Leonard, Street and Deinard attorney James Bertrand was among those honored April 15 in Toronto when longtime firm client Canadian Pacific Railway was recognized with the Canadian "Deal of the Year" award.

The gala event recognized the accomplishments of legal and financial advisors and strategists who have shaped significant dealmaking in Canada.

In 2007 Bertrand and a legal team from Leonard, Street and Deinard assisted Canadian Pacific Railway in the $1.48 billion merger of one of its subsidiaries with the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad Corporation (DM&E). With this value-enhancing transaction, Canadian Pacific extends the reach of its international rail network by some 2,500 miles and positions itself as the leading transporter of Midwestern commodities, including grain, ethanol and other agricultural products.

As the largest regional railroad in the United States, the DM&E is the only Class II railroad that connects and interchanges traffic with all seven of North America's large, Class I railroads. The DM&E serves eight states: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming, and provides service to the key Midwestern cities of Chicago, Minneapolis/Saint Paul and Kansas City.

Leonard, Street and Deinard is among Minnesota's largest law firms, with offices in Minneapolis, St. Cloud and Mankato, Minnesota, and in Washington, D.C. From its regional base, Leonard, Street and Deinard serves clients throughout the United States and internationally. The firm employs more than 200 attorneys in more than 40 practice areas and, since its founding in 1922, has helped generations of clients achieve their business objectives through astute legal advice complemented by good common sense. To learn more about our tradition of exceptional service, visit Leonard, Street and Deinard's Web site at www.leonard.com.