Mergers and Acquisitions 2026


Course Date: May 20, 2026

Full Course Materials
Total: 6h 10min
Total Ethics: 1h
Course Agenda ▼
Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)
 
Rob Seto — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Sven O. Milelli — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver 
 
Market Update (9:10 – 9:55)
 
  • North American M&A update
    • key drivers
    • most active sectors 
    • trends
  • North American mid-market M&A
    • deal activity and multiples
    • key drivers on activity and valuations
    • recent deal findings
Nicholas Bester, CPA, CA, CBV — Partner, Summit Capital Advisors, Vancouver
Will Campbell, CPA — Director, RBC Capital Markets, Vancouver
 
Technology Issues in M&A Transactions (9:55 – 10:30)
 
  • risk thresholds
    • fines/litigation
    • operational
  • reps and warranties
    • cybersecurity incident, knowledge, materiality, and disclosure 
    • technology adequacy
    • artificial intelligence
  • diligence
    • privacy due diligence
    • anti-spam and spam call risk
    • employee ownership of IP
  • ethics: obligations when collecting, using, and disclosing personal information in transactions
Jade Buchanan — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver
 
BREAK (10:30 – 10:45)
 
Regulatory Update (10:45 – 11:35)
 
  • significant amendments to the Competition Act and the Investment Canada Act
Dominic Thérien — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Montreal
 
A Litigator's Perspective (11:35 – 12:20)
 
  • stress testing M&A agreements
  • how are key M&A clauses interpreted in the litigation context
  • what clauses are overlooked?
  • recent M&A decisions
Sean K. Boyle — Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Vancouver
Teresa Tomchak — Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Vancouver
 
NETWORKING LUNCH (12:20 – 1:20) (provided to in-person registrants)
 
M&A Deals with First Nations Groups (1:20 – 2:20)
 
James Byra — Managing Director of Finance and Investments, First Nations Finance Authority, Westbank
Pavan Jawanda — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver (remote presentation)
Chief David Jimmie — Squiala First Nation, Chilliwack
 
Exchangeable Share Structures (2:20 – 2:50)
 
  • review of exchangeable share structures
  • key terms and recent market developments
Philippe Montillaud — Deloitte Canada, Vancouver
 
BREAK (2:50 – 3:05)
 
Post-Closing Purchase Price Adjustments, Dispute Resolution, and R&W Insurance Recovery (3:05 – 3:50)
 
  • common accounting issues that give rise to post-closing working capital and earnout disputes, including timing of closing vs. financial reporting period ends, differing interpretations of accounting language and policies, and structuring complexities 
  • a discussion around R&W insurance coverage, including the frequency with which claims are made, the key drivers of claims, examples of claim payments, and key policy provisions
  • case studies from recent transactions to highlight how key negotiation points can materially impact the outcome of the post-closing dispute and claim resolution process

Jennifer Drake — Aon Reed Stenhouse Inc., Toronto
Adrienne Wong, CPA, CA — Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Canada), Calgary

 
Employment Law Issues in M&A Transactions (3:50 – 4:30)
  • impact of deal structure on the employment relationship
  • due diligence essentials
  • successor employer liability
  • offers of employment and issues surrounding key employee retention
  • terminations
  • union and labour relations issues
Katy Allen — Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Vancouver
Samantha Stepney — Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Vancouver
 
Closing Remarks (4:30 – 4:35)
 
Sven O. Milelli — McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Vancouver