Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP leverages a broad national footprint, in addition to overseas office in London and New York, to support on a variety of public and private M&A matters, both domestic and multinational. Calgary lawyer Ross Bentley has transacted some of the largest capital market transactions and M&A deals over recent years, many of which are valued in the multi-billions, meanwhile, at the Toronto office, practice co-head David Kruse serves as a leading authority on all-manner of matters within the automotive sector. Based alongside him is Michael Gans, a go-to for both middle market and industry redefining deals, as well as Jeffrey Lloyd who supplements his dealmaking prowess with knowledge of corporate governance, shareholder activism and securities law. At the more junior end of the partnership spectrum, Linda Tu is a high-flyer, active on M&A, public and private offering transactions, disclosure requirements and corporate finance. The workload covers a far-reaching range of sectors including financial services, health and pharmaceuticals, insurance, food and beverage, gaming, power and automotive, among many others.

A firm with offices throughout Canada, in addition to London and New York, McCarthy Tétrault is naturally a key port of call for both domestic and multinational deals. The practice is home to Cameron Belsher, a leading name within the private equity, pension fund, gaming and licensing industries, as well as infrastructure, power and real estate expert, Jonathan See; the pair co-lead the team alongside Shea Small, who splits his time between the London and Toronto offices, and, together with Belsher, is especially well-connected within the metals and mining sector. Other names integral to the offering include public and private M&A, public financing and private equity buyout authority, Clemens Mayr , in addition to Shevaun McGrath, co-lead of the national private equity group, a position which sees her instructed on M&A, capital raising and divestiture endeavours. Furthermore, David Woollcombe provides the practice with considerable corporate finance capabilities, often acting for both issues and investment dealers in public offerings and private placements. Other named lawyers are based in Toronto except for Mayr who works from Montreal.

Torys fields offices in Toronto, Calagry, Montreal and New York, demonstrating a tenacity for blockbuster M&A and buyout deals within the financial services, mining, consumer product, technology, energy and infrastructure, oil and gas, life sciences and healthcare sectors. Market veteran John Emanoilidis demonstrates a long-standing track record in multi-billion dollar M&A, hostile takeover bids, proxy contests and going-private deals; he co-leads the team from Toronto alongside Karrin Powys-Lybbe, an expert in transactions, securities law, corporate governance and corporate finance, as well as Michael Amm, a lawyer with a first-rate reputation for M&A, strategic investment, securities offering, IPO and joint venture deals. Adrienne DiPaolo is an up-and-coming partner with experience in significant contested and negotiated deals while, over in Calgary, Janan Paskaran provides the group with considerable knowledge of energy, cannabis and agribusiness-related transactions.

Bennett Jones LLP is a six-office firm with teams in Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa and New York; its team excels in both M&A and private equity deals, including contested transactions, and is bolstered by the firm’s wider proficiency in restructuring, insolvency, antitrust and competition. In Calgary, Patrick Maguire KC is a leading name for energy-related deals meanwhile Perry Spitznagel KC has forged an enviable reputation for mergers and financings throughout Canada and the wider North American region; the pair are also based alongside John Mercury who leads the private equity practice and is particularly active within the energy, financial services, consumer products and manufacturing sectors. At the more junior end of the partnership spectrum, Toronto-based Kristopher Hanc is acclaimed for his knowledge of proxy contests, public offering and private placements with Christian Gauthier, a Vancouver lawyer, is extensively well-versed in LBOs, MBOs and IPOs, in addition to corporate governance and securities law. Curtis Cusinato, a market veteran of over 25 years, serves as vice chair in Toronto and is well-versed in a number of deal types, including SPACs and PIPES.

Fasken is a standout name for acquisitions, dispositions, private equity buy-outs, reorganizations and corporate governance matters. The firm fields offices across Canada, along with sites in Beijing, London and Johannesburg, and possesses a masterful knowledge of the mining, life sciences and communications sectors, among others. Operating from Toronto, John Turner is an authority within the resource industry meanwhile Brad Freelan supplements his M&A prowess with knowledge of shareholder activism; the pair are based alongside Sean Stevens who co-leads the team jointly with Calgary-based Sarah Gingrich. In Montreal, standout names include Caitlin Rose, a private equity lawyer with a track record in investments, resulting tuck-ins and divestitures, as well as Jean Michael Lapierre who is routinely active in the field of public transactions, overseeing sales, mergers, acquisitions, takeover bids and going-private deals.

Norton Rose Fulbright, a firm with a far-reaching international network, is routinely involved in colossal M&A and corporate transactions, including proxy battles and hostile situations. The practice is co-led by Troy Ungerman , a lawyer especially accomplished within the aviation, technology and consumer market sectors, alongside Mathieu Deschamps who, in addition to catering to start-ups, counts some of Quebec’s largest corporates among his client list. Canada chair Walied Soliman continues to make waves in this space, supporting on M&A, corporate finance, restructurings, structured products and governance matters, meanwhile Terence Dobbin serves as a go-to for multijurisdictional deals, including both acquisitions and financings. The practice is also famed for its capabilities in debt and equity financings, as well as securities law, owing to the dedicated expertise provided by Paul Raymond. Named lawyers are based in Toronto except for Deschamps and Raymond who work from Montreal.

One of the largest international firms, Dentons is naturally extremely active on the cross-border front, demonstrating particular accomplishment in matters intersecting Europe, Latin America, China and Australia; its team is geared to handle both corporate M&A and private equity transactions and is well-versed in a number of sectors including energy, technology, cannabis, mining, infrastructure, telecoms and entertainment. Alex Farcas serves as M&A lead, boasting distinct know-how in go-private transactions and public company governance, while simultaneously supporting on a wealth of share and asset, take-over bid and restructuring transactions; he is based in Toronto alongside Ora Wexler, a partner who is forging a prominent reputation for her work on multi-jurisdictional capital market deals.

An international firm headquartered in Ottawa, Gowling WLG caters to publicly held and publicly traded companies, both domestic and multinational, in a broad spectrum of transactions. Ian Palm co-leads the team with Frank Sur, operating across corporate finance, M&A, venture capital and private equity deals, from industries as varied as technology, energy, finance services, life sciences and infrastructure. A key point of differentiation for the group is its proficiency in new technologies such as AI, cryptocurrencies, blockchain and cannabis.

Founded over 130 years ago, Lawson Lundell LLP boasts specialist knowledge in a plethora of different sectors such as mining, energy, forest, technology, financial services, manufacturing, transportation and real estate. The team excels on the full spectrum of relevant matters, from M&A, corporate finance and securities through to governance, private equity and fund formation matters and is co-led by a Vancouver-based quartet, consisting of Valerie Mann, Jagdeep Shergill, Greg Hollingsworth and David Allard.