McGill University (1985 B.C.L., LL.B.; 1981 B.A.)

Call to the bar:

British Columbia (1992), Quebec (1986-2011), Ontario (1990-2014).

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Transactional experience representing private, corporate, and high net worth individuals in connection with share and asset acquisitions, investments, and sales. Transactions include:

• Represented Jennifer Kawaja and Julia Sereny in connection with their arrangement to secure Sienna Films within the Sphere Media group of companies.
• Represented the shareholders of Lark Entertainment (including Louise Clark) in connection with the sale of a minority equity interest to one of the largest media and entertainment conglomerates in the United States.
• Represented a public Canadian media and entertainment company in connection with the acquisition of a television production company, an animation studio and a factual series producer.
• Represented Brightlight Pictures and Shawn Williamson in connection with the sale of a minority equity interest to a U.S. investor.
• Represented a high net worth individual’s significant investments in a number of major Hollywood theatrical motion pictures.
• Represented the majority shareholder/chair of Mercury Filmworks, a leading global animation studio, in the purchase of the minority shareholders interest in the company.
• Represented a Canadian public company in connection with the acquisition of a distribution company in the UK.
• Represented a Canadian producer of motion pictures in connection with the sale of a minority interest in the company to a major U.S. cable network and distributor.
• Represented Lighthouse Pictures and its shareholders in connection with the sale of shares and assets of the company to a syndicate of buyers.
• Represented Rick Mischel (former Sony executive) in the acquisition of the assets of an animation studio in British Columbia.
• Represented Johnson Management Group, LLC in the sale of a majority interest in the company to two (2) significant international broadcast outlets.

ENTERTAINMENT LAW (PRODUCTION/FINANCING/EXPLOITATION)

• Legal counsel to the producers of the series entitled “A Series of Unfortunate Events” (two seasons) on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to the producers of the series entitled “Sacred Lies” (two seasons) on Facebook Watch.
• Legal counsel to Lionsgate Entertainment in connection with the CBC television series entitled “Ascension” and the television series entitled “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” on NBC.
• Legal counsel to the producers/financiers of the IMAX motion picture entitled “Great Bear Rainforest”.
• Legal counsel to Perfect Circle Productions (Dean English), the underlying rights holder and executive producer of two (2) seasons of the television series streamed on Netflix entitled “Warrior Nun”, based on the comic book by Ben Dunn.
• Legal counsel to the producers of the motion picture entitled “Coffee and Kareem”, starring Ed Helms, streamed on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to Cast & Crew Entertainment in connection with its Canadian business operations.
• Legal counsel to No Trace Camping in connection with the motion pictures entitled (a) “Goon” (starring Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, and Jay Baruchel), (b) “The F-Word” (starring Daniel Radcliffe), (c) the Academy Award® nominated feature film entitled “Room” (starring Brie Larson), which also won the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, (d) “Goon: Last of the Enforcers” (starring Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber, and Jay Baruchel), (e) “Kin” (starring James Franco and Jack Reynor) sold to Lions Gate Entertainment, and (f) “The Broken Heart Gallery” (starring Dacre Montgomery), sold to Sony Pictures
• Legal counsel to Sienna Films in connection with the license to CBC and HBO MAX of the television series entitled “Sort Of”.
• Legal counsel to Sienna Films in connection with the television series entitled “Queens of Coxwell” streamed on Amazon Prime.
• Legal counsel to Robert C. Cooper, the executive producer, writer, director and showrunner of the television series entitled “Unspeakable” broadcast on CBC and AMC.
• Legal counsel to Change of Pace Film and Graham & Sue Fraser, the producers of the motion picture entitled “Drinkwater” starring Eric McCormack.
• Legal counsel to the producers of the second and third motion picture sequels entitled “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” streamed on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to Mercury Filmworks (Clint Eland) in connection with a number of animated productions, including animated television series for Netflix and Disney+.
• Legal counsel to Brad Wright, the executive producer, writer, creator and showrunner for the television series entitled “Travelers” streamed on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to Wind Sun Sky Entertainment Inc. (Catherine Winder) on numerous properties and productions, including the animated television series entitled “Invincible” on Amazon Prime, based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman.
• Legal counsel to Air Bud Entertainment in connection with (i) the television series entitled “Super Pupz” streamed on Netflix, (ii) the television series entitled “Scaredy Cats” streamed on Netflix, and (iii) the animated television series “Air Buddies” with DreamWorks Animation.
• Legal counsel to Lark Entertainment in connection with the structure of the rights flow and production of the television series “Law & Order: Toronto”.
• Legal counsel to Chris Bartleman and Robert Turner, the creators and executive producers of the television series entitled “Undercurrent”.
• Legal counsel to Tim J. Brown, as the writer, director and a producer of (i) the Canada/Australia treaty co-production theatrical motion picture entitled “Buckley’s Chance” starring Bill Nighy, and (ii) the theatrical motion picture entitled “The Retirement Plan” starring Nicholas Cage and Ron Perlman.
• Legal counsel to the Canadian producer (John Lenic) of the Canada/UK treaty co-production theatrical motion picture entitled “The Legend of Barney Thompson” starring Emma Thompson and Robert Carlyle, and directed by Robert Carlyle.
• Legal counsel to the creator, writer and executive producers (Chris Haddock and Laura Lightbown) of the CBC television series entitled “Da Vinci’s Inquest”, “Da Vinci City Hall”, “Intelligence” and “The Romeo Section”.
• Legal counsel to Rovio Entertainment, the owner of the popular video game “Angry Birds” franchise, in connection with the production, financing and exploitation of the animated theatrical motion picture entitled “Angry Birds”.
• Legal counsel to the producers (Tim Johnson and Oliver De Caigny) of (i) the television series entitled “Strange Empire” on CBC, (ii) the motion picture entitled “The Reckoning”, and (iii) the motion picture entitled “The Noel Diary” streamed on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to Johnson Management Group, LLC in connection with its Output Agreement with a major US broadcaster.
• Legal counsel to Lark Entertainment in connection with the television series entitled “Motive” on ABC in the United States and on CTV in Canada, and the factual series entitled “The Real Housewives of Vancouver” and “The Real Housewives of Toronto”.
• Legal counsel to ITV Studios in connection with the television series entitled “The Good Witch” (7 seasons), on Hallmark and W Network.
• Legal counsel to William Shatner, the star, creator and executive producer of “The Captains” and “Shatner’s World”.
• Legal counsel to Brent Butt and David Storey, the executive producers of the iconic television series entitled “Corner Gas” (6 seasons) on CTV, the feature films entitled “Corner Gas: The Feature Film” and “No Clue”, as well as the animated television series entitled “Corner Gas: Animated” (4 seasons) licensed to Bell Media and Frevee, the Amazon-owned SVOD service.
• Legal counsel to Lane 4 Entertainment in connection with the financing, production and exploitation of the documentary about the life of Dennis “Chip” Wilson, the founder of Lululemon.
• Legal counsel to Lido Productions and Donna Leon, the author of 34 novels, in connection with the option of those novels by 20^th Television (Disney).
• Canadian legal counsel to TOEI Animation in connection with the motion pictures entitled “Knights of the Zodiac” and “Intergalactic”.
• Canadian legal counsel to Miramax Films in connection with a number of productions being developed in Canada.

Arthur is recognized as one of Canada’s leading entertainment law practitioners, including his recognition:

(i)       in the “Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada”, compiled by            Lexpert/American Lawyer (since 2002),

(ii)      ranked by Chambers and Partners Canada in Media & Entertainment,

(iii)     in the Euromoney Legal Media Group’s “Guide to the World’s Leading Technology,             Media & Telecommunications Lawyers” (since 2002),

(iv)     in the “Who’s Who Legal: Sports & Entertainment”, since its inception,

(v)      by “The Best Lawyers in Canada” (Woodward/White) directory, based on peer             review (since 2006),

(vi)     by “Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer”, a prestigious recognition based on a            14,000+ global database published by Thomson Reuters,

(vii)    in “Canadian Who’s Who”, published by the University of Toronto Press,

(viii)   in “Who’s Who Legal: Telecoms, Media & Entertainment” published by Law             Business Research,

(ix)     by the  “Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory”, in entertainment law as “Most             Frequently Recommended”,

(x)      as the “Whistler Film Festival Society Industry Toast Honoree” (along with Jason             Priestly and Bill Thumm), in recognition of his contribution to the Canadian             entertainment industry and the Whistler Film Festival Society,

(xi)    in “Who’s Who in Canadian Film and Television”, published for the Academy of            Canadian Cinema and Television, and

(xii)    by the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation bestowing him with the             prestigious “Outstanding Achievement Award” in 2018.

The firm has been voted as one of the “Top 10 Corporate Law Boutiques in Canada” in Canadian Lawyer Magazine in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 , 2023 and 2024.

The firm has been recognized as one of “Canada’s Best Law Firms for 2025” by The Globe & Mail, and Statista.

Law Society of British Columbia