Torys

Corporate, M&A

Advising on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance transactions and other significant corporate matters across industries, John is co-head of the firm’s M&A Practice and is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading corporate and securities lawyers, with deep deal acumen and strong technical skill to advance clients’ business strategies.

John has a broad range of experience in complex M&A, transactional, securities, private equity, regulatory, governance, activism and compliance matters. With an international range of clients, John represents domestic and foreign acquirors, private equity sponsors, targets, special committees, boards of directors and investment banks in all aspects of M&A (both public and private), including hostile takeover bids, strategic review processes, proxy contests, going-private transactions, private equity transactions and negotiated acquisitions.

John regularly advises companies, directors and shareholders on corporate governance, crisis management, activism, compliance and other critical situations. He also has extensive experience in corporate finance transactions, representing issuers, underwriters and investors in domestic and international debt and equity public offerings and private placements.

Ontario Bar, 1999

John has been elected to the American College of Governance Counsel 2021 Class of Fellows for his outstanding work in advising boards, officers and shareholders on best governance practices and helping businesses navigate major governance issues.

John is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Law School, and has also taught as a guest lecturer at Queen’s University Law School. He is a past member of the Toronto Stock Exchange Listing Advisory Committee.

John was the Editor-In-Chief of the Canadian Institute’s M&A/Corporate Financing Journal and a Contributing Editor of Federated Press’ Corporate Financing Journal and Merger and Acquisitions Journal. In addition, he was a co-editor of the 15th edition of the Consolidated Bank Act and Regulations (Carswell, 2003) and of the seventh edition of the Consolidated Trust and Loans Companies Act and Regulations (Carswell, 2002).