The heavy reliance on technology in today’s data-driven world means that cybersecurity threats must be taken seriously. More specifically, with respect to M&A transactions, a target’s cybersecurity mechanisms have become an important part of the due diligence consideration. Indeed, it
Canadian M&A
Canadian M&A Q3 2019 Review: Canadian M&A activity remains strong despite a slight decline in transaction volume
Crosbie & Company’s “Crosbie & Company Canadian Mergers & Acquisitions Report for Q3 2019” (the Report) reviews the minor slowdown in Canadian M&A activity in Q3 2019 following a record-breaking second quarter. While deal activity declined slightly in Q3…
CANADA’S COMPETITION BUREAU IS KEEPING AN EYE ON SMALL M&A DEALS
The Competition Bureau (the “Bureau”) is required to review certain merger transactions that exceed various financial thresholds, based on the size of the business being acquired and the combined size of the buyer, the target business, and their affiliates. The…
Emerging Trends in Information Technology (IT) Mergers and Acquisitions
Canada’s burgeoning information technology (IT) sector is a standout in the Canadian mergers and acquisitions landscape. A recent report by Duff & Phelps illustrates that in the first half of 2019, IT was the third most active deal-making sector in…
A no-shop provision can be a buyer’s best friend, while exceptions may be the target’s best friend

Deal protections are an important aspect of M&A transactions. Buyers will typically negotiate with the target of the transaction to include all kinds of deal protections mechanisms, including no-shop provisions, matching rights, and break fees payable to the buyer. No-shop …
Investor uncertainty will continue to impact Canadian M&A momentum

Deal count reached a seven-year high in Canada last year, but there has been a loss of momentum in the first half of 2019. On-going trade conflicts and concern over a possible market correction have generated greater economic uncertainty, and…
Narwhals, unicorns and profits – Canadian tech start-ups are on the rise

Unicorns and narwhals – what business do these creatures have in boardrooms and on stock exchanges?
“Unicorn” and “narwhal” are industry terms used to describe certain private start-up tech companies. “Unicorns” are start-ups valued by investors at $1B or more, …
Brewery M&A in Canada

The brewing industry is one of Canada’s oldest, and has undergone substantive transformations in recent decades. After a period of consolidation that culminated in the mid-1980s, only ten Canadian breweries remained, of which three controlled more than 95% of the…
Canadian M&A market still thought to be strong despite recent cut backs

Despite some cut backs in M&A activity expected over the next 12 months, the results reported in Ernst & Young’s (E&Y) 19th edition of the Global Capital Confidence Barometer (the “Report”) make clear that Canadian executives…
Q3 review: global M&A volume dropping, despite record highs
Thomson Reuters recently released a report on global mergers and acquisitions in the first nine months of 2018. According to the report, global M&A volume fell 32% in Q3 2018 compared to Q2 2018. The number of deals – 35,543 …