Bernard Kwasniewski

With a practice focused on fund formation and investments, Bernard combines broad experience and market insight to advise clients on all aspects of planning, forming and investing in private equity funds, both domestically and internationally.

Bernard advises both sponsors and institutional investors in structuring, negotiating and investing in private equity, venture capital and infrastructure funds, as well as the formation of and investment by funds of funds. Clients he has represented in fund investments include BDC Capital, HarbourVest Partners, Investment Management Corporation of Ontario, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board, Saskatchewan’s Public Employees Benefits Agency and SunLife. He also advises fund sponsors in all aspects of planning, forming and negotiating their U.S. and Canadian private equity funds. Bernard also regularly advised several Canadian Banks in their investments in private equity funds worldwide.

Bernard’s recent work includes advising HarbourVest Partners in the formation of its venture fund of funds under the Government of Canada’s Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (VCCI) and advising Amplitude Ventures Inc. in the launch of its venture capital franchise and the formation of its life sciences fund. He has advised several Québec-based institutional investors under the Government of Canada’s Venture Capital Action Plan and under the new VCCI plan.