Justin D. Young

Justin Young is a Partner in Osler’s Emerging and High Growth Companies practice group. His practice focuses on venture financing, mergers and acquisitions and corporate commercial matters for private technology companies.

Justin has acted for hundreds of technology clients across Canada and in the US, from start-ups to listed public companies, as well as many of the leading Canadian and US venture funds. He has acted extensively for entrepreneurs, start-ups and venture-backed technology companies, from start-up through their growth trajectory, as well as venture capital funds, private equity and strategic and angel investors, including on hundreds of venture capital and other private financings raising over $1 Billion since 2005, as well as on IPOs and other public offerings for technology companies.

Justin also frequently advises clients on M&A transactions with a particular focus on the purchase or sale of private Canadian technology companies.  He has represented offerors and targets in friendly and unsolicited takeover bids, arrangements, asset sales, amalgamations and share sale transactions, with transaction values ranging from $2 million to $17 billion. Justin also regularly advises clients on various commercial and strategic matters, including corporate governance, company formation, shareholder arrangements, licensing, SaaS, joint ventures and other commercial relationships.

Justin has been involved as a legal partner from Osler for CDL West, a Board Member of Open Angel Vancouver and VIATEC and is counsel to the BC CEO Cleantech Alliance. Justin is named as one of The Best Lawyers in Canada, in the areas of Corporate Law and Technology Law, is recognized by Lexpert in Technology Transactions and is one of the few individually ranked lawyers for Startups & Emerging Companies by Chambers Canada.


Representative Work

  • Echosec in its acquisition by Tusker Fund
  • Snapclarity in its acquisition by CloudMD
  • Aspect Biosystems in its $26M Series A
  • Canalyst in its $20M Series B Financing
  • Certn in its $37.3M Series A Financing
  • Certn in its $6.1M Seed Financing
  • Two Hat in its $7.5M Financing

SELECTED REPRESENTATION

  • VFF in various seed investments including its $2 million financing of Pressboard Media and its $3M million financing of Grow Financial as well as its investments in Tutela, Edvisor and ThinkCX
  • Pallasite Ventures in various seed investments including as lead investor in financings of Ecoation and EZ-Robot
  • Pangaea Ventures in its financings of Aeponyx, Redlen and Airbone International.
  • Mobidia in its acquisition by App Annie
  • Aspect Biosystems in its seed and institutional financings
  • Data Nerds in its $3 million Series A financing
  • EVOK Innovations in its investments in Osprey Informatics, Rotoliptic Technologies and Ekona
  • M12 in its investments in Element.ai and HYAS Infosec
  • Regenurex in its acquisition by Pond Technologies
  • Vanedge Capital Partners in several Seed, Series A, Series B and follow-on financings, including its financing of Plotly Technologies and of Privacy Analytics and in the disposition of Playnomics to a strategic acquirer
  • TwoHat Security in its Series Seed financing
  • Aimsio in its $10 million Series A financing led by STRAIT Capital Corp
  • Aida Software in its acquisition by Vision Critical
  • NCSoft in its investment in TGS
  • Pique Ventures in various Series Seed financings of early stage technology companies
  • PrinterWorks in its acquisition by WBM
  • Control Mobile in its $1.5 million Series Seed financing

OTHER MATTERS

  • Canadian aerospace company in the sale of its U.S. subsidiary and its sale to a Canadian acquirer
  • Clean technology company in its bridge loan and in its $5 million Series A financing
  • Junior mining company in its acquisition of Canadian uranium assets from a Canadian TSX-listed vendor
  • Large multinational energy company in its $200 million disposition of an Alberta-based joint venture manufacturing asset, and the sale of a business line in British Columbia
  • Leading Canadian private equity fund in its acquisition of an Ontario-based food products manufacturing company
  • Management shareholder of a private equity-backed medical device company in its sale to a large U.S. private equity fund
  • Shareholders of an owner management business selling its construction and hospitality assets to a large publicly listed U.S. acquirer
  • Toronto-based early stage investment fund in its $1 million convertible note seed financing of a Vancouver-based technology company
  • Toronto-based early stage lead angel investor in a convertible debenture seed financing of a Waterloo-based technology company
  • Venture-backed company based in Toronto in its acquisition of various related service businesses

Latest Insights

  • Osler Update Jun 24, 2021

    Federal government opens new agricultural clean technology program to applicants

    In their Osler Update, authors Neal Ross, Nathaniel Lipkus, Justin Young, Jacob Young and Tyler Warchola comment on the federal government’s new...

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    Federal government opens new agricultural clean technology program to applicants
  • Webinar Sep 18, 2020

    Canada’s EHG Ecosystem and Opportunities for Asian-Based Enterprises

    Please join members of our leading Emerging and High Growth Companies Group for a webinar on Canada's EHG Ecosystem and opportunities for Asian-based...

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  • Webinar Nov 2, 2017

    Osler National Blockchain & Investment Summit – Panel 1

    Join us for an insightful webinar on the future of Blockchain-enabled venture capital investing, the functionality of initial coin offerings and the...

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Awards and Recognition

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Startups and Emerging Companies
  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: Recognized in Technology Transactions; Corporate Mid-Market; Corporate Commercial Law
  • Best Lawyers in Canada: Recognized in Corporate Law; FinTech Practice; Mergers and Acquisitions Law; Technology Law; Venture Capital Law

Media Mentions

  • Osler News Jun 29, 2023

    29 Osler lawyers recognized in Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health 2023

    Congratulations to 29 of our lawyers for their inclusion in the Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health 2023.

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  • Osler News Apr 19, 2023

    42 Osler lawyers recognized by Lexpert as leaders in Finance and M&A

    Osler is proud to announce 42 of our lawyers have been recognized as leaders in the Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2023.

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  • Osler News Nov 23, 2022

    Osler clients ranked on Deloitte’s 2022 Technology Fast 50

    23 of Osler’s clients have been ranked on Deloitte’s 2022 Technology Fast 50 program

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  • Osler News Jun 15, 2022

    28 Osler lawyers recognized by Lexpert as leaders in Technology and Health Sciences

    The Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences 2022 recognizes 28 Osler lawyers as leaders.

    Read more
View all

Community Involvement

  • BC Tech Association, Board of Directors
  • Victoria Advanced Technology Council (VIATEC), Board of Directors
  • Open Angel Vancouver, Board Member
  • North Shore Girls Soccer Club, Volunteer Coach

Speaking and Writing

Speaking Engagements

speaker 17/11/2022
Fireside chat and social – Capital Raising in the New Normal
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speaker 18/9/2020
Canada’s EHG Ecosystem and Opportunities for Asian-Based Enterprises
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speaker 02/11/2017
Osler National Blockchain & Investment Summit – Panel 1
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Published Work

  • UBC Sauder School of Business, Guest Lecturer on Venture Finance
  • Pacific Venture Capital Competition, Judge (2013, 2014 and 2015)
  • Plug and Play Canada, Selection Committee (2013, 2014)

Credentials

Education

  • McGill University, B.A. (Distinction)
  • University of Toronto, J.D. (Honours)

Languages

  • English

Professional Affiliations

  • Law Society of Ontario
  • Law Society of British Columbia