Business Law

Private Equity

Our Private Equity Group advises clients on every aspect of the private-equity lifecycle, including: fund formation, capital allocation, portfolio management, and portfolio realization.

Our clients include family offices, venture capital funds, labour-sponsored venture capital corporations, merchant banks, buyout funds, hedge funds, energy funds, real estate funds, and funds of funds.

We have experience in:

Fund Formation

We act on behalf of private equity management companies in connection with the formation and capitalization of private equity funds. Our firm is particularly well-known for its domestic and cross-border tax-planning practices, and our tax professionals work closely with the Private Equity Group to ensure that our clients obtain cutting-edge legal and business advice.

Capital Allocation

We possess experience in a wide range of domestic and cross-border private equity investments, from minority investments in closely-held family businesses, to leveraged buyouts of widely-held publicly-traded companies. We are particularly active in Canada’s small- and mid-markets, having advised clients on over $10 billion of small- and mid-market financings and M&A transactions since 2002.

Portfolio Management

We facilitate the active management of portfolio companies, a condition of the “venture capital and private equity” exception from registration under Canadian securities laws. Our Private Equity Group has negotiated and prepared all manner of agreements relating to the governance and management of portfolio companies, including board observer agreements, executive employment agreements, investor rights agreements, management rights agreements, management services agreements, and unanimous shareholder agreements.

Portfolio Realization

We have participated in numerous exits, including initial public offerings, reverse take-overs, and private and public M&A transactions. In addition, we advise one of the most active investment banks in Alberta’s secondary market for private equities.

Clients:

  • Family offices
  • Venture capital funds
  • Labour-sponsored venture capital corporations
  • Merchant banks
  • Buyout funds
  • Hedge funds
  • Energy funds
  • Real estate funds
  • Funds of funds