Caroline Watton, ICD.D

About Caroline

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Caroline is a leading business law partner in our St. John’s and Charlottetown offices with a focus on banking and financial services, commercial financing and secured transactions, corporate and commercial real estate.

Caroline advises financial institutions and corporate clients on corporate lending matters.  She has advised lenders and borrowers in financing transactions across a wide range of industries and sectors, including agriculture, commercial property development, education, fishing, health care, hospitality, mining, pulp and paper, retail and shipping.  Her significant experience includes the structuring of security and drafting of commitment letters, loan agreements and security documentation. She has acted in the placement of a broad range of credit facilities including real property, general corporate financings, acquisition and restructuring financings, inventory and equipment financings and sale of loan interests.  She also advises lenders in commercial enforcement matters including the vetting of and provision of opinions on the priority and enforceability of security.

In addition, Caroline provides strategic legal advice to startups, SME’s and large corporations on a wide range of corporate transactions and general corporate matters, including advising business owners, partnerships and corporations on business transactions involving reorganizations, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, asset and share purchases, and commercial leasing.  Caroline regularly provides advice to her clients on corporate governance and shareholder matters including shareholder disputes.

Caroline is active in her community and profession.  She lectures in the area of business acquisitions and divestitures at the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar Admissions Course and also presents to the Newfoundland Bar Society on corporate and commercial legal issues. She is the Chair of the firm’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee in St. John’s, and sits on the firm-wide Corporate Social Responsibility Steering Committee.

Caroline is a member of 100 Women Who Care – St. John’s and an Event Leader for the Ronald McDonald House Red Shoe Crew Walk for Families.  She is currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Newfoundland and Labrador Organization of Women Entrepreneurs. She is a past Director of the St. John’s Board of Trade and the Board of Directors of McInnes Cooper.

A member of the Financial Services and Restructuring Practice Group, Caroline is the firm’s Client Service Team leader for one of Canada’s leading chartered banks.  Caroline is recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory for her work in Banking and Finance Law and Corporate Commercial Law.