EN
ENFR中文
Menu
Search
https://mcmillan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/profile-default-mobile.jpg

Michael Whitcombe is an exemplary business law practitioner with extensive expertise in mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. His practice focuses largely on negotiated merger and acquisition transactions (domestic and cross-border), private equity investments, strategic alliances, complex commercial arrangements and corporate governance.

Advising medium-sized and large corporations, domestic and international, and their boards of directors in connection with their operations throughout Canada, Michael has significant industry experience in the private equity, pharmaceutical, automotive, manufacturing, distribution, service, entertainment, hospitality and tourism sectors.

Michael is sessional lecturer on private equity law at Queen’s University Law School. The director of a number of Canadian corporations, he has served as the honorary solicitor for the Arthritis Society since 1996 and as a director of MLSE LaunchPad. He is a member of the OBCA and CBCA Advisory Sub-Committees to the Business Law Executive of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario), and is a national leader of the firm’s Private Equity & Venture Capital Group.

Expertise

Practices

Industries

Representative Matters

  • Represented Porsche in Connection with the establishment of Bentley Financial Services Canada and Lamborghini Financial Services Canada
  • Represented Taylor Wimpey plc in the Canadian aspects of its divestiture of the North American real estate operations to Oaktree Capital, TPG Capital and JH Investments
  • Represented Sun Capital Partners in the Canadian aspects of its acquisitions of the North American Bath & Kitchen Division of American Standard; acquisition and subsequent divestiture of the Ontario Pork Processing Operations of Maple Leaf Foods Inc.; acquisition of the Beauty Packaging Operations of Rio Tinto Alcan; acquisition of Arch Aluminum Products; acquisition of Berkline Benchcraft and its acquisition of Wind-Up Entertainment
  • Represented Wind Point Partners in the Canadian aspects of its acquisition of ThinAddictives Inc.
  • Represented Oaktree Capital in connection with its investments in Cyanco Canada and in Streamtheworld
  • Represented ICV Partners in the Canadian aspects of its acquisition of Cargo Airport Services
  • Represented Arlon Capital in the Canadian aspects of its acquisition of Pasta Kitchen
  • Represented Genstar Capital in the acquisitions by its portfolio entity Granite Global Solutions Holdings Inc. of Financial Horizons Inc., Total Rehabilitation Management and Mercer Myers & Associates Insurance Adjusters Ltd.
  • Represented ARAMARK Corp. in connection with the Canadian aspects of the cross-border US$3.8 billion privatization by Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan
  • Represented JP Morgan, Citibank and Goldman Sachs in connection with the Canadian aspects of the cross-border US$23.4 billion secured financing of the Ford Motor Company
  • Represented the Sandoz Division of Novartis in its cross-border acquisition of generic drug manufacturer Sabex Inc. from Roundtable Health Partners

Speaking Engagements

The Characteristics and Uses of Limited Partnerships Osgoode Professional Development: The Short Course on Partnerships, Limited Partnerships and Joint Ventures, Toronto, Ontario

November 2017

The Six Minute Business Lawyer Program Chair, Law Society of Upper Canada

June 2017

Teaching Engagements

  • Sessional Lecturer – Private Equity Law, Queen’s University Law School

News

Rankings & Recognition

  • Recognized by the Best Lawyers in Canada (2021) as a leading lawyer in the areas of Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law and Mergers & Acquisitions Law
  • Recognized in the 2020 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a Repeatedly Recommended lawyer in the areas of Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Mid-Market and Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Recognized in the 2020 Lexpert Special Edition on Finance and M&A as one of Canada’s Leading Finance and M&A Lawyers
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada (2020) as a leading lawyer in the areas of Corporate Law and Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law
  • Recognized by the 2019 Lexpert Guide to the US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada as a leading Canadian lawyer in cross-border practices
  • Recognized in the 2019 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a Repeatedly Recommended lawyer in the areas Corporate Commercial Law, Corporate Mid-Market and Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Recognized in the Lexpert Report on Business on Corporate 2019 – Special Edition, as one of Canada’s Leading Corporate Lawyers
  • Recognized in Best Lawyers in Canada (2019) as a leading lawyer in the areas of Corporate Law and Leveraged Buyouts & Private Equity Law

Community Involvement

  • Honorary Solicitor to the Arthritis Society since 1996
  • Past Chair of the Board and current Honorary Solicitor of the Oakville Community Foundation
  • Director of MLSE LaunchPad

Directorships & Affiliations

  • Ontario Bar Association
  • Canadian Bar Association
  • Advisory Sub-Committees to the Business Law Executive of the Canadian Bar Association (Ontario)
  • Oakville Community Foundation
  • MLSE LaunchPad

Education & Admissions

1987
Called to the Ontario bar
2008
LLM,Business Law Osgoode Hall Law School
1985
LLB Queen's University
1982
BBA (with Distinction)University of New Brunswick

Insights by Michael P. Whitcombe (1 Posts)

Advisory Council Recommends that Ontario Government Modernize the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA)

Nov 19, 2019

The Ontario government recently established an advisory body called the Business Law Modernization and Burden Reduction Council.

Read More