Osler’s top-tier Private Equity and Pension Fund Investments Group comprises leading legal professionals who have the extensive expertise, experience, industry relationships and knowledge to advise private equity and pension fund clients on a wide range of matters.
Clients rely on our diverse set of experts, who use a cutting-edge and collaborative approach to provide specialized legal advice in such areas as fund formation, fund investment, M&A, tax, pensions, corporate finance, governance, real estate, franchise, employment, competition/anti-trust and foreign investment. Our highly acclaimed group uses a team-based, hands-on approach to provide private equity sponsors, pension plans and other tax-exempt entities with seamless expertise to advise on investment transactions across a number of asset classes, industry verticals and geographies.
Osler’s fully integrated team assists many international and domestic private equity firms, as well as Canadian pension funds, in structuring investments in a manner that achieves the fund’s legal and financial objectives. For our pension funds this includes expertise to maintain its tax-exempt status and ensure regulatory compliance.
Our significant position in private equity and pension fund investment is attributable to several factors
- significant experience in fund formation and fund investment matters to guide clients through the investment cycle
- deep understanding of how to create structures that comply with Canada’s tax and other regulatory requirements, including pension legislation
- leading M&A practice, having acted for principal parties on the largest and most innovative domestic and international transactions
- extensive experience with cross-border transactions, including planning and structuring investments to and from Canada
- established relationships with the most prominent players in Canada and the United States including leading private equity sponsors, pension funds, venture capital funds, major corporations, institutions and growing private companies
- trusted relationships with U.S. and other international law firms to support the Canadian components of global transactions
Market-leading transactional expertise
We have the necessary resources to structure and seamlessly execute the most complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions. Osler’s leading transactional deal flow is highlighted by its top standing in the M&A league tables. Osler is ranked as the #1 Canadian law firm in the M&A league tables by value for Canada published by Mergermarket for full-year 2023.
Comprehensive expertise
We understand the nuances of the most sophisticated deals and support our clients through each stage of the investment cycle. We also have the legal expertise to advise on all elements of investment from fund formation, co-investment, structuring and M&A to distressed investing and acquisitions through restructuring, carve-out transactions, cross-border support for global transactions, IPO exits, secondary transactions, PIPEs (private investments in public companies) and leveraged buyouts.
Legal components of a private equity or pension fund investment strategy
Osler leverages our collaborative one-firm approach to provide extensive service across all aspects of managing investments. Clients can access our experience in tax structuring, corporate lending and acquisition and sponsor finance, executive compensation and employee benefits, merger review and Investment Canada Act/foreign investment implications and other regulatory matters, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, cross-border, pension investing and Pension Benefits Act advice, capital markets activities and fund formation. Our position as a trusted advisor in private equity and pension fund investing has been earned through our ability to support the most complex transactions and key legal components of an investment strategy.
Supporting your fund strategy
Osler works closely with our private equity clients to provide advice on fund strategy. Our transactional experience includes the following:
- Fund of funds
- Leveraged buyout
- Growth equity
- Secondary transactions
- Venture capital
- Mezzanine financing
- Special situations/distressed
