Michael C. DeCosimo

Michael is a partner in the Corporate Group at Gardiner Roberts, practising corporate and securities law with a focus on corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, investment funds, private equity, and venture capital. He has acted as issuer’s counsel on more than 75 initial public offerings and other public and private financings, raising aggregate gross proceeds in excess of $8 billion. Michael also regularly represents underwriters and agents in connection with public and private offerings.

Michael advises a broad range of clients, from start-ups to multinational organizations, and is a trusted advisor to senior executives, boards of directors, and independent review committees. His work spans transactions, corporate governance, disclosure and reporting obligations, risk management, and regulatory compliance, and he is valued for his strategic, business-minded approach to complex matters.

Michael’s expertise has been widely recognized. He has been ranked by the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, the Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada, and the Lexpert/ROB Special Edition on Global Mining. He has also been named a Thomson Reuters Standout Lawyer and was previously recognized as one of Lexpert’s Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40.

Expertise

Representative work

• Hammond Power Solutions Inc.: Acted as counsel to Hammond Power Solutions in connection with its CA$65.5 million bought-deal secondary offering.
• Confidential clients: Advised various public and private clients on mergers and acquisitions matters both in Canada and cross-border, including structuring, negotiating, drafting, due-diligence and closing such matters.
• Confidential clients: Advised various clients on significant investments in private companies and other entities, ranging from small ownership stakes to controlling interests, to complete entities.
• Confidential clients: Advised various clients on all aspects of fund formation, including investment funds, open-end mutual funds, closed-end funds, ETFs, private funds and private equity funds.
• Confidential clients: Advised various clients on corporate governance and Canadian securities law regulatory matters, including on-going disclosure requirements and compliance, and registration requirements impacting investment fund managers, advisers and dealers.
• FAX Capital Corp.: Advised Special Committee of Board regarding all aspects of going private transaction.