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 networth 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 Lark Entertainment 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 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/operator of Mercury Filmworks, a leading global animation studio, in the purchase of the minority interest in the company.
• Represented Thunderbird Entertainment in connection with the acquisition of a distribution company in the UK.
• Represented a Canadian producer in connection with the sale of a minority interest in his companies to a major U.S. network.

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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 the television series 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” on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to No Trace Camping (David Gross and Jesse Shapira) 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” on Amazon Prime.
• Legal counsel to Robert C. Cooper, the executive producer, writer, director and showrunner of the television series entitled “Unspeakable” on CBC and AMC.
• Legal counsel to Change of Pace Film and Graham Fraser, the producer of the motion picture entitled “Change of Pace” 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” 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” on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to Wind Sun Sky Entertainment Inc. and Skybound 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 Legendary Pictures in connection with the financing of a number of feature films and television series.
• Legal counsel to Air Bud Entertainment in connection with (i) the television series entitled “Super Pupz” on Netflix, and (ii) the television series entitled “Scaredy Cats” on Netflix.
• Legal counsel to Brightlight Pictures (Shawn Williamson), the producer of the feature film entitled “The 9th Life of Louis DRAX”, produced under the Canada/UK co-production treaty, and distributed by Miramax Pictures.
• Legal counsel to Tim Brown, the writer, director and producer of the Canada/Australia treaty co-production theatrical motion picture entitled “Buckley’s Chance” starring Bill Nighy.
• Legal counsel to the Canadian producer of the Canada/UK treaty co-production theatrical motion picture entitled “The Legend of Barney Thompson” starring Emma Thompson and directed by Robert Carlyle.
• Legal counsel to the creator and executive producers (Chris Haddock and Laura Lightbown) of the CBC television series entitled “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” for Netflix.
• Legal counsel to Unity Pictures (Ron French), the producer of the television series entitled “Cedar Cove”.
• 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 IMDB, the Amazon owned SVOD service.

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 2001),
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(ii) in the Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Technology, Media & Telecommunications Lawyers (since 2005),
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(iii) in the Who’s Who Legal: Sports & Entertainment,
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(iv) by The Best Lawyers in Canada (Woodward/White) directory, based on peer review (since 2007),
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(v) in Canadian Who’s Who, published by the University of Toronto Press,

(vi) by the  Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory, in entertainment law as “Most Frequently Recommended”,
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(vii) as the “Whistler Film Fest Society Industry Toast Honoree”, in recognition of his contribution to the Canadian entertainment industry and the Whistler Film Festival Society,

(viii) in Who’s Who in Canadian Film and Television, published for the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and
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(ix) by the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation bestowing him with the prestigious “Outstanding Achievement Award” in 2018.

Law Society of British Columbia