Lexpert reveals the best private equity lawyers in Québec from the results of our extensive yearly peer survey. Check out the complete line-up of the province’s most recommended private equity lawyers and law firms via our practice area rankings list.
Private equity law is the branch legal profession covering private equity companies that pool investments of pension funds and other large investors to purchase assets and other companies. Lawyers in this practice assist in the formation of funds and negotiating contract terms.
Most frequently recommended private equity lawyers
Michel Boislard
Law firm: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1989
City: Montréal
Michel Boislard is a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. He is an expert in commercial law, primarily in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, corporate financing, investment funds and securities. Boislard advises clients from the high technology and biotechnology sectors. He also represents several public and private corporations in complex domestic and international cross-border transactions. Boislard acquired extensive experience in cross-border transactions while working as resident partner at the firm’s New York office. He often acts on behalf of investment funds during acquisitions.
Peter Castiel
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1993
City: Montréal
Peter Castiel is a partner at Stikeman Elloitt LLP’s corporate group. He is also a member of the firm’s partnership board and executive committee. Castiel specializes in cross-border mergers and acquisitions. He has extensive expertise in advising private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds and leading public and private companies in connection with acquisitions, divestitures and investments.
Shahir Guindi
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1990
City: Montréal
Shahir Guindi is the national co-chair and a member of the partnership board at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. He also served as the managing partner of the firm’s Montréal office for seven years. Guindi holds chairmanship at the Board of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montréal. He has more than 25 years of experience and is a recognized advisor in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance. His private equity and venture capital experience includes advising funds on their domestic and cross-border portfolio investments and divestitures and on their fund formations. Guindi acts for several of the country’s most successful technology and biotechnology companies.
Sidney M. Horn
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1978 (QC); 1982 (AB)
City: Montréal
Sidney M. Horn is a senior counsel at Stikeman Elliott LLP’s corporate group. He specializes in commercial, corporate and securities law and is recognized as one of Canada’s best private equity lawyers. Horn advises large domestic and international corporations on complex questions concerning finance, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions. He also represents private equity firms in their investments in private and public corporations, and corporations and independent directors in several transactions, including going private transactions, related party transactions and insider bids.
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John W. Leopold
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1980
City: Montréal
John W. Leopold is a senior partner at Stikeman Elliott LLP’s corporate group. He devotes his practice to mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance. Leopold boasts a vast experience in cross-border transactions. He acts extensively for both corporate and financial sponsors in both public and private company transactions and all related matters. His client base spans the globe. Leopold is considered among Canada’s top private equity lawyers and among the country’s elite practitioners in mergers and acquisitions and corporate law.
Franziska Ruf
Law firm: Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1987
City: Montréal
Franziska Ruf is a partner at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP. She specializes in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and private equity. Ruf advises clients on Canadian and international public and private acquisitions, divestitures, securities issuances, investments and joint ventures. She frequently advises corporations, private equity firms and financial advisers on public and private cross-border M&A, and issuers and underwriters on public offerings and private placements. Ruf also regularly advises boards of directors, special committees, senior management and shareholders on a wide range of transactions, public disclosure issues and corporate governance matters.
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Patrick M. Shea
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2007 (QC); 2000 (New York)
City: Montréal
Patrick M. Shea is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, where he is also the head of the private equity group. He considered among the country’s private equity lawyers. Shea devotes his practice to corporate law. He advises corporate, private equity and pension fund clients in Canadian, US and international mergers and acquisitions across a wide range of industries. He also represents sponsors and investors in connection with the formation of an investment in private equity funds in Canada and abroad. Shea is the relationship partner for many domestic and international clients that operate in Canada, including large public companies, small and mid-sized businesses, private equity firms, hedge funds, investment banks and entrepreneurs. Shea routinely advises these and other clients on a wide variety of corporate and commercial law matters, including complex commercial agreements and arrangements. He is fluent in English and French.
Consistently recommended private equity lawyers
Carl Bélanger
Law firm: Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1998
City: Montréal
Carl Bélanger is a partner and co-president of the corporate and commercial law group at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP’s Montréal office. He specializes in commercial transactions and corporate structures, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private sector-funding. He is also well-versed in setting up funds and limited partnerships and is recognized as among the country’s top private equity lawyers. Over the years, Bélanger has assisted clients at every step of their development in Canada and abroad. He has been active in transactions involving private equity funds and business successions through management and other buyouts. Bélanger has led a significant number of transactional files involving private or public corporations from diverse fields, including information technology, health care and services, manufacturing and industrial production, real estate development, and agriculture and food.
Patrick Boucher
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1996
City: Montréal
Patrick Boucher is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s business law group in Montréal and co-head of the national capital markets practice. He specializes in securities and corporate law, concentrating on mergers and acquisitions, takeover bids and public financings. Boucher has acted as counsel to issuers and underwriters in various public offerings and private placements of publicly listed issuers. He has also participated in numerous takeover bids and going-private transactions of publicly listed issuers and has acted as counsel to independent committees in connection with various transactions. Boucher is considered as one of Canada’s leading private equity lawyers.
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Robert Carelli
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2000
City: Montréal
Robert Carelli is a partner at the securities group at Stikeman Elliott LLP. He is also the head of the firm’s corporate group in Montréal. He devotes his practice to the areas of securities, capital markets, public and private mergers and acquisitions and governance. Carelli advises issuers and underwriters on public offerings and private placements, boards of directors and private equity funds.
Warren M. Katz
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1996 (ON); 1996 (QC)
City: Montréal
Warren M. Katz is the managing partner of Stikeman Elliott LLP’s Montréal office. He is also a member of the firm's partnership board and executive committee. He formerly headed the firm’s corporate group. Katz specializes in cross-border mergers and acquisitions involving both public and private companies and investment funds, public offerings, private placements and going-private transactions.
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Mathieu Laflamme
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2002
City: Québec City
Mathieu Laflamme is the head of McCarthy Tétrault’s office in Québec City and a partner at the firm’s business law group. He specializes in corporate and commercial law, including private equity, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, corporate reorganizations and financing. Laflamme advises on Canadian and cross-border acquisitions and acts for public and private companies and institutional investors in a variety of domestic and foreign commercial transactions and operations. These include implementation of partnerships and other forms of ownership structures in connection with energy, infrastructure and industrial projects. Laflamme also advises private equity and venture capital investors and fund managers. He boasts extensive experience in setting up several private equity and venture capital funds and acting for both corporations and investors in private equity and venture capital transactions.
Sophie Lamonde
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2002
City: Montréal
Sophie Lamonde is a partner and head of the mergers and acquisitions group at Stikeman Elliott LLP. She devotes her practice to the areas of mergers and acquisitions and private equity, with a focus on cross-border transactions. Lamonde has extensive experience in advising Canadian and foreign clients in acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations and general commercial negotiations. She works with businesses in various industries, including retail, manufacturing, contract research, technology and media.
Clemens Mayr
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1991
City: Montréal
Clemens Mayr is a partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Montréal office. He specializes in domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and corporate governance. Mayr regularly represents issuers and underwriters in Canadian and cross-border public financings in various industries. He also represents boards of directors and independent committees of public companies in various contexts. Mayr is recognized as one of the top private equity lawyers in the country. He is a member of boards of directors of private and public corporations, including the Québec Institute of Corporate Directors.