Mergers and Acquisitions: Overview
Mergers and acquisitions transactions, whether large or small, have inherent complexities that need to be clearly understood and properly addressed. Experienced legal counsel is essential on all M&A transactions and for all clients, ranging from local start-ups to global conglomerates. With decades of experience advising successfully on M&A transactions, Osler can be trusted to provide clients with the right level of legal advice required to lead a successful deal, for several reasons:
- Involvement in High Volume and Range of Transactions – We are effective at advising on and staffing all types and sizes of transactions, be it for domestic, cross-border or multi-national companies. We have designed and implemented innovative legal structures that have revolutionized the M&A landscape and continue to provide valuable solutions to our clients.
- Breadth and Depth of Related Expertise – Our leading M&A practitioners are complemented by top-ranked expertise in tax, competition/antitrust, securities/regulatory, banking & financial services, litigation, pensions, employment/executive compensation and all other specialized areas that are key to effecting a successful M&A transaction. Taxation, for instance, is integral to accomplishing strategic M&A initiatives and no other Canadian law firm has been so consistently recognized for the excellence of its tax practice.
- Client Focus – We understand the business imperative behind a transaction and the business environments in which our clients operate. Our “client first” approach pervades every aspect of our firm culture and we bring that approach to the way we structure a deal, negotiate a deal, mitigate risk and staff and efficiently manage files.
- U.S./Cross-Border Legal Services – We offer seamless legal services north and south of the border. Our Canadian and New York offices are regularly involved in complex, multi-jurisdictional M&A transactions, providing strategic, innovative advice. Our distinct cross-border orientation enables us to represent U.S. companies doing business in Canada as well as Canadian companies expanding their businesses to the south.
Worldwide Recognition
Our M&A Group has consistently ranked as one of the leading legal advisors in Canada and among the top legal advisors globally:
- For over a decade, Osler has consistently been given the highest possible ranking (Tier 1) by Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business for Corporate/M&A. The 2012 edition of Chambers Global noted: “this firm's corporate department is acclaimed for its deep bench,” while peers state that Osler is “a great firm - we look to them for deep expertise.”
- For over five years, Osler has also been recognized by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as one of the three “most frequently recommended” Toronto firms among the Mergers and Acquisitions practice
- For over five years, Osler has consistently and repeatedly placed at the top of transaction league tables, with Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg L.P. and mergermarket frequently ranking Osler first among Canadian law firms for the value or volume of announced or completed deals. In 2012, Osler has once again been ranked as the #1 Canadian firm for completed M&A deals by Thomson Reuters in its latest league table offering. Osler also received top-tier rankings in the 2012 year-end M&A league tables from Bloomberg.
- The 2013 edition of IFLR 1000: The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms ranks Osler as a top tier recommended firm in M&A and observes that “Osler’s M&A practice is highly thought of in the market and retains a handful of lawyers who are well regarded in the market.”
- The Best Lawyers in Canada 2013 ranks Osler as the #1 firm in Toronto and Ottawa markets in Mergers and Acquisitions, by total number of ranked lawyers.