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Private Equity & Investment Funds

We advise private equity sponsors, investors, and funds on complex cross-border transactions, structuring, and value creation, delivering tailored strategies that maximize returns and manage risk.
Key Contacts
Cameron GordonCusinato CurtisHunt Matthew JMcClary JamesDylke ElizabethMercury JohnTessier Jean
Gordon N. Cameron, Curtis A. Cusinato, Matthew J. Hunt, James T. McClary, Elizabeth K. Dylke, John M. Mercury & Jean Tessier
Board room chairs

Overview

The Bennett Jones private equity group is a leader in Canada. Our clients include sophisticated financial sponsors who are looking to balance risk with expected return and who require tailored advice from the initiation of the investment phase through to exit. Bennett Jones represents all sides in private equity transactions, with particular depth on behalf of U.S. and domestic financial sponsors. We understand our clients live with the consequences of their acquisitions the moment the deal closes and we align ourselves with that mindset.

Our practice is a collaborative and multidisciplinary effort that draws upon the firm's strengths in Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets, and acquisition finance (Financial Institutions Group), along with subject matter expertise in domestic and cross-border issues relating to Tax, Anti-Trust/Competition, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Employment & Benefits, Information Technology, Intellectual Property and International Trade.

How We Help Private Equity Clients

Private Equity Bennett Jones

Our Strengths

Transactional Experience

Fund Formation

Private Equity Financing and Private Credit

Preparation for Exit

Our Strengths

  • Navigating the Canada-U.S. border effectively and efficiently is one of our major strengths. We act for a wide range of clients, including financial sponsors, Canadian pension funds, family offices and other institutional investors—meeting their diverse needs. Our longstanding relationship with a number of leading U.S.-based sponsors and their U.S. legal counsel has given us particular insight into the cross-border tax challenges that come with structuring investments in Canada and from the United States and the nuances that stem when representing tax-exempt investors.
  • Our private equity team works closely with our industry experts in those industries where our firm excels—particularly in energy/renewables, infrastructure, real estate, agribusiness, mining, technology, consumer and hospitality—to ensure that we are delivering the most informed advice. With a growing focus for private equity investments on ESG issues our expertise is vital from the initial diligence stage through to post-investment monitoring. We also have a leading Public Policy Group that adds significant value, particular with respect to cross-border situations that can stand to benefit from that type of perspective.
  • Transaction structuring is an important strength as Bennett Jones understands that excellence in the field requires specific knowledge of investors' needs at each point in the capital structure. Knowing how to bridge views on valuation and de-risk certain situations, with the use of earn-outs, convertible securities, contingent value rights (CVRs), derivatives and other forms of structured products, is a key value we bring to transactions.
  • Bennett Jones is focused on the process of value creation, and the importance of actual cash-on-cash returns to our clients. Understanding the time value of money, and the underlying pressures and constraints facing our clients, allows us to effectively interface with counterparties and their counsel. We have dedicated training programs for our lawyers on topics such as valuation, financial statement analysis and portfolio management, and believe that this important investment in our people is reflected in the service we provide.

Client Work

Liftwerx
in their majority interest sale of the company to TowerBrook Delta Fund
Lynx Software
in connection with the acquisition of Core Avionics & Industrial
OYO Hotels
in its US$525-million acquisition of G6 Hospitality from Blackstone Real Estate Advisors
York1
in its acquisition of First Choice Disposal
Your.Online
in their acquisition of Ex2
3i North American Infrastructure Partners
in its initial investment in, and its acquisition of a remaining interest in, Shared Tower
KKR
in its C$1.19-billion acquisition of an indirect minority equity interest in the Labrador-Island Link from Emera 
Riverstone Holdings
in Crescent Point Energy’s US$1.8-billion take-private transaction of Hammerhead Energy
Park Lawn
in its C$1.2-billion going private transaction by Birchhill Equity Partners and Homestenders Life
OceanSound Partners
in the acquisition of Core Avionics & Industrial by portfolio company Lynx Software Technologies
EQT Infrastructure
in its US$4.6-billion carve-out acquisition of First Student and First Transit from First Group
NOVA Infrastructure
as Canadian counsel, in its take-private acquisition of UGE International
Variperm
in its sale to NYSE-listed Forum Energy
Kensington Capital Partners
in the sale of a 51% interest to AGF Management
TriWest
in its indirect investment through its affiliates of a majority equity interest in Alta West Mortgage Capital
TriWest Capital Partners
in multiple matters, including its acquisitions of Northern Light Truck Campers and Off Grid Trailers from KV Private Equity to form Outdoor Adventure Group
The Founders
in connection with the sale of a majority interest in LiftWerx Solutions to the TowerBrook Delta Fund managed by TowerBrook Capital Partners
Capvest Partners
in its acquisition of Recochem, a Quebec based manufacturer of aftermarket transportation and household fluids
Goldman Sachs Alternatives
in its investment in Trackunit, a global leader in software for the construction sector
Hasslacher Group
in its investment in Element5, a mass timber producer in North America offering a full range of structural engineering, modelling, production, and assembly
Kinterra Capital
in connection with its acquisition of an industrial complex in Amos from Resolute
Recognize Partners
on its acquisition of Blue Mantis and its subsidiaries in the US, Canada and India, from ABRY Partners
Waterton Global Resource Management
in the sale of its portfolio company, Mt. Hamilton LLC, the owner of the fully permitted Mt. Hamilton gold and siler project in White Pine County, Nevada, to Bendito Resources
S.i. Systems
in its sale by Quad-C and management shareholders to Cornell Capital and Torquest Partners
Flexpoint Asset Opportunity Fund II
in a structured investment and strategic partnership in Nettwerk Music
Bow River Capital
in its majority recapitalization of Vitruvi, provider of geospatial construction management software
RCM Capital Management
in its leveraged buyout of majority partner H.I.G. Capital from PI Financial, and in the concurrent merger with Echelon Wealth Partners
InfraRed Capital
in its acquisition from Algonquin Power & Utilities of a 49% stake in a portfolio of three wind assets and of an 80% stake in a fourth wind asset
Kensington Capital Partners
in their acquisitions of Resolute Health, Surgical Centres, Chirurgie Dix30 and Medego Immobilier
Lineage Logistics Holdings
in its acquisition of VersaCold Logistics Services from Torquest Partners, The Investment Management Corporation of Ontario and OPTrust
Stone Canyon Industries and Kissner Group Holdings
in their US$3.2-billion acquisition of K+S Aktiengesellschaft's North and South American salt business, including Morton Salt and Windsor Salt
MPE Private Equity
in its acquisition of Flexpipe, a Québec-based manufacturer of modular plastic and metal products for various industries
Pontegadea
in the US$916-million purchase of the iconic Royal Bank Plaza in Toronto from Oxford Properties Group and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Medline Canada
in various Canadian acquisitions, including its purchase of Sinclair Dental
Ongoing representations of private investment funds, including Apollo Global Management, Brookfield Asset Management, Canso Investment Counsel, Catalyst Capital, Denham Capital, ...
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Recognitions

Chambers Canada
Ranked, Private Equity: Buyouts 
Chambers Global

Band 2, Corporate/M&A
Band 4, Banking & Finance; Private Equity: Buyouts

The Legal 500 Canada
Ranked, Corporate and M&A
Ranked, Banking & Finance
Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

Most Frequently Recommended, Corporate Commercial Law (Calgary)
Consistently Recommended, Banking & Financial Institutions (Calgary); Corporate Commercial Law (Edmonton, Toronto)
Repeatedly Recommended, Banking & Financial Institutions (Toronto); Corporate Commercial Law (Vancouver)

Key Contacts

See All Private Equity & Investment Funds Lawyers
Cameron Gordon

Gordon N. Cameron

Principal, Head of New York Office

Cusinato Curtis

Curtis A. Cusinato

Vice Chair and Partner  •   Co-Head of Mergers & Acquisitions Practice

Hunt Matthew J

Matthew J. Hunt

Partner  •   Co-Head of Private Equity

McClary James

James T. McClary

Partner  •   Co-Head of Private Equity

Dylke Elizabeth

Elizabeth K. Dylke

Partner  •   Head of Investment Funds

Mercury John

John M. Mercury

Executive Chair & Chair of the Board

Tessier Jean

Jean Tessier

Partner

Insights

See All Insights
Blog

Family Offices Driving Change in Private Equity: Key Trends and Investment Structures

August 19, 2025
Lucas Stevens-HallSteve Balon
Lucas Stevens-Hall & Steve Balon
Blog

Private Equity Investment in the Picks-and-Shovels of the AI Infrastructure Boom

August 8, 2025
Jie (Kevin) Zhou
Jie (Kevin) Zhou
Blog

Private Equity and Venture Capital Investors Showing Renewed Interest in the Defence Industry

June 30, 2025
Andrew BozzatoOscar Crawford-Ritchie
Andrew Bozzato & Oscar Crawford-Ritchie
Blog

The PE Briefing: Q2 2025

June 26, 2025
Mia BacicSarah HarperJames D. Beeby
& 1 more
Blog

Private Equity Secondaries: Adapting to Illiquidity and Risk

June 11, 2025
Mia Bacic
Mia Bacic
Blog

PE Opportunities and Trade in the Spotlight at CVCA Invest Canada

June 5, 2025
Jie (Kevin) Zhou
Jie (Kevin) Zhou

Related Services

Commercial TransactionsCapital MarketsFinancial ServicesTaxEmployment ServicesInternational Trade & InvestmentIntellectual Property LawIT & Business Services

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The Bennett Jones Story

At Bennett Jones, legal solutions are our starting point. What drives us forward is knowing our clients inside and out—their ambitions, obstacles and success metrics.

For more than a century, we have shaped outcomes that matter in business, in law and in the broader Canadian landscape. And our commitment extends beyond legal matters: we invest deeply in the communities in which we live and work.

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