Shahen Mirakian

First Year of Call
2002 Ontario

Areas of Practice
Financial Services

Description
Shahen Mirakian is a capital markets and securities lawyer with a dynamic practice focused on derivative products, dealer and adviser registration and compliance, investment funds, and lending. The 2022 edition of the IFLR1000 Financial and Corporate Guide recognizes him in the areas of banking and investment funds. He is a leader of the firm’s Structured Finance, Derivatives & Securitization Group.

Involved in the structuring and documentation of a broad range of financial products, Shahen has particular expertise in equity and energy derivatives. He represents Canadian and international banks and brokers, sovereign entities, public and private investment funds, and end users.

Acting for physical metals brokers, international futures commission merchants, foreign exchange dealers, domestic and foreign investment fund managers, and US financial institutions, Shahen assists clients in navigating the complex and rapidly changing Canadian registration and compliance regime. He deals regularly with securities regulators, self-regulatory organizations, anti-money laundering authorities, exchanges and clearing houses on their behalf.

Shahen has particular experience advising on margin loans collateralized by control block securities of TSX-listed issuers. He is familiar with the secured transaction, insolvency and tax issues that characterize these transactions, and has assisted domestic and international lenders on loans ranging from $50 million to over $1.2 billion.

Working with public and private entities on the establishment and operation of investment funds, Shahen advises on choosing the form of organization, obtaining requisite securities and corporate registrations, preparing organizational and disclosure documents, and complying with ongoing regulatory requirements.

Shahen was appointed to a three-year term on the Securities Advisory Committee of the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) on the strength of his expertise in derivatives and novel financial products. Prior to joining McMillan, he worked in corporate debt research at a leading Canadian investment dealer, where he helped prepare the first study on Canadian high-yield debt as a unique asset class. Shahen has completed levels I, II and III of the chartered financial analyst (CFA) examinations, and levels I and II of the chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) examinations.