Private Equity and Venture Capital

We advise private equity and venture capital investment funds and their sponsors, portfolio managers, pension funds, family offices and other institutions investing in companies throughout Western Canada in a wide range of industries, from the energy, industrial and agriculture sectors to Indigenous-owned businesses, technology start-ups and emerging growth companies.

As a full-service law firm, we work in tandem with lawyers in our capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, taxation, technology, real estate, corporate finance, family office and infrastructure groups. We understand our region’s business and regulatory environment. We know the industry players. These relationships have been cultivated by our widespread presence and longstanding history in the West.

We support clients through every step of the investment lifecycle, including:

Fund Formation and Management

We advise domestic and international clients on the formation and structure of private equity and venture capital investment funds. We have a wealth of experience setting up and supporting the operations of open-ended and closed-ended funds, hedge funds and funds investing in alternative assets such as real estate and infrastructure. We also advise clients on co-investments and the use of special purpose vehicles. Our services include tax planning, fund registration, regulatory compliance, governance and commercial agreements.

Investments and Acquisition

We advise clients on their investment strategy and every step of the investment process. We assist with negotiating transactions and accessing financing through loan facilities and other forms of leverage.  Through our more than 270 lawyers and over a hundred years of regional legal practice, we are able to identify unique and relevant investment opportunities in Western Canada.

Exit Strategies

We help clients maximize the return on their investments through carefully planned exit strategies – plans that begin when the initial investments are made. We focus on negotiating shareholder arrangements for clients to ensure full value of investments are realized. We advise private equity and venture capital investors on domestic and cross-border private sales as well as public exits such as initial public offerings, reverse takeovers and qualifying transactions on Canadian exchanges.

• Counsel to private equity fund and registered exempt market dealer, investment fund manager and portfolio manager
• Counsel to publicly traded private equity firm in connection with its acquisition of a majority stake in an owner-operated private business in the manufacturing sector
• Corporate and transaction counsel to PFM Capital Inc. in connection with its private and venture capital investment activities by its over $728 million in funds under management
• Counsel to Conexus Venture Capital Inc. on fund formation, raising capital and investments for CVC Fund 1 (2019), a tech startup fund, and Emmertech Fund (2021), an ag-tech start-up fund
• Counsel for Lex Capital Management Inc. on fund formation and raising capital for the following funds: Lex Capital Partners LP (2009, $36.5 million), Lex Energy Partners LP (2010, $56.7 million), Lex Energy Partners LP II (2013, $54.4 million), Lex Energy Partners LP III (2015, $93.4 million) and Lex Energy Partners LP IV (2019, $156 million)
• Counsel to a Saskatchewan-based investment fund which provided loans to, and made venture capital investments in, medium-sized businesses located in Saskatchewan
• Counsel to private equity fund manager Westcap Mgt. Ltd. on capital raising for a management buyout fund
• Counsel to Kepler Investment Management Inc. on fund formation, capital raising and Canadian acquisitions
• Canadian counsel to early stage U.S. venture capital fund focused on investments in disruptive technologies in mature industries