Dentons Canada acted as lead counsel for Berkshire Hathaway Energy in connection with the recently announced acquisition agreement entered into by Berkshire Hathaway Energy, previously known as MidAmerican Energy Holdings, whereby a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy will acquire AltaLink, a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Berkshire Hathaway Energy will purchase 100 percent of AltaLink for approximately CDN$3.2 billion (approximately US$2.9 billion) in cash.

The Dentons Canada team advising Berkshire Hathaway Energy is led by Allen Garson and includes Gavin Sinclair, Andrew Bourns and Lampros Stougiannos (corporate); Dennis Langen (energy regulatory); and Sandy Walker and Adam Goodman (corporate regulatory).

AltaLink is a regulated transmission-only business, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with assets of C$5.9 billion as of December 31, 2013, and 2013 revenues of C$534.1 million.  AltaLink’s assets include 280 substations and approximately 12,000 kilometers of transmission lines that help serve 3 million Albertans, which represents 85 percent of the population.

The transaction has been approved by the SNC-Lavalin and Berkshire Hathaway Energy boards of directors, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including required approvals. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of 2014. AltaLink will operate as a separate company under Berkshire Hathaway Energy with its current name and will continue to be headquartered and managed in Calgary.