Take a moment to meet our lawyers — they are the people who truly allow us to offer the quality of service for which we are known.

PRACTICE PROFILE

Michael Roche is a Partner whose practice is focused on business and commercial law. He is a member of the firm’s Corporate/Commercial, Construction Law, Transportation, Environmental, and Health Law Practice Groups.

Mr. Roche’s corporate and business practice has an emphasis on corporate and financial structuring and restructuring, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, workouts, joint ventures, complex and international contractual matters, and corporate governance. Mr. Roche has particular expertise in advising manufacturers and exporters of products and technologies, including important international long term supply contracts and the protection and international licensing and distribution of intellectual property. Mr. Roche served on the Board of Directors of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, B.C. Division and was a member of CME’s Governance Committee for seven years until December 31, 2008.

His construction industry experience includes the preparation and negotiation of tender process materials, standard and custom commercial and governmental forms, design/build agreements, project and construction management agreements, prime, trade and material supply contracts, consultants’ agreements and bonding facilities.

Mr. Roche’s health law experience centers on the preparation and negotiation of major agreements for the contracting out of certain hospital services and IT and other equipment procurement contracts for several of BC’s health authorities, and the consolidation and merger of some of BC’s largest hospitals.

Mr. Roche’s transportation practice includes advising cross-border freight forwarders, advising importers and exporters with respect to their contractual relationships and in all aspects of their international and domestic operations including the carriage of goods by sea, advising towboat operators in all aspects of their business, the acquisition and disposition of ships and aircraft of every type and other complex maritime and aerospace contractual matters.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• Has recently acted for a major forest industry company regarding a major upgrade to its facilities including the preparation, negotiation and settlement of all tender process documents and procurement contracts;
• Has acted as lead counsel in negotiating and documenting the international acquisition, management, refurbishment, and chartering of a large passenger cruise ship;
• Regularly advises tow boat operators with respect to towing contracts, vessel construction and acquisition and refit, and with respect to their other contractual and corporate affairs; 
• Has for many years provided comprehensive legal advice to a major freight-forwarding company transporting goods cross-border, including providing advice and managing legal issues such as corporate structuring, labour and employment issues, customs and excise, sufferage warehouse issues, contractual matters and the acquisition and development of real property; 
• Has acted for one of Canada’s largest aerospace manufacturing companies in all aspects of its business including negotiating and documenting complicated design/manufacturing partnerships and other contractual relationships with major international aircraft manufacturers; 
• Has acted for a number of years for a major international construction materials manufacturer and supplier advising on corporate structuring and re-structuring, acquisitions, dispositions, environmental issues, and the acquisition, mining, processing and distribution of aggregates and aggregates products; 
• Provides regular advice to major Canadian and International manufacturers in all aspects of their businesses including complicated and leading edge supply chain management agreements, product liability, import and export, and customer supply agreements; 
• Has assisted major health care facilities with the public tender, negotiation and settlement of major long-term service provider contracts; 
• Represents a number of architectural, engineering and accounting firms in all aspects of their businesses; 
• Has provided comprehensive legal assistance to numerous developers of software and other intellectual property, from start-up to production and international licensing; 
• Has assisted clients in the acquisition of aircraft of many types from single engine rotary machines to corporate jets; 
• Regularly provides advice to major national and International professional consulting firms providing services to the business, health care and educational sectors; 
• Has provided comprehensive legal advice to companies involved in the gaming industry in British Columbia; 
• Has provided corporate governance and general legal advise to the British Columbia component of a major international charity.
  

PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS

• Canadian Bar Association, Member
• Vancouver Bar Association, Member
• British Columbia Board of Directors of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, Former Member
• West Vancouver’s Hollyburn Country Club, Former Director