Best Lawyers in Canada for Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law

John Leopold is a preeminent corporate lawyer who has been repeatedly recognized both nationally and internationally as one of Canada's elite practitioners in mergers and acquisitions and corporate law. John is ranked by Chambers Canada as a Band 1 leading lawyer in corporate/commercial where he is described as having an outstanding reputation with one of his clients calling him "one of the finest M&A and general business lawyers I have worked with" and with several market commentators de...

Stephen Erlichman has practiced corporate and securities law throughout his career at major law firms in New York and Toronto. Steve has advised management, boards of directors and shareholders of public and private corporations in various industries, and has been counsel to investment dealers, commercial banks, insurance companies, private equity firms and managers of mutual funds, ETFs, pension funds and hedge funds in connection with public and private acquisitions, reorganizations, public...

Rafal Wrzesien is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Rafal, who practices law in Montréal, Quebec, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Rafal is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Iain Mant is a prominent securities and mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Fasken’s Vancouver office. His diverse practice focuses on advising varied clients on public equity and debt financings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate governance, and general corporate matters. Iain is sought out for his more than 30 years’ of expertise by clients in the technology, mining, oil and gas, media, and life sciences industries. He acts for issuers, underwriters and venture ...

Peter Villani leads complex transactions with major players in the retail, ecommerce, fibre optics testing, and telecommunications sectors. With dealings in the US, South Africa, South America, Europe and Asia, Peter possesses exceptional international insight and perspective. Peter is active in the community, having been president of the Jewish Vocational Service and JVS Jewish Workshop Inc., and acting as current legal counsel to the Canadian Italian Business & Professionals Association...

Gesta Abols’ practice is focused on mergers & acquisitions (including private equity), strategic investments, corporate governance and shareholder activism. Gesta provides expert legal advice, superior service and structure to bring clarity to complex challenges. Gesta is the Co-Leader of the firm’s US Practice and on the executive of the firm’s Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions (CM and M&A) Committee. Gesta is consistently recognized as a leader in the ...

Mike Devereux is a partner in the Capital Markets and Mergers & Acquisitions Groups and a member of the Associates Committee in the Toronto office. His practice focuses on securities and corporate law, with an emphasis on public and private mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism, private equity transactions, strategic transactions such as joint ventures, partnerships and significant investments, and corporate finance transactions. Mike has advised issuers, boards of directors, spe...

Ian Palm’s practice focuses on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity. He helps private and public companies, major corporate clients, pensions funds and private equity and venture capital investors achieve their strategic goals. In addition, Ian has a deep understanding of the technology, energy, life sciences and infrastructure industries. Ian advises issuers, investors and underwriters on a range of corporate finance and M&A transactions includin...

Nathan is an experienced M&A lawyer with over 25 years of experience. He is wholly focused on acting on private company M&A and private equity transactions and private equity fund formation in the private company sector. He acts for a number of the leading private equity funds in Western Canada, as well as family offices, entrepreneurs, strategic acquirers, management teams, and US purchasers making acquisitions in Canada. Nathan is particularly adept at explaining customary market te...

Peter Castiel is Chair of the Firm and the Executive Committee, where he oversees the strategic direction, management and client service for the Firm. Peter is also focused on his mergers & acquisitions practice. He has extensive expertise in advising private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and leading public and private companies in connection with complex acquisitions, divestitures and investments.

Anabel Quessy’s practice focuses on fund formation and on serving the investment management industry. As part of the fund formation practice team, Anabel regularly assists managers in setting up new closed-end and open-end funds of all alternative asset classes (notably private equity, venture capital, real estate, infrastructure, private debt and many others) and counsels managers in connection with market intelligence, risk management, governance and compliance with applicable securit...

Angela leads the firm’s Fund Investments & Asset Management Group and has more than two decades of experience advising Canadian asset managers and institutional investors on fund structuring, formation, and investment activities across all asset classes, both domestically and internationally. Within her fund investments practice, Angela diligences and negotiates separately managed account agreements, pooled fund investments, secondary acquisitions, co-investments and direct investme...