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Curtis Cusinato is recognized as one of Canada's foremost deal makers and a trusted legal advisor in domestic and cross-border M&A, private equity, and capital markets transactions. Known for his business-first mindset and relentless focus on client success, Curtis is valued for his ability to craft practical solutions to complex challenges and drive deals across the finish line no matter the scale or jurisdiction. His deep industry insight and proven track record in Canada, the US and globally have earned him a reputation as a go-to strategist for high-stakes transactions.

Overview

For more than 30 years, Curtis has been a leading legal and strategic advisor to public and private companies, private equity sponsors, and institutional investors. He has led some of Canada’s most significant and complex transactions, including multi-billion-dollar M&A deals, leveraged and management buyouts, divestitures, going-private transactions, initial public offerings, restructurings and other complex corporate matters.

"Curtis is extremely talented, a critical part of the advisory team and he understands the business." 
— Chambers Global

Curtis’s clients include multinational corporations, top-tier private equity firms, hedge funds, merchant banks, prominent family offices and emerging companies. His experience spans a wide range of industries, including industrial, financial, technology, healthcare, energy, mining, and agribusiness providing him with unmatched perspective and versatility across sectors. 

"Curtis is the best of the best. He rises above the minutiae to understand where clients are going directionally and applies a high level of sophistication and finesse in solving complex problems."
— Chambers Global 

Consistently recognized as one of Canada’s top M&A lawyers, Curtis is ranked Band 1 by Chambers Canada in Corporate/Commercial (ON) and by Chambers Global in Corporate/M&A. He is also ranked in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and The Lexpert 500 Cross-Border Guide in various corporate categories, including corporate, private equity and M&A, and in several other publications,  His standing in the market reflects both his exceptional legal skill and his reputation as a results-driven deal leader. Before joining Bennett Jones, Curtis held senior leadership positions at another leading Canadian national firm, where he served as Managing Partner of the Toronto office, a member of the Executive Committee and Partnership Board, National Head of the Corporate Group, and Co-Chair of the M&A and Private Equity Groups. 

"Curtis gives a balanced approach, has deep subject matter expertise and is quick to respond. He is excellent to work with and always on top of our issues." 
— Chambers Global 

Beyond his legal practice, Curtis is very committed to community and philanthropy supporting a number of charitable initiatives. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Zekelman Foundation and has previously served on the Board of Trustees of the North York General Hospital Foundation, where he chaired the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Governors' Council. He has also been a long-time supporter of the Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation, participating in multiple Wellspring Peloton Challenge rides cycling thousands of kilometres to raise funds for cancer support programs across the United States and Canada. Curtis’s international legal experience began early in his career with the completion of an internship at the Royal Cours of Justice in London, England and a secondment to Sydney, Australia. He later served as the Interim General Counsel in Canada for Waste Management (now WM), North America's leading provider of comprehensive environmental solutions.

"Curtis is commercial, he sees the big picture and provides strong legal guidance." 
— Chambers Global

Notable Clients and Transactions

  • Shopify Inc., a leading global commerce company, on its Initial Public Offering and numerous other M&A and capital markets transactions.
  • Element Fleet Management Corp., the world's largest pure-play automotive fleet manager, in its acquisitions of Car IQ, AutoFleet and several other M&A transactions.
  • Medline Inc., a leading global manufacturer and supplier of medical products and healthcare solutions, in the acquisitions of Medical Mart, Sinclair Dental and several other M&A transactions in Canada.
  • Shift 4 Payments Inc., a global leader in financial technology and secure payment processing solutions, in its going private transaction for Givex Corp. and in the acquisitions of Worldline's North American subsidiaries, Eigen Payments and several other M&A transactions in Canada.
  • Zekelman Industries, Inc., North America's largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturing, in numerous M&A and going-private transactions, public and high yield offerings and other transactions.
  • ADM, a global lender in innovative solutions from nature, as Canadian counsel, in a definitive agreement to launch a North American animal feed joint venture with All Tech, a global leader in agriculture, and several other M&A transactions for ADM in Canada.
  • Sysco Corporation, the world's largest foodservice distributor, on numerous M&A transactions in Canada.
  • Equitable Bank on the acquisition of a majority interest in Concentra Bank to become Canada's 7th largest independent Canadian bank by assets.

Client Work

ESAB Corporation, a focused premier industrial compounder, in connection with the US$1.45 billion acquisition of the shares of Eddyfi Technologies, a global leader in advanced inspection and monitoring technologies, from its shareholders, including CDPQ and Novacap
Canaccord Genuity Corp. and Scotia Capital as private placement agents in connection with the entering into of a business combination between MAK Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded SPAC, and Uni Express Inc., a leading last-mile delivery platform, in one of the largest go-public transactions in the Canadian technology industry in recent years
Allied Universal, the world's leading, security and facility services provider, as Canadian counsel, in the entering into of a definitive arrangement agreement with SSC Security Services Corp., Canada's largest publicly traded security company, in an all cash going private transaction by plan of arrangement with a concurrent management buy-out transaction
Element Fleet Management, the largest publicly traded pure-play automotive fleet manager in the world, in its acquisition of Car IQ, a San Francisco based technology company and pioneer in connected vehicle payments
Shift 4 Payments, the leader in integrated payments and commerce technology, in its acquisition of Worldliner's North American subsidiaries, Bambora, Bambora Holding Corp. and Worldline SMB US
Canaccord Genuity in its capacity as lead underwriter and sole bookrunner in connection with the US$100-million initial public offering of Class A restricted voting units of MAK Acquisition, a Cayman Islands special purpose acquisition company

Recognitions & Awards

Chambers Canada

Band 1, Corporate/Commercial - Ontario
Private Equity: Buyouts

Chambers Global

Corporate/M&A
Private Equity: Buyouts

Legal 500 Canada

Corporate and M&A

Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory

Corporate Commercial Law; Corporate Finance & Securities; Corporate Mid-Market; Mergers & Acquisitions; Private Equity

Lexpert's Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada

Corporate Mid-Market; Private Equity

Lexpert Guide to the Leading U.S./Canada Cross-border Lawyers in Canada

Recognized as a leading cross-border lawyer in M&A

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

  • University of Ottawa, Hons. BComm, 1988
  • University of Windsor, LLB, 1991
  • University of Detroit Mercy, JD, 1991

Bar Admissions

  • Completed Michigan Bar, 1991
  • Ontario, 1993

Insights

Canadas Q4 2025 M and A LandscapeBlog

Canada's Q4 2025 M&A Landscape

January 13, 2026
Curtis A. CusinatoBronwynn ShawKristopher R. Hanc
& 1 more
How Private Equity is Changing the Game for North American Sports and BeyondBlog

How Private Equity is Changing the Game for North American Sports and Beyond

December 13, 2025
Curtis A. CusinatoSpencer DanielNadia Plawiuk
Curtis A. Cusinato, Spencer Daniel & Nadia Plawiuk
Momentum Shift Canadas M and A Landscape in 2025Blog

Momentum Shift: Canada's M&A Landscape in 2025

January 10, 2025
Curtis A. CusinatoMark RasileAllegra Hessels
Curtis A. Cusinato, Mark Rasile & Allegra Hessels