Private Equity and Venture Capital Deals: Secure Client Value from Term Sheet to Exit

The CBA is a professional organization that provides educational and networking opportunities for lawyers. Representing more than 36,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada, the CBA is committed to enhancing the professional and commercial interests of a diverse membership and to protecting the independence of the judiciary and the Bar.

Laura James maintains a broad corporate, commercial and securities law practice, which spans a variety of industries. Laura has experience working with public and private companies, fund sponsors and institutional investors, and not-for-profit organizations. Laura advises on a range of matters relating to mergers and acquisitions (including distressed transactions), corporate governance, corporate reorganizations, shareholder disputes, public and private financing, go-public transactions, private equity investments and divestitures, venture capital investments, and private fund formation. Laura excels at helping her clients manage tough decisions and tight timelines. She is firm and fair, and committed to finding reasonable solutions in a timely manner. Clients value how responsive and creative Laura is when approaching their complex problems. She provides thoughtful advice with clear next steps, giving clients the confidence they need to move forward.

Mark is Co-Chair of Osler’s Emerging and High Growth Companies Group and Managing Partner of Osler’s Vancouver office. Mark has over 25 years of experience in corporate finance, M&A and technology law, and has held general counsel, corporate secretary and senior executive positions for a number of private and publicly traded technology companies, including Intrinsyc Software International Inc., Star Data Systems Inc., and Datawire Communication Networks Inc. In the three years immediately prior to joining Osler, Mark was a partner in the Vancouver office of a boutique law firm focused on the technology industry. Previous to that, Mark was a partner in the technology and corporate finance groups of a Vancouver-based law firm for over three years. Mark is recognized by numerous industry publications including Chambers Canada (Startups & Emerging Companies) as one of the only Band 1 lawyers, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (Corporate Mid-Market; Mergers & Acquisitions; Technology Transactions), and IFLR 1000 (Capital Markets).

Arlene O’Neill is a partner with the firm of Gardiner Roberts LLP with over 20 years of experience servicing mid-market clients. Arlene has developed a broad range of expertise in the areas of corporate and commercial law, with a strong focus on merger and acquisition transactions, corporate governance and corporate finance. Arlene works extensively with technology based companies and assets including software, media and green technology. While Arlene maintains a mix of practice areas in commercial law, she has focused her practice on mergers and acquisitions and technology law. Arlene has also been a key advisor to various not-for-profit and charitable boards on corporate governance matters and is recognized as a specialist in corporate governance matters having recently graduated from the Directors Education Program at Rotman School of Management and received an ICD.D. designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Arlene is the past chair of the Corporate Law Subcommittee of the OBA Business Law Section Executive Committee, a role she held for several years. for two years. Arlene is a past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association - Business Law Section and sits on the Business Law Modernization and Burden Reduction Council and a prior member of the Business law Advisory Council formed by the Ontario Government and Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Arlene is also a Vice-chair of the CBA National Section Executive. Arlene is a seasoned business advisor with 20 years’ experience in assisting both international and local clients on their cross border and multinational business affairs both in structuring their affairs or assisting in transactions, investments, expansions, partnerships and contractual matters in Canada and world-wide and working with their multidisciplinary advisors locally and abroad.

Constantinos Ragas is a senior partner at Fasken and a national co-lead of the firm’s Emerging Technology Group, a premier legal practice serving Canada’s innovation economy. Based in Montréal, he is widely recognized as one of the top venture capital and technology M&A lawyers in the country, with a practice that blends legal precision, strategic thinking, and deep market insight. For nearly two decades, Constantinos has played a leading role in shaping Québec’s emerging technology sector. Since joining Fasken in 2008, he has worked alongside founders, investors, accelerators, and acquirers to help build the province’s innovation ecosystem from the ground up. His clients include fast-growing startups, Canadian and international venture funds, and private equity–backed platforms operating in sectors such as AI, software, fintech, digital health, and e-commerce.