The Bennett Jones private equity group leads their field in Canada. Our clients include sophisticated financial sponsors who are looking to balance risk with expected return and who require tailored advice from the initiation of the investment phase through to exit. Bennett Jones represents all sides in private equity transactions, with particular depth on the buy-side on behalf of U.S. and international financial sponsors. We understand our clients live with the consequences of their acquisitions the moment the deal closes—and we align ourselves with that mindset.
Our practice is a collaborative and multidisciplinary effort that draws upon the firm’s strengths in Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets, and acquisition finance (Financial Institutions Group), along with subject matter expertise in domestic and cross-border issues relating to Tax, Anti-Trust/Competition, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Employment & Benefits, Information Technology, Intellectual Property and International Trade.
How We Help Private Equity Clients
Our Strengths
- Navigating the Canada-U.S. border effectively and efficiently is one of our major strengths. We act for a wide range of clients, including financial sponsors, Canadian pension funds, family offices and other institutional investors—meeting their diverse needs. Our longstanding relationship with a number of leading U.S.-based sponsors and their U.S. legal counsel has given us particular insight into the cross-border tax challenges that come with structuring investments in Canada and from the United States and the nuances that stem when representing tax-exempt investors.
- Our private equity team works closely with our industry experts in those industries where our firm excels—particularly in energy/renewables, infrastructure, real estate, agribusiness, mining, technology, consumer and hospitality—to ensure that we are delivering the most informed advice. With a growing focus for private equity investments on ESG issues our expertise is vital from the initial diligence stage through to post-investment monitoring. We also have a leading Public Policy Group that adds significant value, particular with respect to cross-border situations that can stand to benefit from that type of perspective.
- Transaction structuring is an important strength as Bennett Jones understands that excellence in the field requires specific knowledge of investors' needs at each point in the capital structure. Knowing how to bridge views on valuation and de-risk certain situations, with the use of earn-outs, convertible securities, contingent value rights (CVRs), derivatives and other forms of structured products, is a key value we bring to transactions.
- Bennett Jones is focused on the process of value creation, and the importance of actual cash-on-cash returns to our clients. Understanding the time value of money, and the underlying pressures and constraints facing our clients, allows us to effectively interface with counterparties and their counsel. We have dedicated training programs for our lawyers on topics such as valuation, financial statement analysis and portfolio management, and believe that this important investment in our people is reflected in the service we provide.