINING AND NATURAL RESOURCES ENTERPRISES.
Overview
Dorsey’s Mining and Natural Resources Group is recognized for providing the complete legal solution to the mining industry.
Dorsey lawyers are deeply engaged in helping mining, energy and natural resources clients. We understand the lifecycle of opportunities and challenges you face. Partner with us to experience business sensibility, industry depth and practical problem solving in leading geographical centers for mining and natural resources, globally.
Some of our areas of expertise and service include:
Dorsey’s Mining Group is a leader in mining industry financing and corporate compliance. We offer an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to our representation, because we understand our mining clients’ need to access multiple capital markets throughout the world in order to meet the industry’s diverse, capital intensive needs. We regularly act as a trusted advisor to public and private mining companies regarding ongoing corporate governance issues. Our broad experience and contacts in the mining industry allows us to provide advice from a wide variety of mining industry participants, including public and private mining companies, underwriters, investment banks, venture capitalist, private equity sponsors, private investors and large hedge funds in structuring financings of all types.
Environmental, health and safety issues are top of mind for mining companies, as they are for Dorsey’s mining industry group practitioners. We assist clients with issues involving Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Solid Waste Disposal Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, Mine Safety and Health Act, as well as the complex system of regulations implementing each.
Safety and compliance are of the highest priority for mine operations. When, despite best efforts, events arise that lead to allegations of a violation, accidents, inspections, stop-work and miner withdrawal notices, regulatory actions and penalty assessment, Dorsey attorneys work closely with clients to respond.
High Yield Debt transactions are increasing in popularity as financing options for mining and natural resource companies. Our mining industry focus allows us to apply an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to handling the unique needs and challenges of closing high yield debt transactions. We represent domestic and non-U.S. issuers and underwriters on SEC-registered and Rule 144A/Regulation S offerings of high yield notes, bonds and debentures across multiple jurisdictions.
Clients rely on Dorsey’s Mining Group for their contractual, corporate and LLC joint venture and earn-in transactions. The experience Dorsey brings to those transactions, including our group’s significant experience with the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation’s Form 5 joint venture form agreements (both contractual and LLC) make these potentially complex agreements proceed smoothly and cooperatively.
Dorsey represents large and small mining companies developing coal, gold, copper, iron, uranium, and industrial minerals among others. Their reliance on us has allowed us to develop a wealth of experience advising on land transactions of all types.
Because most mining projects in the United States involve federal or state public lands, whether for the project itself or for access thereto, Dorsey’s Mining Group attorneys know the laws and regulations governing mineral activities on public lands.
Dorsey’s Mining Group attorneys also know the unique property rights issues triggered in public land development, including federal and state oil and gas and mineral leases, federal unpatented mining claims, and federal material sales agreements.
Dorsey leverages experience advising companies in the mining industry on acquisitions, divestitures and corporate reorganizations to bring practical real-time solutions to each M&A transaction. Clients in negotiated and contested mergers and acquisitions receive industry-specific counsel from Dorsey’s multi-disciplinary team to address the various aspects of these complex M&A deals. In addition, our Mining Group is comprised of legal professionals in offices in North America, Europe and Asia, who bring international, multi-jurisdictional transactional experience to bear in structuring complex cross-border and domestic deals in a cost effective and efficient manner for our clients.
Mining projects within the United States are subject to stringent and complex federal, state, local and tribal laws and regulations governing environmental, health and safety aspects of mineral development, operation and reclamation. From NEPA to RCRA, the Clean Water act to the Clean Air Act and beyond, Dorsey attorneys have experience navigating these laws and working with the numerous governmental authorities that administer and enforce mining regulatory laws within the United States. We also have experience with all phases of mine permitting and regularly represent mining clients in environmental and permitting challenges.
Project developers, investors, lenders and other project participants turn to Dorsey’s internationally recognized Mining Group for multi-disciplined services in mining project development and financing. Our attorneys have experience with all types of debt financing for mining and natural resource projects. This includes financings involving traditional bank debt and debt sourced from strategic investors, private equity, hedge funds and other non-traditional sources, as well as alternative financing structures. Our multi-disciplinary project finance team also assists clients in all phases of a mining or natural resource project’s development, whether independently or as part of a financing.
Experience
Client Achievements
- Goldcorp and Newmont Combine to Form World’s Largest Gold Company
- Mosaic completes $1.25 billion registered offering of senior notes
- Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers begins SEC reporting as a domestic issuer
- BMO Capital Markets secures key funding for gold mining company
- Golden Queen Mining completes key financing
Representative Transactions
- Dorsey represented Klondex Mines Ltd., a publicly held junior-tier gold and silver mining company focused on exploration, development based in Reno, Nevada, in the sale of all of its outstanding shares to Hecla Mining Company, a publicly held silver mining producer headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
- Represented Klondex Holdings USA Inc., a subsidiary of Klondex Mines Ltd., a metal mining company in the purchase of all of the membership interests and assets of Carlin Resources, LLC, a private owner operator of a gold mines.
- Advised Central GoldTrust in an exchange offer for the sale of its assets to Sprott Inc., and its subsidiaries, Sprott Asset Management LP, and Sprott Physical Gold Trust.
- Advised SilverCrest Mines Inc. in the sale of all of its issued and outstanding common shares to First Majestic Resource Corp.
- Advised Western Lithium USA Corporation in the business combination and purchase of all of the issued and outstanding stock of Lithium Americas Corp.
- Represented Jipangu International Inc. in the sale of a 90% interest in Florida Canyon Mining, Inc., Standard Gold Mining, Inc. and Jipangu Exploration Inc. to Imlay Mining Co., Ltd., a private company.
- Represented Jerritt Canyon Gold LLC in the purchase of the Jerritt Canyon Mine out of bankruptcy of Veris Gold U.S.A. Inc.
- Advised NovaCopper, Inc. in the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Sunward Resources Ltd.
- We advised Energy Fuels Inc. in the purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Uranerz Energy Corporation.
- Represented Galaxy Resources Limited in the sale of Galaxy Lithium International Limited, to Tianqi HK Co. Limited.
- Advised Rio Alto Mining Limited in its sale to Tahoe Resources Inc. by a Plan of Arrangement.
- Represented Chaparral Gold Corp. in the sale of all of its issued and outstanding common shares to Goldrock Mines Corp. and Waterton Precious Metals Fund II Cayman, LP, a private equity firm.
- Advised Scorpio Mining Corporation, located in Vancouver, Canada, in its merger with U.S. Silver & Gold Inc., located in Toronto, Canada.
- Advised Golden Queen Mining Co. Ltd. in a joint venture transaction involving the sale of a 50% interest in Golden Queen Mining Company, LLC, to Gauss Holdings LLC.
- Advised Eldorado Gold Corporation in the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding securities of European Goldfields Limited.
- Dorsey represents Eldorado Gold in all aspects of financing, corporate governance, debt and securities offerings.
- Represented Arch Coal in the sale of its subsidiaries holding multiple producing mines and related assets in Utah to Bowie Resources.
- Dorsey represented Arch Coal Inc. with respect to its mines in the Western US in the successful refinancing of its senior secured term loan.
- Dorsey advised Rye Patch Gold Corp., a publicly held mining company engaged in the mining and development of resource-based gold and silver mines based in Vancouver, Canada, in the sale, through a plan of arrangement, of all of its outstanding shares to Alio Gold Inc.
- We advised First Majestic Silver Corp., a publicly owned silver mining company located in British Columbia, Canada, in the purchase of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Primero Mining Corp.
- Dorsey also represented First Majestic in an offering of US$150 million aggregate principal amount of 1.875% unsecured convertible senior notes due 2023.
- We represented Polaris Materials Corporation, a construction mining company of aggregates, sand and gravel for use in concrete production and road builds located in Vancouver, Canada, in the sale of all of its issued and outstanding common shares to U.S. Concrete, Inc.
- We advised Exeter Resource Corporation, a metal ore mining company located in Vancouver, Canada, in the sale of all of its issued and outstanding shares to Goldcorp Inc., a senior gold producer located in Vancouver, Canada.
- We advised GRP Minerals Corp., a precious metal mining company located in Denver, Colorado, in the purchase of all of the outstanding common shares of Fiore Exploration Ltd.
- Dorsey served as U.S. counsel to Endeavour Silver Corporation in a $116,326,000 Shelf for Common Shares, Warrants, Subscription Receipts, Debt Securities and Units of Endeavour Silver Corp. and advised Silver Crest metals in connection with its public listing on the NYSE- American.
Representative Clients
No two clients are alike, but experience and insights gained in one relationship make our relationship with you more productive and valuable. Some clients and recent engagements include the following:
Industries & Practices
Canada Cross-Border Transactions
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practiceCorporate Governance & Compliance
Explore This Practice View client achievements related to this practice View resources related to this practice- Canada Cross-Border Transactions
- Capital Markets
- Corporate Governance & Compliance
- Mergers & Acquisitions
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