Navigating the Path to Partnership: Impact Benefit Agreements and Equity Ownership in Canadian Mining

This course will deliver a dynamic and practical exploration of impact benefit agreements (IBAs) and equity participation structures in the Canadian mining sector, focusing on how these instruments are evolving to reflect a new era of partnership and shared ownership in mining projects.

Participants will examine the shifting legal, regulatory, and industry forces reshaping how benefit agreements are negotiated and structured in the mining context, and will come away with practical strategies for developing IBAs that are meaningful, implementable, and built to grow with the project. Drawing on real-world mining scenarios, participants will work through the complex considerations that arise across the mine lifecycle, including governance, risk allocation, regulatory approvals, and the practical realities of building relationships grounded in trust and mutual benefit.

The course will also go beyond impact benefit frameworks to provide a practical, ground-level introduction to equity ownership. Participants will be walked through the key stages of deal structuring, from memorandums of understanding and term sheets through to shareholders’ agreements and long-term financing arrangements, and will develop an understanding of the due diligence process, including how to evaluate a prospective project partner, assess project viability, and identify key risks before committing to an equity position. The course will cover deal structuring fundamentals across partnership structures such as limited partnerships, corporations, and joint ventures, as well as how to finance Indigenous equity participation. Participants will also explore strategies for protecting equity returns and will come away with practical guidance on avoiding common pitfalls such as misaligned strategies, rushed decision-making, and exclusivity and confidentiality traps.