Davies Announces New Toronto Managing Partner

TORONTO, Feb. 25 /CNW/ - Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP announced today that Shawn McReynolds, a member of the firm's Management Committee, will be appointed as Managing Partner of the firm's Toronto office effective June 1, 2010. Mr. McReynolds will succeed William M. O'Reilly who will retire as Managing Partner at the end of May, after more than 14 years in that position. Mr. O'Reilly will continue to be active as a partner of the firm, working closely with the Management Committee and other partners on various strategic initiatives.

Mr. McReynolds has been a partner in the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate Finance & Securities practices in Toronto for more than 24 years. He has represented both issuers and underwriters in numerous domestic and international underwritings and offerings and regularly advises public companies and institutional investors on corporate governance issues. He has also represented acquirers, targets, controlling shareholders and committees of independent directors in the mergers and acquisitions, both negotiated and unsolicited, of many public companies. Mr. McReynolds is a former Chairman of the Securities Advisory Committee to the Ontario Securities Commission and has taught securities law at McGill University and Osgoode Hall Law School.

"Shawn is the obvious and unanimous choice of the partners to assume this role", said Bill O'Reilly. "He is universally respected as a practitioner, inside the firm and within the wider business and legal communities. Shawn understands the firm's business and has been active in firm management for many years, including two terms as a member of the Management Committee. He has the complete trust of our partners."

Mr. McReynolds is recognized as one of Canada's leading mergers & acquisitions and capital markets law practitioners by Lexpert(R), Chambers Global, Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Capital Markets Lawyers - Best of the Best, the International Who's Who of Capital Markets Lawyers, Best Lawyers in Canada and the PLC Which lawyer? Yearbook.

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is an integrated firm of more than 240 lawyers with offices in Toronto, Montréal and New York. The firm is focused on business law and is consistently at the heart of the largest and most complex commercial and financial matters on behalf of its clients, regardless of borders.

For further information: or to secure a photo, please contact: Graham Ross, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, [email protected], [phone]