Robert J. Picard

Robert Picard is a senior corporate and commercial lawyer with almost 40 years of experience helping entrepreneurs, private companies, investors, funds, and established businesses structure, negotiate and close important transactions. His practice spans mergers and acquisitions, shareholder agreements and disputes, complex commercial contracts, private equity and debt fund structures, debt and equity financings, corporate governance and strategic business succession.

Clients turn to Robert for practical, deal-minded advice where legal structure and business objectives need to work together. He is particularly effective on mandates where ownership, financing, tax, governance and operational issues intersect, and where the parties need a clear path from commercial concept to implementable transaction documents.

Certified by the Law Society as a specialist in Corporate and Commercial Law, Robert has acted as lead counsel on complex investment arrangements and large-scale structured projects in industries including real estate, energy, technology and nursing and retirement homes. He brings a business-first lens to corporate transactions, helping clients identify the core commercial issues early, manage risk and build structures that are durable, workable and aligned with the client’s objectives.

Robert’s practice also includes closely held and entrepreneurial businesses, where business law, personal planning and succession considerations often overlap. He advises founders, shareholders, investors and family-owned enterprises on shareholder arrangements, governance frameworks, ownership transitions, wills, trusts and related estate planning matters connected to business ownership and wealth transfer. Robert is bilingual in English and French and works with clients in both languages.

Expertise

Representative work

• Mergers and acquisitions. Advises on acquisitions and divestitures across a wide range of sectors, including nursing and retirement homes, technology, defence, real estate, hospitality, multi-residential and commercial property, forestry, metals, property management, employment and recruitment, travel, insurance, accounting, mining, chemicals, light and heavy manufacturing, plastics, storage, architecture, land development, furniture, food and beverages, and publishing.
• Shareholder agreements, governance and disputes. Structures and negotiates shareholder agreements, governance arrangements, contribution and profit-participation structures, share rights and related ownership arrangements for founders, investors, management teams and other stakeholders. Robert also advises on shareholder disputes and deal-engineering solutions where commercial issues require practical structuring advice.
• Energy and infrastructure. Structured a large solar energy project involving multiple commercial properties and locations across Canada. The mandate included negotiation and implementation of associated project contracts involving a publicly listed infrastructure company, private equity funds and venture founders, including shareholder arrangements, multi-stage financing arrangements, site licences, construction contracts, master leases, supply contracts and related energy regulatory applications.
• Funds and investment structures. Oversees the establishment of private international funds and investment vehicles used for Canadian acquisition and financing projects, including multi-jurisdictional planning involving Caribbean and European tax treaty jurisdictions, feeder structures and profit repatriation strategies. Robert also advises on sharia-compliant investment vehicles and other tailored investment structures.
• Financing and capital raising. Negotiates private and public financings, including private placements, venture capital investments, standard and convertible debt, mezzanine financing and asset-backed transactions. His financing work has involved international funds and related transnational money-clearance considerations, local investment restrictions and anti-money-laundering requirements.
• Complex commercial contracts. Advises on sophisticated commercial agreements across industries, including arrangements that combine operational, financing, governance, tax and exit considerations. Robert’s work often involves translating business deals into practical contract structures that allocate risk clearly and support long-term commercial relationships.