Alex Eckler

Practice Areas

Alex (He/Him/His) is a Senior Associate in Dentons’ Business Law group. His practice focuses on corporate and commercial law, with a particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate governance, private equity transactions, joint ventures and commercial contracting. Alex provides creative solutions and pragmatic advice to clients in a range of sectors, including technology, health and life sciences, energy and natural resources, media and entertainment, manufacturing and distribution, professional services, agribusiness, consumer products and the not-for-profit community.

As a transactional and M&A advisor, Alex acts for clients on both the buy and sell side of domestic and cross-border M&A, as well as on joint ventures, corporation reorganizations, carve-out transactions and other strategic transactions. His expertise includes, in particular, advising domestic and international private equity sponsors and investors on majority and minority investments (direct and fund of fund), co-investments, buy-outs, fund formations and fund restructuring.

Alex regularly advises companies at all stages of their development, from start-ups to mature businesses. Through formation and governance advice, structuring shareholder agreements and negotiating commercial agreements, Alex helps clients realize untapped value and overcome complex business challenges.

As an associate, Alex was seconded to Bayer Inc. where he worked closely with legal and business team members assisting with cross-border M&A, commercial contracting and various compliance matters. Alex has been recognized by IFLR 1000 as a 'Rising Star'.

Professional Memberships

Secretary, The Canadian Shaare Zedek Hospital Foundation

Law Society of Upper Canada

Ontario Bar Association

Canadian Bar Association

Publications

Co-author, "Limited partner defaults in private equity: Risks, remedies and practical considerations," Dentons Insights, May 25, 2023

Co-author, "Ontario’s amendments to director residency requirements and shareholder approvals coming into force," Dentons Insights, June 29, 2021

Author, "Shopping Agreements: The Pros and Cons as Compared to Option Agreements," Dentons Insights, January 10, 2020

Experience

Confidential client: Advised on the formation of a joint venture to acquire a clean energy solutions provider under CCAA proceedings.

Sleeman Breweries Ltd.: Advising the client on its acquisition of Aware Beverages Inc. (d.b.a. SoCIAL LITE).

Incline Equity Partners: Advising platform companies of US private equity sponsor in various M&A transactions.

Dye & Durham Corporation: Advising Dye & Durham Corporation in connection with its acquisition of an automated civil litigation and small claims court document generation platform, known as ACL.

Market Maker Agriculture Inc.: Advising private equity firm on its acquisition of a majority interest in Dehy Alfalfa Mills, Nebraska-based supplier of forage ingredients to the animal nutrition sectors.

Origin Merchant Partners: Advising Canada's largest independent investment banking boutique in its acquisition of InterOcean Advisors, L.L.C., a U.S.-based, middle market-focused investment bank, in a part cash and part equity transaction.

Bonnefield Financial Inc.: Representing Canada's leading farmland investment manager in connection with the acquisition of a majority interest in Bonnefield by Walter Global Asset Management.

Confidential client: An enterprise software company in its USD$30.7 million sale to a Nasdaq-listed technology company for cash and stock.

Bayer Inc.: Advising as Canadian counsel in connection with the US$6.89 billion sale of its animal health business to Elanco Animal Health Inc.

Scalefast: Advising US-based end-to-end e-commerce solution provider in its sale to ESW, a leading global direct-to-consumer e-commerce company.

Canadian Chartered Bank: Advising private equity arm of bank on co-investment in acquisition platform of medical clinics.

Fire & Flower Holdings Corp.: Advising Fire & Flower Holdings Corp. in its acquisition of Friendly Stranger Holdings Corp., making Fire & Flower the largest cannabis retailer in Canada.

International industrial equipment manufacturer: Advising on sale of Canadian business division.

ADRM Software, Inc.: Advising ADRM Software, Inc., a leading provider of large-scale industry data models, in its sale to Microsoft Corp.

Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc.: Advising as Canadian counsel in connection with its acquisition of talent solution company Saba Software, Inc. for approximately US$1.295 billion.

Motorola Solutions, Inc.: Advising Motorola Solutions, Inc. in connection with its acquisition of Pelco, Inc., a global provider of video security solutions.

Bayer: Advising vendor in connection with US$9 billion all-cash sale of its agricultural, R&D and other businesses to BASF.

Saban Capital Acquisition Corp.: Advising special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) in its proposed but terminated US$622 million acquisition of Panavision Inc. and Sim Video International Inc.

Sleeman Breweries Ltd.: Advising Sleeman Breweries Ltd. in connection with its acquisition of Wild Rose Brewery Ltd.

Gage Growth Corp: Advising Gage Growth Corp. in connection with its acquisition of Rivers Innovations Inc.

Breakthrough Entertainment Inc.: Advising Breakthrough Entertainment Inc. in the sale of its kids and family library and development slate to 9 Story Media Group.

Ample Organics Inc.: Advising Ample Organics Inc., a leading cannabis software solution provider, in its acquisition of Last Call Analytics Inc.

Market Maker Agriculture Inc.: Advising Market Maker Agriculture Inc., one of Canada’s leading agribusiness investment and management companies, in its acquisition of Arkansas Valley Seed, Inc.

Confidential client: Advising one of Canada’s leading agribusiness investment and management companies on the reorganization of its Canadian and US portfolio businesses.

The Co-operators Group Limited: Advising The Co-operators Group Limited in its acquisition of Robinson & Associates Insurance Brokers (Niagara) Ltd.

Desjardins Securities Inc.: Advising with respect to a brokered private placement of CA$15 million of common shares of Fortress Blockchain Corp.

Haywood Securities Inc.: Advising with respect to a concurrent brokered and non-brokered private placement of CA$5 million of units of Mawson Resources Limited.