Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP excels in advising corporate clients on the tax aspects of cross-border corporate transactions and reorganisations. Indirect tax is a key area of strength for the firm, with a group of lawyers dedicated to commodity tax and customs issues. In addition to undertaking non-contentious work, the team is also active in tax audits and tax appeals. In 2020, highlights included advising Equinix on the US tax aspects of its C$1.04bn acquisition of Canadian data centres. Paul Stepak, Mark Tonkovich and Jeffrey Shafer lead the team out of the Toronto office. Andrew Spiro is regarded for his expertise in REIT and structured note taxation. Senior counsel Jeffrey Trossman is also held in high regard. Robert Kopstein and Amanda Heale departed for McCarthy Tétrault and Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP respectively.
Tax in Canada
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Jeffrey Trossman; Andrew Spiro; Zvi Halpern-Shavim
Key clients
AnheuserBusch-InBev SA
BCE Inc.
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
ViacomCBS Inc.
KraftHeinz Canada ULC
Power Corporation of Canada
Suncor Energy Inc.
CIT Group Securities (Canada) Inc.
Hudson’s Bay Company
Cerberus Capital Management
Work highlights
- Acted for Equinix, Inc., a digital infrastructure company on its acquisition of 13 data centres in Canada and their operations from BCE Inc.
- Acted for a consortium of investors including Starlight Investments and KingSett Capital on their C$4.8-billion acquisition of Northview Apartment REIT.
- Served as counsel to Hudson’s Bay Company and its Special Committee of independent directors in connection with its go-private transaction.
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
With lawyers in Montreal, Toronto and New York, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is able to advise on Canadian and US tax matters. It is known for its work on the tax aspects of large-scale corporate transactions; recent highlights included acting for Premium Brands on its partnership with Mi'kmaq First Nations to jointly acquire Clearwater Seafoods. In addition, the firm demonstrates strong capabilities in tax planning work, and it is also active in tax litigation. John Ulmer, Elie Roth and Ian Crosbie co-head the Toronto based team, while Marie-Emmanuelle Vaillancourt leads the practice in the Montreal office. Other key names include appeals expert Guy Du Pont and Brian Bloom in Montreal, as well as Christopher Anderson.
Practice head(s):
Ian Crosbie; John Ulmer; Marie-Emmanuelle Vaillancourt; Elie Roth
Other key lawyers:
Guy Du Pont; Brian Bloom; Christopher Anderson
Testimonials
‘Exceptional collaboration with the members of the different teams within the firm, which makes the service provided stand out from others provided by similar firms.’
‘Marie-Emmanuelle Vaillancourt is always listening, has a willingness to learn more about the specific issues of our business, and provides exceptional service.’
‘This law firm has the background in all areas of tax to be able to provide excellent holistic tax advice and planning.’
‘Elie Roth is one of the top tax lawyers in North America. He is exceptionally bright and always a pleasure to work with.’
Key clients
McKesson Corporation
Barrick Gold Corporation i
Fortis Inc.
Apotex Inc.
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust
Schlumberger Limited
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
Nutrien
Consolidated Bottle Corporation
Work highlights
- Acted for Premium Brands Holdings Corporation on its groundbreaking partnership with a coalition of Mi’kmaq First Nations to jointly acquire Clearwater Seafoods Incorporated.
- Acted as tax counsel to Apotex Inc., Canada’s largest generic pharmaceutical company, on a number of cross-border sales of its international operations and assets.
- Acted as counsel to SEMAFO Inc. on its $2.1bn business combination with Endeavour Mining Corporation.
McCarthy Tétrault
McCarthy Tétrault‘s team garners praise for its ‘good technical knowledge and good understanding of how tax impacts business.’ The team provides top tier transactional support to a sizeable number of clients, with notable expertise in the resources, manufacturing, financial services, communications, technology, real estate and transportation sectors. Its tax planning practice, which was boosted by the recent arrival of Randy Schwartz from PwC Law LLP, covers matters concerning multijurisdictional tax structures, tax-exempt entities and commodity tax issues. On the contentious side, the group acts for clients in tax audits, investigations and appeals. Its strength has been bolstered recently with a number of major partner hires, including the arrivals of Jeff Oldewening from KPMG Law in Canada and Mike Hegedus from PwC Law LLP. Raj Juneja leads the team in Toronto, with the practice also operating out of the Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver offices. Other key names include litigators Chia-yi Chua and Robert Kopstein, as well as Gabrielle Richards and Douglas Cannon. Michel Ranger joined from McMillan LLP.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Jeff Oldewening ; Mike Hegeduz; Randy Schwartz; Chia-yi Chua; Robert Kopstein; Gabrielle Richards; Douglas Cannon; Michel Ranger
Testimonials
‘Good technical knowledge and good understanding on how tax impacts business.’
‘Very strong technical knowledge in the topic. Very responsive to questions, including late at night or on weekends.’
‘Practical solutions to complicated legal issues. Out of the box thinking.’
‘Good understanding of their clients’ business model.’
Key clients
Airbnb
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
BCE/Bell
Brookfield Asset Management
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
Cineworld plc
Desjardins Group
DRI Capital
Enbridge Inc.
Fairfax
Fortis Inc.
Husky Energy Inc.
Nestlé S.A.
Newcrest Mining
Restaurant Brands International Inc.
Slate Properties
TORC Oil & Gas Ltd.
Uber
Work highlights
- Acted as tax counsel to Husky Energy Inc. on its C$3.8bn combination transaction with Cenovus Energy.
- Acted as special tax counsel to DRI Capital Inc. on the launch of its $400m IPO of DRI Healthcare Trust.
- Acting as lead counsel in connection with all of Uber Canada Inc.’s tax and regulatory dealings with the Agence du revenu du Québec and the Québec Government.
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP demonstrates strong capabilities in tax planning work relating to M&A, joint ventures, debt finance transactions and equity fundraises, among other matters. Tax disputes are also a mainstay of the practice, which generates mandates from clients in sectors such as energy and natural resources, manufacturing, financial services, communications, technology and real estate. In 2020, highlights included advising Royal Bank of Canada on its inaugural issuance of Limited Recourse Capital Notes, a new form of note offering. Monica Biringer and Patrick Marley co-chair the practice. Other key names include Al Meghji, who has expertise in transfer pricing litigation, and Firoz Ahmed, who focuses on corporate transactions. All named lawyers are based in Toronto.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Firoz Ahmed; Al Meghji; Mark Brender; Pooja Mihailovich; Mary Paterson
Key clients
Cameco Corporation
Royal Bank of Canada
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Bank of Montreal
The Bank of Nova Scotia
TD Bank
National Bank of Canada
TELUS Communications
IBM Canada Limited
The Stars Group
ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp.
Brookfield Asset Management
Encana Corporation
BlackRock, Inc.
Restaurant Brands International
Kinross Gold Corporation
Canadian Tire Corporation
Work highlights
- Served as counsel to Royal Bank of Canada in its inaugural Additional Tier 1 (AT1) offering of Limited Recourse Capital Notes.
- Serving as Canadian tax counsel to IBM in its plan to spin off the Managed Infrastructure Services business of its Global Technology Services into a new publicly-traded company.
- Advised Just Energy Group in connection with its $1.1bn recapitalization transaction under a CBCA plan of arrangement.
Goodmans LLP
Goodmans LLP's tax team is heavily involved in high-profile M&A, capital markets and restructuring matters. In one ongoing mandate, it is acting for Rogers Communications Inc on its proposed $26bn acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc. In addition to undertaking tax matters for clients based in Canada, the group acts for those located further afield internationally, including the US. Practice head Carrie Smit advises on transactions, reorganizations and various cross-border matters. Other key names include Mitchell Sherman, Jon Northup and Jarrett Freeman.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Mitchell Sherman; Jon Northup; Jarrett Freeman
Key clients
Newmont Corporation (formerly Newmont Mining Corporation)
Rogers Communications Inc.
Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
ONEX Corporation
Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P.
Ceridian HCM, Inc.
Welltower Inc.
Tricon Residential Inc. (formerly Tricon Capital Group Inc.)
Northern Private Capital
MDA Inc.
Algoma Steel Inc.
Advent International
Northwest Healthcare
AMP Solar Group Inc.
Northwest Healthcare
Clairvest Group Inc.
Berkshire Investments Group
Work highlights
- Advising Rogers Communications Inc. on the proposed $26bn acquisition of Shaw Communications Inc.
- Advised Northview Apartment REIT on $4.8bn acquisition by Starlight and Kingsett Capital.
- Advised Brookfield Infrastructure on its $4.1bn sale of Enwave.
Torys
Torys is a first port of call among clients such as financial institutions, pension funds and corporates. Its team is able to provide innovative solutions in the context of corporate, finance and capital markets transactions. In addition, it is skilled in providing tax controversy representation. In Toronto, Jerald Wortsman heads up the group, which includes Corrado Cardarelli, dispute resolution expert Martha MacDonald and Gwen Watson. Craig Maurice is a name to note in the Calgary office.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Corrado Cardarelli; Martha MacDonald; Gwen Watson; Craig Maurice
Testimonials
‘Personable, responsive and good technical understanding of tax rules.’
‘Personable. Good availability even on weekends and outside business hours.’
‘Depth of tax knowledge, client relationships.’
‘Corrado Cardarelli offers responsiveness to clients concerns’
‘Very strong technically but also very practical in their advice. Very easy to deal with. Very little ego. We deal with them on a large variety of work and they always come through.’
‘Corrado Cardarelli – senior statesman of the team. Gives great and prompt advice. Great to deal with. Brings lots of practical experience and delivers advice in a practical way.’
‘Gwen Watson – very technical. Always trust her analysis of issues because she can take a deep dive without getting caught in the weeds.’
‘Martha Macdonald – when dealing with a dispute, you want her in your corner. Very tenacious.’
Key clients
Bank of Montreal
Norbord Inc.
Orion Mine Finance
Canaccord Genuity
Thomson Reuters Corporation
TMX Group Limited
Duo Bank of Canada
Canadian Western Bank
Opticann, Inc.
The Canada Life Assurance Company
GNC Holdings, Inc. and certain of its subsidiaries
The Brookfield Group of Companies
Superior Plus Corp.
Sagard Capital and PIMCO
Roynat Capital, a subsidiary of Scotiabank
Riot Games, Inc.
Cascade Power
Work highlights
- Acted as Canadian tax counsel to Thomson Reuters on the $27bn sale by the client and The Blackstone Group Inc. of Refintiv to the London Stock Exchange Group Plc.
- Advised Norbord on its C$4bn sale to West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd., to create a diversified wood products leader.
- Acted for Duo Bank of Canada on its acquisition of Fairstone Financial Holdings Inc. from an investor group led by J.C. Flowers & Co. LLC and Värde Partners, Inc.
Bennett Jones LLP
Bennett Jones LLP is highly reputed for advice on tax planning, as well as the tax aspects of M&A, inbound private equity investments, equity fundraises and debt restructurings. Its team's expertise spans areas such as oil and gas, mining, real estate, technology and financial services. Recent work including providing tax advice to Cenovus Energy in relation to its $23.6bn combination with Husky Energy. Thomas Bauer in Toronto jointly leads the practice with Calgary-based partner Darcy Moch. Other key names include vice-chair Stephen Bowman, Edwin Kroft QC and Jehad Haymour.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Stephen Bowman; Jehad Haymour
Key clients
Apollo Global Management
ATCO Power / Canadian Utilities Limited
BP Canada Energy Group ULC
Canadian Pacific Railway
CBS Corporation
Cenovus Energy Inc.
Cresco Labs LLC
Devon Canada Corporation / Devon Canada Crude Marketing Corporation
ExxonMobil Canada Resources Company
Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Limited
Osisko Gold Royalties
Premier Gold Mines Limited
Stone Canyon Industries
Third Eye Capital
Vale Canada Limited
Waste Connections Inc.
Zekelman Industries
Work highlights
- Provided Canadian tax advice to Cenovus Energy Inc. on the $23.6bn combination with Husky Energy Inc.
- Acted as Canadian counsel to Stone Canyon Industries Holdings LLC and Kissner Group Holdings on its $3.2bn agreement to acquire K+S Aktiengesellschaft’s salt business, including Morton Salt and Windsor Salt.
- Provided tax advice to ATCO Power Ltd. and its affiliates in the implementation of an investment structure for Luma Energy LLC.
Norton Rose Fulbright
Norton Rose Fulbright‘s tax attorneys have extensive expertise in transactions, planning and disputes. Its client roster includes high-profile financial institutions and companies in sectors such as energy, life sciences, mining, technology and transport. The team includes Jules Charette, who is acting as one of the advisers to Canadian National Railway on its $33.6bn acquisition of Kansas City Southern. Dion Legge and Dominic Belley, who are based in Calgary and Montreal respectively, are the co-heads of the practice. Wilfrid Lefebvre QC and Chris Speakman retired.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Adrienne Oliver; Jules Charette; Derek Chiasson; Barry Segal; Darren Hueppelsheuser; Antoine Desroches
Key clients
Fonds Immobilier Devimco Investissment
Bombardier Inc.
SNC-Lavalin
Solium Capital
Tervita Corporation
Brookfield Asset Management and Brookfield Infrastructure
Wolf Midstream Inc.
Crescent Point Energy Corp.
Canadian Tire
Royal Bank of Canada
Groupe Canam Inc.
Prudential Capital Group
Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc.
NordStar Capital Inc.
CAE Inc.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners
Wajax Corporation
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec
Sobeys Inc.
Canadian National Railway
Benevity Inc.
Work highlights
- Advised Benevity, Inc. on the acquisition by Hg (a leading global software investor) of a controlling equity stake in Benevity for approximately $1bn.
- Advising Canadian National Railway on its acquisition of Kansas City Southern for $33.6bn.
- Advised Prudential Capital Group, as senior noteholder, on the complex and comprehensive Bonavista Energy Corporation debt restructuring and recapitalization.
Stikeman Elliott LLP
Stikeman Elliott LLP is highlighted for its strength advising on corporate matters, including public and private debt and equity offerings, M&A and restructurings. Clients also turn to the team for advice on income and sales tax matters, both at federal and provincial level. The firm also has a strong litigation practice, in addition to advising on dispute avoidance. John Lorito, Frank Mathieu and Julie D’Avignon co-lead the team from the Toronto, Montreal and Calgary offices respectively. Other key contacts include Dean Kraus and Margaret Nixon.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Dean Kraus; Margaret Nixon
Key clients
TC Energy Corporation
AltaGas Canada
GIC Private Ltd.
Investment Management Corporation of Ontario
Atlas Tube Canada
Hudson’s Bay Company
Cirque du Soleil
Maxar Technologies
Pembina Pipeline
Centerra Gold
Work highlights
- Acted for TC Energy Corporation on its sale of three Ontario natural gas-fired power plants to Ontario Power Generation Inc., for net proceeds of approximately C$2.8bn.
- Acted for GIC Private Limited on its acquisition of a 75% interest in the Oxford Properties Western Canadian Fairmont Hotel Portfolio.
- Acted for AltaGas Canada Inc on its C$1.7bn acquisition by the Public Sector Pension Investment Board and the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund Board.
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Borden Ladner Gervais LLP undertakes a wide ambit of contentious and non-contentious tax work, under the leadership of Craig Webster in Toronto, who has particular expertise in the investment management industry. In addition to representing clients in tax litigation, the team advises clients on the tax aspects of M&A, restructurings, foreign direct investments and finance transactions, as well as employment, pensions and benefits issues. Steve Suarez provides tax support on major corporate transactions, while Calgary-based partner Laurie Goldbach offers dispute resolution expertise, with experience before all levels of court.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Steve Suarez; Laurie Goldbach; Daniel Lang; Joseph Takhmizdjian; Bobby Solhi; Richard Eisenbraun; Kevin Bianchini
Work highlights
- Representing the St. Christopher’s Trust (the “Trust”), which was wound up in 2002, and an individual affiliated with the Trust.
- Representing individual target and various related closely-held corporations in the first publicized tax evasion investigation to arise in Canada from the leak of the “Panama Papers”.
- Acted for Berkshire Hathaway Energy in connection with the acquisition of the Montana Alberta Tie-Line and acted in all Canadian matters related thereto.
Dentons
Dentons‘ team plays a key role advising on M&A-related tax issues, and it is also noted for its expertise in indirect tax and income tax matters. On the contentious side, the group is prominent in tax audits and litigation. Clients include entities from the cannabis, venture capital, fintech and entertainment industries. In addition to advising corporates, the team also acts for high-net-worth individuals, families and trusts. The practice is jointly led by Mark Woltersdorf in Edmonton and Toronto-based senior partner Mark Jadd. Larry Nevsky is another key partner in the Toronto office.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Larry Nevsky
Key clients
Ontario Power Generation Inc.
Cornerstone OnDemand Inc.
Bonnefield Financial Inc.
Groupe Lactalis / Lactalis Americas
Kering Americas Inc.
Michaels Stores
Credit Suisse
Clever Leaves International Inc.
Portag3 Ventures
Dow Inc. and Dow Chemical Canada ULC
Treasury Metals Inc.
Getswift Limited
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Lions Gate Entertainment Inc.
Kinaxis Inc.
Auvik Networks Inc.
Absorb Software Inc.
Procore Technologies Inc.
Ledn Inc.
Calian Group
Work highlights
- Advised Atura and its parent, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) on Atura’s acquisition of a number of power centres.
- Acted for Absorb Software as lead counsel and Silversmith Capital Partners as Canadian counsel on Silversmith’s sale of its interest in Absorb to Welsh Carson Anderson & Stowe.
- Acted as lead counsel for the Bonnefield and its funds in connection with a number of matters.
Fasken
Fasken advises clients on tax planning, tax controversies and indirect tax cases. It is particularly active in the energy and natural resources industry, where it provides support on public and private M&A. Beyond acting for companies, work for high-net-worth families is another driver of activity. Christopher Steeves in Toronto advises on M&A-related tax matters. Elsewhere, Alain Ranger is a key contact in the Montreal office, while Michael Coburn is a name to note in Vancouver.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Alain Ranger; Michael Coburn; Paul Casuccio; Ryan Rabinovitch
Key clients
MDC Partners Inc.
Aphria Inc.
Kingswood Capital Management, LP
Work highlights
- Advised MDC Partners Inc on Canadian tax matters relating to a definitive transaction agreement to combine their business with Stagwell Media LP.
- Advised Nuvei on the initial public offering of subordinate voting shares consisted of a treasury offering by Nuvei and a secondary offering by certain funds managed by Novacap Management Inc.
- Advised SmartSweets on the sale of a majority stake of the company to TPG Growth.
Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG has a strong profile among private equity firms, downstream investment funds and tax-exempt investors. Its work covers a full range of areas, including corporate tax, transactional tax, dispute resolution, transfer pricing, international tax and tax planning. In addition to being a key player in the Canadian market, the firm's international platform also puts it on a strong footing to handle multijurisdictional matters. Paul Carenza heads up the team, which is spread between the Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa offices. Carenza is based in Toronto, as is John Sorensen, who is highlighted for his 'depth and breadth of experience in tax dispute files'.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
John Sorensen; Ash Gupta; Laura Gheorghiu; Mariam Al-Shikarchy; Christine Perry; Pierre Alary; Colin Green; Carl Hinzmann
Testimonials
‘John Sorensen in Gowling’s tax group is highly valued for his depth and breadth of experience on tax dispute files. John’s experience provides him with insight on which strategy to use when dealing with the Canada Revenue Agency or the Department of Justice.’
‘The feeling is that you don’t work with a lawyer, but with a friend who will do everything they can to help us reach our goal.‘
‘Extremely good technically, always on top of the new information and regulation that she spontaneously share with us, she always make herself available and on top of this fun to work with (Laura Gheorgiu is my key contact).’
Key clients
IM Cannabis Corp
Alectra
Khiron Life Sciences Corp
Expertus
AGA Financial Group
Peermusic
UAB FL Technics
MyHealth Partners
PlantX Life Inc.
Sol Cuisine Inc.
Deciem
Terminix Canada
Coinsquare Ltd.
Bluma Wellness Inc.
Payfare Inc.
Crank Software
Dore Hold Co Limited
Sabina Gold & Silver Corp.
HPC Housing Investment Corporation
West Vault Mining Inc.
Atkore Inc.
Britannia Bud Canada Holdings Inc.
ShookIOT
Leucrotta Exploration Inc.
Work highlights
- Served as counsel to IM Cannabis Corp on its recently-announced combination with Trichome Financial Corp.
- Served as counsel to Alectra on its acquisition of Holland Power Services, an Eastern Canadian based provider of emergency power restoration services.
- Served as counsel to Khiron Life Sciences Corp., a TSX-V listed company, with respect to its prospectus offering of 32,000,000 units of the company.
McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP advises large domestic and multinational companies on the tax aspects of their most complex and strategically significant corporate transactions; the scope of the team's work in this space includes M&A, reorganisations and divestments, with it being notably active in advice to private equity funds and financial services companies. Beyond transactional work, the group advises clients on transfer pricing issues and provides representation in tax disputes. Toronto-based partner Michael Friedman heads up the practice, which was strengthened by the recent arrival of Ted Thiessen from Gowling WLG.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Ted Thiessen
Key clients
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi
Bank of Montreal
Royal Bank of Canada
Citibank Canada
GE Capital
MasterCard International Incorporated
Honda Motor Company
Tyco International Ltd.
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
The Catalyst Capital Group Inc.
Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
Kilmer Group
Fortress Investment Group
Huron Capital Partners
Boehringer Ingelheim
Gruppo Campari
Great Canadian Gaming Corporation
Hines Interests Limited Partnership
Assa Abloy
Work highlights
- Acted as counsel to West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. on its agreement to acquire Norbord Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $4bn.
- Acted as counsel to Great Canadian Gaming Corporation on its acquisition by an affiliate of funds managed by Apollo Global Management, Inc.
- Acted as Canadian counsel to Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, on its acquisition of IPL Plastics.
Aird & Berlis LLP
The tax Group at Aird & Berlis LLP is known for its ability to work both domestically and internationally, advising on tax planning, transaction structuring and disputes. It acts on behalf of leading multinationals, as well as advises a number of top tier international law firms on Canadian tax aspects of their work. Tax controversy and litigation have been key areas of growth, as has taxation of non-traditional assets. Francesco Gucciardo leads the Toronto-based team, and Jack Bernstein heads the international tax practice. Clifford Rand and Christopher Slade joined from Deloitte Legal Canada LLP.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Baker McKenzie
Baker McKenzie's team has extensive expertise in cross-border tax issues, such as those concerning the operations of multinational organisations, and also transactions that involve the flow of capital, goods, services and people. On the contentious side, it also represents corporate clients in their dealings with the Canadian tax authorities, as well as in tax litigation. Elsewhere, the group has expertise in tax issues relating to private clients, as well as matters with a nexus to the digital economy. Toronto-based partner Jacques Bernier is the head of the practice.
Practice head(s):
Other key lawyers:
Alex Pankratz
Key clients
Affirm, Inc.
Embracer Group AB
Express Gold Refining Ltd
Work highlights
- Acted as tax counsel to Affirm on its acquisition of Paybright, a Canadian buy-now-pay later fintech company.
- Acted as tax counsel to Embracer on its acquisition of IUGO Mobile Entertainment, a Canadian video games developer.
- Serve as lead counsel to Express Gold Refining in its ongoing matters before the Canadian court
Deloitte Legal Canada LLP
Noted for its wealth of expertise in all areas of Canadian tax law, Deloitte Legal Canada LLP generates mandates from corporates and major non-profit organisations. The team advises on tax controversies and litigation, including international income tax disputes, customs disputes, and various provincial tax matters, where it provides representation at all court levels. It also offers support on cross-border tax issues. Olivier Fournier leads the team in Montreal, while Joel Scheuerman is the main contact in Calgary.
Practice head(s):
Olivier Fournier; Joel Scheuerman
Other key lawyers:
Joyce Lee QC; Sara McCracken; Michael Collinge;
Testimonials
‘The individuals are committed to client service and will regularly follow up to provide updates, even if there are no updates to keep the client in the know.’
‘Very practical advice based on strong understanding of company operations and history, delivered cost efficiently and communicated clearly. Accurate estimates of the work involved that are honoured. Sensitivity to client internal deadlines and ability to put individual decisions into the larger context of corporate structure and objectives. Highly recommended.’
‘While having the backing and resources of a national law firm behind them, they make you feel that you are being given the bespoke attention that usually only a boutique firm can provide.‘
‘Very strong technical team. Always available and answers clients’ questions promptly. Detailed walk-through of process. Keeps you informed throughout.’
‘Very respectful team. Technically very strong and creative work on files. Joel Scheuerman he has great negotiation skill – he is technically very strong and always available to answer any questions that client may have.’
‘We worked with Joel Scheuerman. Joel understood from the get go a very complicated matter we were dealing with. Joel was able to dive in and provide us with succinct, clear information and assist us with various federal and provincial entities. Joel is clearly knowledgeable and did not complicate matters. Joel provided clear direction and was methodical with his approach.’
‘Potential clients who seek assistance with corporate reorganizations, succession planning and trust planning will appreciate the unique capabilities of the firm.’
Work highlights
- Advised Pier 1 imports on a customs valuation dispute against the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) with respect to the client’s imports to Canada.
Lawson Lundell LLP
Strong in the western Canadian market, Lawson Lundell LLP is well-known for advising Canadian institutional investors on domestic and cross-border tax issues. Its team is experienced in assisting public sector pension plans with the tax aspects of their investments in private equity fund investments. It is also knowledgeable about tax issues associated with corporate restructurings, business acquisitions and divestments, as well as securities offerings. In addition, it has expertise in income tax, property tax and sales tax, among other areas. Leonard Glass and Reinhold Krahn, who are both based in Vancouver, jointly lead the practice. Calgary-based partner Nancy Diep is another key individual.
Practice head(s):
Leonard Glass; Reinhold Krahn
Other key lawyers:
Nancy Diep; Gareth Williams; Max Walker