Curtis A. Cusinato

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

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Curtis Cusinato is recognized as one of Canada’s foremost deal makers and a trusted legal advisor in domestic and cross-border M&A, private equity, and capital markets transactions. Known for his business-first mindset and relentless focus on client success, Curtis is valued for his ability to craft practical solutions to complex challenges and drive deals across the finish line no matter the scale or jurisdiction. His deep industry insight and proven track record in Canada, the US, and globally have earned him a reputation as a go-to strategist for high-stakes transactions.

Overview

For more than 30 years, Curtis has been a leading legal and strategic advisor to public and private companies, private equity sponsors, and institutional investors. He has led some of Canada’s most significant and complex transactions, including multi-billion-dollar M&A deals, leveraged and management buyouts, divestitures, going-private transactions, public offerings, restructurings and other complex corporate matters. 

"Curtis is extremely talented, a critical part of the advisory team and he understands the business." 
— Chambers Global

Curtis’s clients include multinational corporations, top-tier private equity firms, hedge funds, merchant banks, prominent family offices and emerging companies. His experience spans a wide range of industries including industrial, financial, technology, healthcare, energy, mining, and agribusiness providing him with unmatched perspective and versatility across sectors. 

"Curtis is the best of the best. He rises above the minutiae to understand where clients are going directionally and applies a high level of sophistication and finesse in solving complex problems. 
— Chambers Global 

Consistently recognized as one of Canada’s top M&A lawyers, Curtis is ranked Band 1 by Chambers and is highly regarded in Chambers Global, Chambers Canada, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, and The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, among others. His standing in the market reflects both his exceptional legal skill and his reputation as a results-driven deal leader. Before joining Bennett Jones, Curtis held senior leadership positions at another leading Canadian national firm, where he served as Managing Partner of the Toronto office, a member of the Executive Committee and Partnership Board, National Head of the Corporate Group, and Co-Chair of the M&A and Private Equity Groups. 

"Curtis gives a balanced approach, has deep subject matter expertise and is quick to respond. He is excellent to work with and always on top of our issues" 
— Chambers Global 

Beyond his legal practice, Curtis is very committed to community and philanthropy supporting a number of charitable initiatives. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Zekelman Foundation and has previously served on the Board of Trustees of the North York General Hospital Foundation, where he chaired the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Governors' Council. He has also been a long-time supporter of the Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation, participating in multiple Wellspring Peloton Challenge rides cycling thousands of kilometres to raise funds for cancer support programs across the United States and Canada. 

Curtis’s international legal experience began early in his career with the completion of an internship at the Royal Cours of Justice in London, England and a secondment to Sydney, Australia. He later served as the Interim General Counsel in Canada for Waste Management (now WM), North America's leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions. 

"Curtis is commercial, he sees the big picture and provides strong legal guidance." 
— Chambers Global

Notable Clients and Transactions

  • Counsel to Shopify Inc., a leading global commerce company, on its Initial Public Offering
    and numerous other M&A and capital markets transactions.
  • Counsel to Element Fleet Management Corp., the world's largest pure-play automotive fleet manager, in its acquisition of AutoFleet and several other M&A transactions.
  • Counsel to Medline Inc., a leading global manufacturer and supplier of medical products and healthcare solutions, in the acquisitions of Medical Mart, Sinclair Dental and several other M&A transactions in Canada.
  • Counsel to Shift 4 Payments Inc., a global leader in financial technology and secure payment processing solutions, in its going private transaction for Givex Corp. and in the acquisition of Eigen and several other M&A transactions in Canada.
  • Counsel to Zekelman Industries, Inc., North America's largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturing, in numerous M&A and going-private transactions, public and high yield offerings and other transactions.
  • ADM, a global lender in innovative solutions from nature, as Canadian counsel, in a definitive agreement to launch a North American animal feed joint venture with All Tech, a global leader in agriculture, and several other M&A transactions for ADM in Canada.
  • Counsel to Sysco Corporation, the world's largest foodservice distributor, on numerous M&A transactions in Canada.
  • Counsel to Equitable Bank on the acquisition of a majority interest in Concentra Bank to become Canada's 7th largest independent Canadian bank by assets.

Client Work

Canaccord Genuity in its capacity as lead underwriter and sole bookrunner in connection with the US$100-million initial public offering of Class A restricted voting units of MAK Acquisition, a Cayman Islands special purpose acquisition company
Zhone Technologies, Inc., a global provider of fiber optic broadband solutions and cloud software services, in connection with its acquisition of substantially all of the worldwide assets and international subsidiaries of DZS Inc., DZS Services Inc. and DZS California Inc. by way of an Asset Purchase Agreement and an order of the United States Bankruptcy Court out of Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceedings for the Eastern District of Texas approving such sale of assets; and in connection with Zhone's acquisition of Net Comm Wireless Pty Ltd. pursuant to a Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA) approved by creditors and the Federal Court of Australia
Private Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, as Canadian counsel, in connection with its investment in Trackunit, a global lender in software solutions for the construction industry
Plantro in connection with its requisition of a meeting of shareholders of Dye & Durham (TSX: DND) to replace certain incumbent members of the Board and direct a sales process for the Company
Shift4 Payments and its affiliates in its acquisition of of Eigen Development Ltd. and Eigen Holdings (U.S.) Corp. 
Lynx Software Technologies, a portfolio company of OceanSound Partners, in connection with the acquisition of Core Avionics & Industrial

Recognitions & Awards

Chambers Canada

Band 1, Corporate/Commercial - Ontario
Private Equity: Buyouts

Chambers Global

Corporate/M&A
Private Equity : Buyouts

The Legal 500 Canada

Leading Lawyer, Corporate and M&A

Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

Most Frequently Recommended, Corporate Mid-Market; Corporate Commercial Law
Consistently Recommended, Mergers & Acquisitions; Private Equity
Repeatedly Recommended, Corporate Finance & Securities

Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada

Recognized as a leading Corporate Commercial and Corporate Mid-Market lawyer  

Lexpert Guide to the Leading U.S./Canada Cross-border Lawyers in Canada

Recognized as a leading cross-border lawyer in M&A

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

  • University of Ottawa, Hons. BComm, 1988
  • University of Windsor, LLB, 1991
  • University of Detroit Mercy, JD, 1991

Bar Admissions

  • Completed Michigan Bar, 1991
  • Ontario, 1993