Private Equity: Buyouts | Canada

Stikeman Elliott is a dominant corporate law firm offering long-standing experience of private equity transactions across its offices throughout Canada. The private equity lawyers act for both buyers and sellers, demonstrating considerable depth of expertise in relation to private equity and venture capital funds. The team advises on both high-end and mid-market deals originating in a variety of industry sectors. The firm regularly represents foreign investors and is cited as a top choice of Canadian counsel on US-Canadian private equity deals.

Torys is respected for its experience in major private equity deals and recognised by the market for its long-term commitment to this practice area. The firm has a strong tradition of representing large Canadian-based pension funds in global transactions, and benefits from the support of its New York office to advise Canadian and US private equity firms on cross-border matters. It offers further expertise in mid-market buyouts and draws on additional experience in areas such as fund formation and corporate governance. Its Toronto and Calgary-based lawyers also offer strength in secondary acquisitions and divestitures, with expertise cutting across a variety of sectors including infrastructure, energy and consumer products.

Blake, Cassels & Graydon operates an active deal practice in private equity, with a significant national scope. The group demonstrates equal strength acting for buyers and sellers on domestic and cross-border buyout, investment and exit transactions. It also stands out for its representation of US funds in connection with their Canadian investments, supported by the firm's office in New York. With impressive Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal-based lawyers, the team has experience handling private equity buyouts in an array of active sectors, including technology.

Fasken is a national law firm that is adept at handling a wide array of private equity mandates. The team's buyouts expertise is complemented by an assured grasp of corporate restructuring and regulatory matters. It is particularly noted as a leading force for private equity in Québec, with highly experienced teams in both Montréal and Québec City.

Goodmans is a major player in the private equity space in Toronto. It represents institutional investors and large private equity firms in cross-border deals on both the buy and sell sides, with wide-ranging industry expertise. The firm advises on transactions in the private equity secondary market and is recognised for its representation of funds clients in corporate restructuring and recapitalisation mandates. It displays supplementary strengths in areas such as fund formation and public M&A.

McCarthy Tétrault has a strong private equity platform for inbound transactions, fielding significant experience in relation to real assets, including infrastructure, energy and power assets, as well as a growing focus on sectors such as tech. The firm's clients include pension funds, domestic and foreign private equity investors and investment banks across Canada and the USA. The private equity team further assists with leveraged buyouts and going-private transactions. It supplements its transactional practice with fund formation expertise.

Cassels Brock & Blackwell is a respected national law firm whose Toronto office is regularly active on mid-market private equity buyouts. It is well versed in counselling private equity firms on the acquisition of portfolio companies in sectors as diverse as logistics and food and beverages. Its buyouts team has significant experience representing US-based clients, and is able to deploy the broader expertise of the firm in other practice areas when advising on high-value and multi-stranded transactions.