Karen L. MacMillan,

Karen handles commercial agreements and corporate transactions across the mining industry, with particular strength in asset purchases and dispositions. One client praised her "speed of service and ability to analyse," adding: "She is a superb lawyer."

- Chambers Canada, 2021 Guide 

Karen is Lawson Lundell's Deputy Managing Partner and Chair of its Executive Committee, as well as Co-Leader of the firm's Mining Group. Karen practices corporate/commercial, mining and energy law with an emphasis on commercial arrangements in the mining sector including asset level acquisitions and dispositions, negotiation of earn-in, option and joint venture agreements, royalty agreements, procurement, construction and engineering agreements, and other strategic ownership arrangements. She also regularly advises clients in the energy sector in connection with the ownership and development of major power generation projects, power purchase and sale agreements, renewable energy transactions and a variety of related commercial/contracting matters.

In addition, Karen has represented domestic and foreign-based clients in various industries on general business law matters involving domestic and cross-border transactions. Karen’s experience includes advising on share and asset acquisitions and divestitures, licensing arrangements, corporate and contractual joint venture arrangements, and debt and equity financings. Her experience covers a range of sectors and industries including energy, mining, forestry, pulp and paper, financial services, consumer products manufacturing and distribution, recreation and resorts, transportation and education.

Karen has also had the opportunity during the course of her career to work in-house with clients in the energy and forest-products sectors where she focused primarily on procurement, construction and engineering and other contracting matters.

In addition to her practice, Karen was Lawson Lundell’s first Chief Inclusiveness Officer. In this capacity, she was responsible for designing, implementing and measuring the success of the firm’s diversity and inclusiveness improvement programs.

• Lawson Lundell Executive Committee, Chair
• World Association of Mining Lawyers, Advisory Council

• Family Services of Greater Vancouver, Board of Directors

• Chambers Canada:
  • Energy & Natural Resources: Mining: Development and Operations - Nationwide (Band 2), 2025
  • Energy & Natural Resources: Mining - Nationwide (Band 4), 2024-2025
• Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Mining Law (Leading Practitioner), 2023-2024
• Thomson Reuters: Stand-out Lawyer, 2023-2024
• The Legal 500 Canada: Energy & Natural Resources - Mining (Leading Individual), 2022-2025
• Chambers Global: Mining - International & Cross-Border (Band 4), 2023-2024
• Who's Who Legal:
  • Mining (Global Guide), 2024
  • Mining (Canada), 2023
• Best Lawyers in Canada: Mining Law, 2020-2022
• Lexpert Zenith Award: recognized as a leader within the legal profession for her outstanding contribution in Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion (LINK), 2016
• Wendy McDonald Award: Outstanding Mentor-Sponsor, 2015

Mining and Natural Resources

Representative transactions include advising:

• Newmont Corporation on an arrangement agreement in which Newmont agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of GT Gold that Newmont did not already own. The total equity value pursuant to the transaction is approximately $456 million on a fully diluted basis. 
• Newmont Corporation in its joint venture integration of the Alumbrera mine, plant and infrastructure with Yamana Gold’s Agua Rica project to create the integrated MARA project. 
• Barrick Gold with respect to an agreement to sell its 100% interest in the Lagunas Norte mine in Peru to Boroo Pte Ltd.
• Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. in connection with negotiation and documentation of a Strategic Alliance Agreement and Joint Venture Agreements for the exploration and development of mineral properties in North and South America
• Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. on its acquisition of two Mexican gold projects
• Anvil Mining in connection with negotiating terms for copper offtake of the Kinsevere copper mine
• Anvil Mining Limited on its C$1.3 billion friendly acquisition by Minmetals Resources Limited
• B2Gold Corp. in negotiating exploration, option and joint venture arrangements in Colombia, Russia, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Europe and various African jurisdictions
• B2Gold Corp. in connection with the development of the Fekola Mine in Mali
• Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. on its acquisition of an interest in the Decar project from First Point Minerals Ltd
• Doe Run Canadian Exploration ULC in respect to  exploration activities in Canada
• Hope Bay Mining Ltd., a subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corp., in the sale of the Hope Bay gold mine in Nunavut to TMAC Resources Inc
• KGHM International Ltd. in connection with the development of the Ajax project in British Columbia
• Newmont Mining Corp. on its agreements to acquire a 50 percent interest in the Galore Creek Partnership from NOVAGOLD Resources Inc., and to form a partnership with Teck Resources Limited, who owns the remaining stake.
• Newmont Mining Corp. on its option and joint venture agreements in Canada
• Newmont Mining Corp. on its acquisition of Fronteer Gold Inc. including its Long-Canyon, Northumberland, and Sandman projects in Nevada for C$2.3 billion
• Newmont Mining with respect to its corporate reorganization of mining assets in connection with the sale of its Indonesian mining operations
• Paladin Energy Ltd with respect to private placements of US$575 million convertible notes
• Sector Resources Canada Ltd. on the acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties throughout Canada on corporate and commercial matters including negotiation and drafting of a multi-year development and mining agreement related to the Spruce Creek placer project in Northern BC
• Troy Resources Limited purchase of the Casposo Gold-Silver Project in Argentina from Intrepid Mines Limited
• Vintage Mining Corp. on its acquisition of mining properties in Spain and Portugal
• Various mining companies with respect to major construction and procurement matters and a variety of corporate commercial arrangements in connection with projects in North America, South America and Africa
• Preparation of project specific, standard form "suites" of documents for use by procurement managers in all of their purchasing activities from construction through ongoing mining operations

Forestry

Representative transactions include advising:

• A major Canadian forest products company on numerous acquisitions of key production assets and equipment and various construction, procurement and contracting matters
• A major British Columbia based forest product company in the disposition of a coastal pulp and paper manufacturing facility and related assets
• A major Canadian wood fibre-based paper company on the sale of a pulp and paper distributor to a fiber products provider

Energy

Representative transactions include advising:

• SaskPower in connection with the commercial, regulatory and tax issues related to the ownership and development of a hydro electric project, including commercial negotiation of project structure agreements, Reserve land use, and advising taxation on reserve lands, and conflicts of federal and provincial laws related to the Reserve lands
• An energy company that operates in Western Canada with the negotiation of highly specialized contracts for the sale of electric energy and/or associated green attributes to California parties
• BC Hydro on commercial matters with respect to the purchase of the Waneta Dam, a hydroelectric dam with a generating capacity of 480 megawatts, in Trail, British Columbia

Other

Representative transactions include advising:

• A Canadian-based purchaser in negotiating and completing the acquisition of one of Western Canada’s premiere golf and vacation resorts
• A major U.S.-based owner, operator and developer of ski and golf resorts in the acquisition of a British Columbia ski resort
• Lakota Canada, a Canadian-based manufacturer of natural healthcare products and supplements, in connection with licensing and distribution matters in Canada and internationally
• A Canadian manufacturer of packaging and paper products in negotiating the acquisition of a Quebec-based manufacturer with cross-border operations
• A major Canadian railway company on licensing arrangements and commercial cross-border and domestic matters related to its North American fibre optic network
• A leading Canadian private equity firm in connection with various acquisitions and dispositions including:
  • the negotiation and completion of the $200 million acquisition of a US-based plastics manufacturing company
  • the acquisition of a multi-national food-products manufacturing company
  • the acquisition of an Ontario based food-products manufacturing company