Karen is Lawson Lundell's Managing Partner as well as Co-Lead of the firm's Global Mining Group. She practices corporate/commercial, mining, and energy law with an emphasis on commercial arrangements in the mining and energy sectors. She has significant experience with asset-level acquisitions and dispositions, earn-in, option and joint venture agreements, royalty agreements, procurement, construction and engineering agreements, and other complex ownership arrangements.

In the energy sector, Karen regularly advises clients on the ownership and development of major power generation projects, power purchase and sale agreements, renewable energy transactions, and other commercial contracting matters.

Karen also counsels domestic and international clients across industries on general business law issues. Her experience includes share and asset acquisitions and divestitures, licensing arrangements, corporate and contractual joint ventures, and debt and equity financings. She has worked with clients across a variety of sectors, including mining, energy, forestry, pulp and paper, financial services, consumer products manufacturing and distribution, recreation and resorts, transportation, and education.

Karen has also had the opportunity during the course of her career to work in-house with clients in the energy and forest-products sectors where she focused primarily on procurement, construction and engineering and other contracting matters.

Karen was Lawson Lundell's first Chief Inclusiveness Officer, leading the firm's diversity and inclusiveness initiatives through the design, implementation, and measurement of firm-wide improvement programs.

Languages
English
Joined the Law Firm in
1999

Bar Admissions
Called to the Nunavut Bar, 2022
Called to the Yukon Bar, 2021
Called to the Saskatchewan Bar, 2016
Called to the British Columbia Bar, 1999

Education
Simon Fraser University (B.A., 1995)
University of British Columbia (LL.B., 1998)

Significant Accomplishments
* Newmont Corporation on an arrangement agreement in which Newmont agreed to acquire all of the outstanding shares of GT Gold that Newmont did not already own. The total equity value pursuant to the transaction is approximately $456 million on a fully diluted basis.
* Newmont Corporation in its joint venture integration of the Alumbrera mine, plant and infrastructure with Yamana Gold's Agua Rica project to create the integrated MARA project.
Barrick Gold with respect to an agreement to sell its 100% interest in the Lagunas Norte mine in Peru to Boroo Pte Ltd.
* Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. in connection with negotiation and documentation of a Strategic Alliance Agreement and Joint Venture Agreements for the exploration and development of mineral properties in North and South America
Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. on its acquisition of two Mexican gold projects.
* Anvil Mining in connection with negotiating terms for copper offtake of the Kinsevere copper mine.
* Anvil Mining Limited on its C$1.3 billion friendly acquisition by Minmetals Resources Limited.
* B2Gold Corp. in negotiating exploration, option and joint venture arrangements in Colombia, Russia, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Europe and various African jurisdictions.
* B2Gold Corp. in connection with the development of the Fekola Mine in Mali.
* Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. on its acquisition of an interest in the Decar project from First Point Minerals Ltd.
* Doe Run Canadian Exploration ULC in respect to exploration activities in Canada.
* Hope Bay Mining Ltd., a subsidiary of Newmont Mining Corp., in the sale of the Hope Bay gold mine in Nunavut to TMAC Resources Inc.
* KGHM International Ltd. in connection with the development of the Ajax project in British Columbia.
* Newmont Mining Corp. on its agreements to acquire a 50 percent interest in the Galore Creek Partnership from NOVAGOLD Resources Inc., and to form a partnership with Teck Resources Limited, who owns the remaining stake.

Additional Information
Rankings & Recognition
* Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2023-2026: Mining Law (Leading Practitioner)
* Chambers Global 2026: Mining - International & Cross-Border (Band 3)
* Thomson Reuters 2023-2026: Stand-Out Lawyer
* The Legal 500 Canada 2022-2026: Energy & Natural Resources - Mining (Leading Individual)
* Lexology Index Canada 2025: Mining
* Chambers Canada 2026: Energy & Natural Resources: Mining - Nationwide (Band 4)
* Chambers Canada 2025-2026: Energy & Natural Resources: Mining: Development and Operations - Nationwide (Band 2)
* Chambers Global 2023-2025: Mining - International & Cross-Border (Band 4)

• Responses to Gaps in Government Programs for Growth Stage Innovation Companies

  By Karen MacMillan, Kellan McKeen |April 2020

Additional ArticlesKaren Macmillan's article, "Canadian miners rebuilding community trust in Latin America", in Business in Vancouver (May 5, 2015), Author

After Tsilhqot'in - Aboriginal Issues for Project Proponents North of 60, The Northern Miner (November 4, 2014)

Lexpert Special Edition on Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining publishes Lawson Lundell article on "Engagement with Aboriginal Groups as a Threshold Issue in Mining Development" (Fall 2014)

Canada Chapter: The International Comparative Legal Guide to Mining Law 2015

-Å"Polar Mining: The Next Frontier-, Resource World (April 2014)

Lexpert Special Edition on Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining publishes Lawson Lundell article on polar mining "The Next Frontier" (October 31, 2013), Author

Mining Report: Alliances set stage for the future (March 19, 2013), Author

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Transition Disclosure Update (February 25, 2010)

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