Practical corporate counsel for entrepreneurs, owner-operated companies, and mid-market businesses — from incorporation through commercial contracts, financings, and exit. Two and a half decades of experience, available as external general counsel or for one-off matters.
Most businesses need a lawyer for a recurring set of questions: how to structure the company, how to paper the deals that matter, how to manage employees and contractors, how to handle a financing round, and what to do when a transaction comes along. The business law practice covers all of these, with a bias toward practical answers that fit how the client actually runs the business.
Federal and provincial incorporation, holding company structures, corporate reorganizations, shareholder structures (voting and non-voting share classes, family trust ownership, US-Canadian holdco arrangements), and ongoing minute book and corporate-record maintenance. The structure should fit the business and its trajectory — not the other way around.
Master services agreements, statements of work, supply and distribution agreements, NDAs, consulting and professional services agreements, manufacturing arrangements, vendor and customer terms. The work product is contracts that the business owner can actually use and understand — not boilerplate filed and forgotten.
Founders' agreements, shareholder agreements with proper drag-along, tag-along, pre-emptive rights, ROFR, valuation mechanics, and shotgun or buy-sell provisions. The most important business-law document a closely-held company has is usually its shareholder agreement; getting it right early saves substantial cost later.
Employment offers, employment agreements, contractor agreements, equity grants, restrictive covenants drafted to be enforceable under current Canadian law, termination matters, and policy review under federal and provincial employment standards legislation.
Private financings — debt, equity, convertibles, SAFEs adapted for Canadian use — including subscription documents, term sheet review, and closing mechanics. For public-company financings, see the Securities & Public Companies page.
Asset and share purchase and sale transactions, joint ventures, earn-outs, and the diligence/closing process. The firm regularly acts on the buy-side and sell-side for owner-operated business transactions, and as Canadian local counsel on cross-border deals.
For ongoing clients, the firm acts as external general counsel — handling day-to-day legal questions across business law without the cost of retaining a large firm for every matter.
Most business-law matters are quoted on a fixed-fee or capped-fee basis after a short intake call. For ongoing relationships, the firm offers external general counsel arrangements (monthly retainer plus fixed-fee scoping for larger projects). Initial consultations are short, no-cost, and lead with whether the firm is the right fit.
Both. The firm regularly works with founders incorporating their first company, mid-market businesses scaling up, and established companies needing ongoing counsel. Fixed-fee scoping makes early-stage work practical.
Yes. Many clients use the firm in an external general counsel capacity, handling the day-to-day legal questions of running a business — contracts, employment, governance, transactions — without the cost of an in-house team or a large law firm. Engagements are typically structured as a monthly retainer with fixed-fee scoping for larger projects.
Most business-law matters are quoted on a fixed-fee or capped-fee basis after a brief intake call. Hourly billing is available where scope cannot reasonably be predicted, but it is not the default.
Quebec civil law matters are coordinated with trusted Quebec counsel as part of the engagement, with the firm as the single point of contact. The firm's core jurisdiction is Ontario, with experience across Canadian common-law provinces.
Yes — frequently. The firm regularly acts as Canadian counsel alongside US lead counsel, providing Canadian-law input on the deal documents, opinions, and diligence.
Whether it is a single contract or ongoing external counsel, initial consultations are short and no-cost.
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