Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 10 SEPTEMBER 2020

Getting M&A Deals Done In The COVID-19 Era

McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP
Contributor
McMillan LLP

McMillan LLP

The firm : McMillan LLP is one of Canada’s leading national law firms with offices in Montreal,...

View firm profile
Explore more from McMillan LLP

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in many unforeseen challenges for Canadian businesses as they struggle to adapt to the impact of COVID-19 on their operations.

CanadaCoronavirus (COVID-19)
John Clifford
John Clifford
Laura Giesbrecht
Laura Giesbrecht
Graham Bevans
Graham Bevans
Author LinkedIn connections

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in many unforeseen challenges for Canadian businesses as they struggle to adapt to the impact of COVID-19 on their operations. It is unsurprising then that we have seen a significant disruption in merger and acquisition (M&A) markets, as deals have been put on hold or abandoned as a result of this uncertainty, and many fewer new deals have been proposed. Valuations are uncertain and financing may be difficult to obtain.

For buyers and sellers intent on completing their pre-pandemic announced deals or looking for new opportunities in these uncertain times, the reality of COVID-19 has introduced new considerations for getting the deal done. We anticipate that these (and other) COVID-19-related considerations will continue to have a significant impact for the foreseeable future. The principal considerations are discussed below.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The foregoing provides only an overview and does not constitute legal advice. Readers are cautioned against making any decisions based on this material alone. Rather, specific legal advice should be obtained.

© McMillan LLP 2025

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Powering Up: Grid Access, Strategic Screening And Canada’s Emerging Data Centre Regimes

Canada is rapidly becoming a key destination for data centre investment, fueled by artificial intelligence and cloud computing growth. However, this expansion places unprecedented demands on electricity grids, water resources, and local communities. As federal and provincial governments introduce new frameworks to manage these resource challenges, developers and investors must navigate an increasingly complex landscape where power strategy...
CanadaEnergy and Natural Resources
McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP
Article

Cleared For Investment: Canada Opens The Door To Private Capital At Its Largest Airports

Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced plans to seek private investment through long-term concessions to operate Canada's four largest airports: Toronto Pearson, Vancouver, Montréal-Trudeau and Calgary. While the government would retain ownership of underlying land and assets, this represents a fundamental shift from the current not-for-profit airport authority model that has governed these facilities since the 1990s.
CanadaTransport
McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP
Article

Building Momentum: Canada Advances Major Projects Under The Building Canada Act

The federal government has published notices proposing to add the Mackenzie Valley Highway and Roberts Bank Terminal 2 to Schedule 1 of the Building Canada Act as projects of national interest. These potential listings, following a similar notice for the West Coast Oil Pipeline, provide the first practical indications of how the government may use the Act to advance major infrastructure projects through streamlined federal approvals while maintaining Indigenous consultation and environmental assessment requ
CanadaGovernment, Public Sector
McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP
Article

A Matter Of Interpretation: Termination Clause Prevails Under The Canada Labour Code

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has applied the Baker v. Van Dolder's Home Team framework to uphold a termination clause under the Canada Labour Code, rejecting a plaintiff's claim for common law reasonable notice. This decision demonstrates how courts will now interpret employment agreements by examining the parties' objective intentions rather than conducting technical word-by-word analysis of contractual provisions.
CanadaEmployment and HR
McMillan LLP
McMillan LLP