George is a leading energy transactions lawyer with more than two decades of experience advising clients on private M&A, joint ventures, and project development across Canada’s energy sector. He is widely recognized for his counsel on complex commercial arrangements, asset acquisitions and divestitures, and infrastructure development.
George represents upstream producers, midstream operators, project developers and energy investors in structuring and negotiating transactions across the energy sector value chain, including conventional and unconventional oil and gas development, midstream and downstream facilities, LNG, carbon capture, energy transition, renewables and emerging energy technologies. His work spans the full lifecycle of energy projects — from early-stage development and permitting to construction, financing and exit.
George is recognized in a variety of respected ranking publications, including by Chambers Canada in the area of Energy, Oil and Gas (Transactional). He was also recognized by Best Lawyers as “Lawyer of the Year” (2022), as one of Canada’s leading lawyers in the areas of energy law and oil and gas law.
Representative Work
Prior to joining Osler:
- Vermilion Energy: Lead counsel to Vermilion on the acquisition of Westbrick Energy Ltd. for C$1.075 billion via Plan of Arrangement.
- Saturn Oil and Gas Inc.: Advised with respect to its transformational C$525 million asset acquisition from Veren Inc. and debt recapitalization, including advising with respect to Saturn’s $150 million reserves-based lending credit facility and a $100 million bought deal equity financing.
- Cenovus Energy: Advised Cenovus on its investment in the Duvernay area through the formation of Duvernay Energy Corp, a joint venture with Athabasca Oil Corp.
- Enbridge Inc.: Counsel to Enbridge in respect of the C$400 million acquisition of Aitken Creek gas natural gas storage facilities.
- Keyera: Advised Keyera in its acquisition of an additional 21% working interest in the Keyera Fort Saskatchewan complex from Plains Midstream Canada, for total cash consideration of $365 million.
- BP: Advised in connection with the sale of BP’s 50% interest in the Sunrise Oilsands project to Cenovus for $600 million in cash and a contingent payment of as much as $600 million. As part of the transaction, BP also acquired Cenovus’ 35% interest in the Bay du Nord oil project off Newfoundland and Labrador.
- BP: Advised in connection with the sale of BP’s 50% interest in the Pike JV oil sands joint venture to CNRL.
- Shell Canada: Advised the company on the $190 million sale of its upstream and midstream assets in the Foothills area of Alberta to Pieridae Energy.
- Meritage Midstream: Advised Meritage Midstream ULC on the sale of its Canadian midstream business to SemCams for sale proceeds of $600 million.
- Enbridge: Advised the company on the sale of its gas distribution business in New Brunswick to Algonquin Power for $331 million.
- Enhance: Advised Enhance on its commercial arrangements with Wolf Midstream regarding the Alberta Carbon Trunkline project.
- Cenovus Energy Inc.: Advised on the $940 million sale of its oil and gas properties and enhanced oil operations near Weyburn, Saskatchewan to Whitecap Resources Inc.
- Enbridge Inc.: Advising on the C$1.075 billion sale of its South Prairie Region Assets to Tundra Energy Marketing Limited.
- Enbridge Inc.: Advised and negotiated the long term transportation arrangements pertaining to the C$1.4 billion Norlite Pipeline Project pertaining to the transportation of diluent from the Enbridge Stonefell site near Edmonton to terminal and tank facilities near Fort McMurray.
- Enbridge Inc.: Advised and negotiated the joint venture arrangement with Keyera for the construction, ownership and operation of the C$1.4 billion Norlite Pipeline Project that will transport diluent from the Enbridge Stonefell site near Edmonton to terminal and tank facilities near Fort McMurray.
- Enbridge Inc.: Advised and negotiated long term transportation arrangements for various multi-billion dollar diluted bitumen pipeline projects in Athabasca oil sands region.
- Enbridge Inc.: Advised with respect to the agreement to transfer its Canadian liquids pipelines business held by Enbridge Pipelines Inc. and Enbridge Pipelines Athabasca Inc., and certain Canadian renewable energy assets, to a subsidiary of Enbridge Income Fund for consideration, including assumption of debt, valued at C$30.4 billion.
- Enbridge Inc.: Advised with respect to its C$538 million acquisition of Tupper Main and Tupper West gas plants and associated sales gas pipelines in northeastern B.C. from the Canadian subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corporation, and associated long term Midstream Services Agreement for processing and transportation of Murphy’s produced gas.
- BP Canada: Advisied in connection with its US$1.67 billion agreement to sell its Canadian natural gas liquids business to Plains Midstream Canada.
- BP Canada Energy: Advised on the sale of US$3.25 billion of assets to Apache Corporation and its affiliates.
- BP Canada Energy: Advised on the C$650 million sale to Devon NEC Corporation of a 50% interest in its Pike oilsands properties and its subsequent joint venture agreement to develop these properties with Devon Energy (June 2010).
- BP Canada: Advised on the C$10 billion cross-border joint venture transaction with Husky Energy Inc. respecting the Sunrise oil sands properties and Toledo refinery to form an integrated oil sands business and refining joint venture.
Awards and Recognition
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Named “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Oil and Gas Law, Calgary (2022)
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Lexpert’s Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: Recognized in Oil and Gas
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Chambers Canada: Energy: Recognized in Oil and Gas (Transactional)
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The Legal 500 Canada: Recognized in Energy and Natural Resources: Oil and Gas
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The Best Lawyers in Canada: Recognized in Energy Law; Oil and Gas Law; Natural Resources Law
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The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Recognized in Energy: Oil & Gas
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Lexpert Special Edition – Canada’s Leading Lawyers: Recognized in Energy; Corporate; Infrastructure
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Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer: Independently rated lawyer (formerly Acritas)
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Who’s Who Legal: Recognized in Energy
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Who’s Who Legal Canada: Recognized in Energy
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IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms: Recognized in Project Development
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Lexpert Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers under 40 (2013)
Media Mentions
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Osler News October 6, 2025
Energy lawyers George Antonopoulos and Mauryah McLaughlin join Osler’s Calgary office as partners
Energy lawyers George Antonopoulos and Mauryah McLaughlin join Osler’s Calgary office as partners.
Read more
Community Involvement
Member of board of directors for the Canadian Energy Law Foundation (CELF) whose purpose is to help foster understanding of the law relating to the energy industry by providing opportunities for energy practitioners to meet and exchange ideas. Also have an active role in the planning and execution of several CELF annual seminars in Jasper and the organization’s Energy Law Fundamentals Seminar for more junior energy practitioners.
Active participant in the planning and execution of the ABA negotiation competitions held annually for law students at several Canadian universities.
Speaking and Writing
Speaking Engagements
Panelist “Resource Futures Forum”, Alberta Chamber of Resources, 2024
Credentials
Education
- University of Saskatchewan, LLB
- University of Saskatchewan, B. Comm (with Distinction)
Languages
- English
- French
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of Alberta
- Canadian Bar Association
- Calgary Bar Association
