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Overview

John Lawless practices corporate and securities law, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance. 

John has significant expertise in both public and private M&A, having acted on share and asset acquisitions, plans of arrangement, take-over bids and complex corporate reorganizations. John also acts for issuers and underwriters on equity and debt financings, including shelf and short form prospectus offerings and private placements. 

In addition to transactional work, John regularly advises clients on corporate governance matters, ESG issues and continuous disclosure obligations. John's clients include U.S. private equity funds with investments in Canada, private Canadian companies and TSX-listed companies.

John takes a practical, client-focused approach to legal advice. This approach is informed by secondments with two different TSX-listed companies. During the first secondment, John reported directly to the CEO and assisted on a transaction that ultimately resulted in a sale to a strategic buyer. During his second stint, John assisted the Associate General Counsel with corporate governance and continuous disclosure matters. 

Outside of work, John teaches a course on mergers and acquisitions at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Law as a sessional instructor.

Client Work

Plains All American Pipeline in its C$5.15-billion sale of its NGL business to Keyera
The controlling shareholder of Westbrick Energy in its C$1.075-billion sale to Vermilion Energy.
Ravenswood Investments III and The Ravenswood Investment Company in their Standby Commitment of up to $20 million in a Rights Offering by GreenFirst Forest Products
 
Drone Delivery Canada in its merger of equals transaction with Volatus Aerospace to create a global diversified drone technology and services leader
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., in connection with its C$1.19-billion acquisition of an indirect minority equity interest in the Labrador-Island Link from Emera Inc. 
Carnelian Energy Capital Management, L.P. in its equity financing in Parallax Energy, L.P., a Calgary-based upstream oil and gas company focused on acquisition and development opportunities in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Recognitions & Awards

The Legal 500 Canada

Next Generation Lawyer, Capital Markets

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

  • University of Calgary, B.Comm (Finance), 2007 (Silver Medalist)
  • Osgoode Hall Law School, JD, 2010

Bar Admissions

  • Alberta, 2011

Insights

ISS Updates 2025 Proxy Voting GuidelinesBlog

ISS Updates 2025 Proxy Voting Guidelines

January 14, 2025
Kristopher R. HancJohn LawlessKruti Klein
Kristopher R. Hanc, John Lawless & Kruti Klein
CSA Announces Updated Launch Date for SEDARBlog

CSA Announces Updated Launch Date for SEDAR+

July 18, 2023
John LawlessOsie Ukwuoma
John Lawless & Osie Ukwuoma
PlaceholderBlog

Amendments to Early Warning Regime

March 23, 2016
Harinder S. BasraJohn Lawless
& 1 more