Globe says Aphria shopping around for new law firm

Aphria Inc (C:APHA)
Shares Issued 249,762,289
Last Close 12/11/2018 $8.20
Wednesday December 12 2018 - In the News

The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday edition that Aphria and its law firm, Stikeman Elliott LLP, are expected to cut ties after a deal by the cannabis company to buy assets in Jamaica, Colombia and Argentina came under heavy scrutiny from investors. 

The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that over the summer, Stikeman lawyers advised Aphria on the acquisition of assets in the three countries from Scythian Biosciences. 

Aphria and some of its executives, including chief executive officer Vic Neufeld, were shareholders in Scythian, which they disclosed. 

Scythian netted a large gain on the deal, which was worth $193-million in stock at the time it was announced. 

On Dec. 3, the acquisition was called into question by two U.S. short-sellers who alleged that Aphria bought assets of questionable value at valuations that were "vastly inflated or outright fabrications." 

Aphria initially responded by saying that the allegations were "a malicious and self-serving attempt to profit by manipulating Aphria's stock price." On Thursday, the Leamington, Ont., company appointed a special committee to review the Scythian acquisitions. 

Mr. Neufeld told The Globe, "As of today, Stikeman is still our corporate counsel."

© 2018 Canjex Publishing Ltd.

House Positions for C:APHA from 20181212 to 20181212

House	Bought	$Val	Ave	Sold	$Val	Ave	Net	$Net
7 TD Sec	4,042,888	32,392,420	8.012	3,295,667	26,408,407	8.013	747,221	-5,984,013
2 RBC	1,414,750	11,334,068	8.011	1,186,622	9,524,331	8.026	228,128	-1,809,737
124 Questrade	520,271	4,171,095	8.017	408,037	3,268,174	8.01	112,234	-902,921
13 Instinet	605,165	4,835,430	7.99	533,650	4,276,081	8.013	71,515	-559,349
65 Goldman	72,746	580,729	7.983	2,100	16,737	7.97	70,646	-563,992
19 Desjardins	250,022	2,002,766	8.01	188,645	1,507,902	7.993	61,377	-494,864
80 National Bank	609,137	4,888,337	8.025	562,285	4,512,415	8.025	46,852	-375,922
101 SG Capital	39,200	313,586	8.00	2,000	16,421	8.211	37,200	-297,165
99 Jitney	902,000	7,210,022	7.993	874,100	6,999,678	8.008	27,900	-210,344
59 PI	34,100	271,095	7.95	12,900	102,925	7.979	21,200	-168,170
79 CIBC	4,988,100	40,025,931	8.024	4,970,480	39,830,677	8.013	17,620	-195,254
14 ITG	16,941	138,375	8.168	535	4,206	7.862	16,406	-134,169
143 Pershing	30,805	246,647	8.007	22,312	179,302	8.036	8,493	-67,345
35 Friedberg	7,004	57,013	8.14	0			7,004	-57,013
56 Edward Jones	5,821	45,958	7.895	2,740	21,951	8.011	3,081	-24,007
76 Industrial Alliance	2,300	18,075	7.859	0			2,300	-18,075
83 Mackie	1,300	10,439	8.03	0			1,300	-10,439
94 Hampton	1,000	8,460	8.46	0			1,000	-8,460
68 Leede	1,900	15,122	7.959	1,800	14,314	7.952	100	-808
48 Laurentian	400	3,200	8.00	400	3,148	7.87	0	-52
25 Odlum	41,000	327,008	7.976	41,000	328,603	8.015	0	1,595
36 Latimer	4,254	33,946	7.98	4,364	34,988	8.017	-110	1,042
89 Raymond James	0			225	1,788	7.947	-225	1,788
22 Fidelity	0			400	3,176	7.94	-400	3,176
90 Barclays	1,000	7,968	7.968	2,500	20,283	8.113	-1,500	12,315
24 Clarus	0			2,900	22,560	7.779	-2,900	22,560
6 Infor	3,000	23,785	7.928	7,000	56,525	8.075	-4,000	32,740
70 Manulife	3,300	26,597	8.06	10,000	77,500	7.75	-6,700	50,903
74 GMP	30,000	245,982	8.199	37,000	294,879	7.97	-7,000	48,897
62 Haywood	18,550	149,188	8.042	25,750	201,765	7.836	-7,200	52,577
57 Interactive	11,361	92,313	8.125	20,591	165,597	8.042	-9,230	73,284
33 Canaccord	3,446	27,681	8.033	20,140	160,305	7.96	-16,694	132,624
97 M Partners	0			29,500	231,618	7.851	-29,500	231,618
28 BBS	50,144	402,877	8.034	81,405	656,258	8.062	-31,261	253,381
17 Integral	0			37,500	305,250	8.14	-37,500	305,250
72 Credit Suisse	113	919	8.133	64,800	517,736	7.99	-64,687	516,817
9 BMO Nesbitt	555,005	4,439,328	7.999	620,479	4,937,163	7.957	-65,474	497,835
39 Merrill Lynch	874,975	7,019,355	8.022	944,219	7,593,002	8.042	-69,244	573,647
88 Credential	156,916	1,254,952	7.998	231,334	1,842,786	7.966	-74,418	587,834
55 Velocity	0			146,600	1,185,675	8.088	-146,600	1,185,675
1 Anonymous	2,902,361	23,250,619	8.011	3,082,420	24,718,949	8.019	-180,059	1,468,330
222 JP Morgan	100	817	8.17	180,900	1,465,620	8.102	-180,800	1,464,803
85 Scotia	1,057,493	8,473,085	8.012	1,307,867	10,507,373	8.034	-250,374	2,034,288
53 Morgan Stanley	51,213	413,722	8.078	346,914	2,742,842	7.906	-295,701	2,329,120
TOTAL	19,310,081	154,758,910	8.014	19,310,081	154,758,910	8.014	0	0

House Positions for C:WEED from 20181212 to 20181212

House	Bought	$Val	Ave	Sold	$Val	Ave	Net	$Net
7 TD Sec	604,331	26,435,529	43.743	410,084	17,913,373	43.682	194,247	-8,522,156
9 BMO Nesbitt	196,878	8,597,735	43.67	84,052	3,665,507	43.61	112,826	-4,932,228
65 Goldman	46,221	1,996,415	43.193	5,300	229,814	43.361	40,921	-1,766,601
1 Anonymous	1,060,317	46,218,300	43.589	1,028,929	44,917,389	43.655	31,388	-1,300,911
99 Jitney	55,500	2,421,338	43.628	25,700	1,130,517	43.989	29,800	-1,290,821
33 Canaccord	32,252	1,443,843	44.768	5,398	236,013	43.722	26,854	-1,207,830
2 RBC	288,284	12,603,159	43.718	263,277	11,506,073	43.703	25,007	-1,097,086
80 National Bank	44,826	1,964,890	43.834	32,826	1,429,245	43.54	12,000	-535,645
53 Morgan Stanley	50,065	2,161,826	43.18	38,740	1,696,054	43.78	11,325	-465,772
90 Barclays	11,806	513,210	43.47	1,200	51,408	42.84	10,606	-461,802
85 Scotia	187,163	8,209,685	43.864	176,624	7,760,938	43.94	10,539	-448,747
73 Cormark	9,400	418,822	44.556	0			9,400	-418,822
19 Desjardins	45,197	1,977,401	43.751	36,214	1,586,980	43.822	8,983	-390,421
124 Questrade	109,145	4,770,602	43.709	105,623	4,624,328	43.781	3,522	-146,274
143 Pershing	6,626	290,773	43.884	3,799	165,721	43.622	2,827	-125,052
22 Fidelity	2,700	119,410	44.226	500	21,440	42.88	2,200	-97,970
68 Leede	1,600	70,121	43.826	1,100	48,137	43.761	500	-21,984
28 BBS	3,185	139,096	43.672	2,730	118,695	43.478	455	-20,401
76 Industrial Alliance	400	17,556	43.89	0			400	-17,556
88 Credential	19,480	850,570	43.664	19,110	837,722	43.837	370	-12,848
36 Latimer	138	5,961	43.196	104	4,594	44.173	34	-1,367
25 Odlum	1,200	52,165	43.471	1,200	52,295	43.579	0	130
62 Haywood	2,800	122,988	43.924	2,800	124,004	44.287	0	1,016
89 Raymond James	0			30	1,319	43.967	-30	1,319
56 Edward Jones	293	12,856	43.877	517	22,586	43.687	-224	9,730
70 Manulife	0			450	19,567	43.482	-450	19,567
57 Interactive	2,953	129,689	43.918	3,577	158,133	44.208	-624	28,444
3 AltaCorp	11,324	496,510	43.846	12,154	532,667	43.826	-830	36,157
101 SG Capital	645	27,914	43.278	4,518	194,362	43.019	-3,873	166,448
5 Penson	62,767	2,751,421	43.835	67,448	2,953,050	43.783	-4,681	201,629
15 UBS	2,050	90,129	43.965	7,750	340,194	43.896	-5,700	250,065
222 JP Morgan	792	34,703	43.817	10,226	438,081	42.84	-9,434	403,378
13 Instinet	85,023	3,727,851	43.845	125,647	5,502,189	43.791	-40,624	1,774,338
39 Merrill Lynch	265,879	11,612,047	43.674	317,929	13,866,663	43.616	-52,050	2,254,616
14 ITG	3,947	171,273	43.393	79,420	3,439,512	43.308	-75,473	3,268,239
72 Credit Suisse	5,471	238,617	43.615	81,584	3,567,673	43.73	-76,113	3,329,056
79 CIBC	1,070,517	46,774,452	43.693	1,334,615	58,312,614	43.692	-264,098	11,538,162
TOTAL	4,291,175	187,468,857	43.687	4,291,175	187,468,857	43.687	0	0