Tax: M&A, Financings, Corporate Reorganizations and Restructurings

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Increasingly, taxation plays an enhanced role in organizations as in-house tax professionals and outside counsel become more involved in both shaping and realizing the corporation’s strategic business objectives. This business-facing posture is particularly valuable in the area of mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganizations and restructurings. 

Maximizing tax efficiency and minimizing potential tax risks are critical to the success of transactions that involve an acquisition, divestiture, financing, reorganization or restructuring. These are just some of the taxation-related issues that concern corporate leadership and in-house tax professionals throughout the negotiation and deal-structuring process. They must also fully understand the tax consequences of the transaction and consider the possibility of an assessment – especially in the current environment with heightened scrutiny from tax authorities.

Osler’s group of taxation experts act as a valued partner to businesses, offering their deep experience, unparalleled insight and industry-acknowledged expertise to ensure the organization’s concerns are addressed and objectives are met as effectively as possible. Working in collaboration with clients – and in conjunction with the rest of Osler’s multidisciplinary team– our tax lawyers are integral to the successful structuring and completion of transactions and focus on

  • developing innovative and tax efficient transaction structures, including the form of the transaction, the type of consideration, the identification of the tax objectives driving the economics of the deal and the most appropriate financing options
  • drafting and negotiating tax aspects of transaction agreements, and undertaking related due diligence
  • managing tax risks throughout the transaction and ensuring the deal does not create undue risk for the company or increase its existing risk profile
  • anticipating and handling scrutiny of the transaction by tax authorities and mitigating the potential consequences of that scrutiny (such as assessments/audits and possible additional payments, disputes and litigation)
  • keeping abreast of all relevant tax legislation, regulations and treaties to ensure compliance and minimize scrutiny from tax authorities

Osler has provided taxation advice on many of the most significant transactions undertaken by Canadian corporations, partnerships, trusts and other entities within and outside Canada, and by foreign corporations, and other entities within Canada.

 

Taxation

 

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  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Tax (Band 1)
    • "The depth of the team is unbelievable."
    • "Top operator in the market."
    • "I enjoy working with them - they bring a level of technical expertise that is extremely deep. We get tremendous insight."
    • "Osler is technically strong. They are also commercial and will take a view supported by reasoned and principled judgement in areas with no clear answer. I am very happy with their advice."
  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Tax (Band 1)
    • "They have some superb advisers and produce excellent advisory work."
    • "They have an exceptionally strong team that works together seamlessly - their experience with tax and tax litigation is the best in Canada."
  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Recognized in Corporate Tax (Toronto, Ontario; Calgary, Alberta; Montreal, Quebec); Recognized in Tax at the centre of the Lexpert bull’s-eye chart
  • The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada: Osler lawyers recognized as leaders in Tax
  • Lexpert’s Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Lawyers in Canada: Osler lawyers recognized as leaders in Tax
  • The Legal 500: Tax Law (Tier 1)
  • International Tax Review
  • Who’s Who Legal: Osler lawyers recognized in Corporate Tax
  • Best Lawyers Canada: Recognized as "Law Firm of the Year" in the area of Tax Law (Canada), 2022

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