All learners are welcome to two full days of e-learning sessions, with no prior legal experience required.  

This course is for both non-lawyer professionals and practicing lawyers. Diverse professional backgrounds are represented among our subject-matter experts – and encouraged among our students.  

The fee for the M&A Law Essentials: What Businesses Need to Know Intensive is $2300.00 payable upon acceptance of an offer of admission.  

Are you part of a larger organization, non-profit, NGO or educational organization? Discounts are available: contact lawprofessionalcertificates@queensu.ca for details.   

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Substitution, Cancellation and Refund Policies

• Introduction to M&A Law: Understand the broad legal framework governing M&A and the types of diverse legal issues that might arise and the different players involved.
• M&A Steps and Legal Agreements: M&A is a series of negotiations and legal agreements. In this session, participants will learn the key steps in an M&A transaction through the lens of the legal agreements that shape a deal and allocate risk among the parties. From early stages (letters of intent, confidentiality agreements) to the purchase agreement itself and post-closing considerations, this section will help students understand the mechanics of a deal.
• Public M&A: There are unique legal features present when M&A involves a target that is a public company. In this session, participants will learn about these unique risks and how to mitigate them.
• The Role of the Board of Directors: The company board is a crucial actor in M&A deals. In this session, participants will learn about the board’s role in overseeing the M&A process, from identifying possible deals to approving them.
• Securities Regulation and M&A: Public M&A involves an overlay of securities law, which presents additional considerations for businesses. In this session, participants will learn about securities regulatory requirements in M&A and the types of things regulators look out for.
• AI M&A: Intellectual Property and Privacy Law Issues: Privacy and intellectual property issues are increasingly popping up in M&A deals, and if not handled correctly, they can present enormous risk to a business. In this session, participants will study intellectual property and privacy issues through the lens of M&A in the AI industry.
• Employment Law Issues in M&A: When selling or buying a company, one of the key considerations is what happens with human resources. From executives and directors to the general workforce, there are a number of complex issues that arise, including with respect to termination and benefits. In this session, participants will learn about the key legal issues and how to prepare for them.
• Competition and Foreign Investment Law Issues in M&A: In some circumstances, M&A can attract the interest of competition regulators, adding additional regulatory complexities to a deal. In this session, participants will gain insights in mitigating these risks. Moreover, when dealing with international buyers, additional legal concerns arise. Participants will learn about these risks so they can set the deal up for success.
• Cross-border M&A: Doing deals across borders presents a whole new set of legal challenges. Participants will learn about doing deals overseas, including common legal structures, challenges with government approvals and more.
• Case Study: Participants will apply their knowledge in case studies and get to interact with their classmates.

All times are in EST

Robert Yalden

Sigurdson Professor in Corporate Law and Finance

Robert is a former senior M&A partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and a faculty member at Queen’s Law, where he is the inaugural holder of the Stephen Sigurdson Professorship in Corporate Law and Finance, and Co-Editor in Chief of the Canadian Business Law Journal.

Robert’s publications and teaching span more than 30 years. He has focused particularly on the forces that shape competing perspectives (both domestically and internationally) on the roles and responsibilities of corporations, boards of directors and different stakeholders, and that in turn influence the institutional structures that countries put in place to oversee and foster the evolution of business law.

After serving as a law clerk to Justice Bertha Wilson at the Supreme Court of Canada (1989-90), Robert was called to the Bar in Ontario (1991) and Quebec (1992). He joined Osler’s Toronto office in 1993, became a partner in 1998, and was part of the team that opened Osler’s Montreal office in 2001. Fluently bilingual, he served as a member of Osler's Executive Committee, as Co-Chair of Osler’s National Mergers and Acquisitions Group for over a decade and as the head of the Corporate Department in Osler’s Montreal office. Consistently recognized as one of Canada’s leading business lawyers during his 25 years in practice, Robert worked closely with senior management teams and boards of directors in shaping some of Canada’s most innovative and ground-breaking transactions.

Nancy Hamzo

Partner, Bennett Jones 

Nancy is a Partner at Baker McKenzie and a principal in the North American Transactions Group, where she regularly advises on M&A and other complex corporate transactions. She further advises on Canadian antitrust and foreign investment matters.

Nancy has been recognized as a Lexpert Rising Star: Leading Lawyer Under 40, in Legal 500 Canada and in Chambers - Canada. Nancy was also honoured as a finalist for the 2025 Canadian Law Awards - Female Trailblazer of the Year. She has practiced in Baker’s Amsterdam and Chicago offices working on cross border transactions. She serves on the Baker’s North America Transactions Steering Committee and sits on the steering committee for Cross-Border Transactions and Integrations.

Alex Gorka

Partner, Osler

Alex is a Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, where he serves as Co-Head of the M&A group. He is a leading M&A lawyer in Canada, with experience both acting for clients and working on regulatory reforms.

Alex’s private equity deal experience includes acting for Blackstone, iCON Infrastructure, Sculptor, Paine Schwartz, Inspirit, Platinum Equity, Sterling Partners and Penfund. He has advised on numerous REIT transactions including on behalf of Dream, Pure Industrial, Koch Real Estate Investments, SmartCentres, KingSett and Ventas.

Alex has completed two secondments to the Office of Mergers and Acquisitions of the Ontario Securities Commission, first in 2012 where he helped develop a new rule on shareholder rights plans as well as proposed amendments to the early warning regime, and again in 2017 where he was one of the primary drafters of the CSA Staff Notice on conflict of interest transactions (Multilateral CSA Staff Notice 61-302 Staff Review and Commentary on Multilateral Instrument 61-101).

Alex is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where he teaches Mergers and Acquisitions in the Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) program. He has also lectured at Osgoode Professional Development.

In 2020 Alex was recognized as a Lexpert Rising Star: Leading Lawyers Under 40.
 

Don Bell

Partner, Torys

Don is a Partner at Torys. His practice focuses on commercial transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures, and ongoing general business law advice to corporations and financial institutions carrying on business in North America. Don is fluent in Japanese and worked for a Japanese electronics manufacturer and a business consulting company for several years, which is reflected in the practical and service-oriented business counsel he provides.

Don’s experience includes advising on a wide variety of matters, including inbound foreign investment, business mergers, acquisitions and sales, commercial lending and project finance. He has particular experience advising on: natural resource projects, including mining and pulp and paper; energy projects, including natural gas, wind, solar, biomass and coal; and private utility projects, including water and wastewater, as well as district energy and electrical distribution. In addition, Don advises clients on manufacturing and distribution, transportation and social infrastructure projects, limited partnerships, joint ventures and general corporate counsel.
 

Sam Ip

Partner, Osler 

Sam is a Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt in their Technology Group. Sam regularly works with artificial intelligence companies or organizations making use of artificial intelligence technologies. This includes helping clients understand evolving global standards and regulations, assessing potential risks and liabilities associated with this emerging technology, and identifying processes for integrating artificial intelligence risk management strategies into organizational activities.

His practice also includes technology procurement, contracting, and other commercial and corporate matters, with a significant focus on advising clients on complex and thorny issues related to the use of data, blockchain technology and, open-source software.

Sam is also a Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT), a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, a licensed professional engineer and was the co-creator of Osler’s free open-source tool, Osler Code Detect. He regularly helps organizations comply with ambiguous provisions found in many open-source licenses, developing policies that are used by engineers, and negotiates various open-source issues as part of licensing and M&A transactions.
 

Kelly O’Ferrall 

Partner, Osler

Kelly is a Partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in their Employment and Labour Law Group. 
A significant portion of Kelly’s practice is dedicated to advising companies and boards of directors on executive-level employment matters, including employment and separation arrangements, as well as succession planning. Kelly’s employment law expertise is enhanced by her specialization in executive compensation, where she helps both public and private companies design and implement equity and non-equity compensation arrangements that align with business goals and regulatory requirements.

Kelly’s expertise extends to corporate transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, insolvencies and outsourcing.  Her ability to identify workforce-related risks and provide practical solutions ensures her clients can navigate transitions with confidence. With her combined expertise in employment law and executive compensation, Kelly offers unparalleled support in bridging legal compliance and strategic business priorities.

Beyond her executive-level focus, Kelly helps employers navigate complex workplace challenges, such as wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, misclassification and human rights claims. She provides tailored advice on compliance with employment standards, workplace safety and employee privacy laws, enabling organizations to adopt effective risk-mitigation strategies. In addition, Kelly regularly advises on and negotiates contractual agreements on behalf of employers, including executive employment and consulting agreements, restrictive covenant terms, and termination arrangements for departing employees.
 

Jason Koskela

Vice President, Department of Mergers & Acquisitions, Ontario Securities Commission

Jason is Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions at the Ontario Securities Commission. He has extensive experience in the field of securities regulation, including developing and leading policy and rule-making initiatives. Jason is the Chair of the Canadian Securities Administrators’ Take-Over Bid Committee and was the lead staff member responsible for the amendments to the national take-over bid regime that came into effect in May, 2016. Jason is also a frequent speaker and instructor on M&A regulation. Prior to joining the OSC in 2006, he practiced as an associate in the securities group at a full-service law firm in Toronto. Jason obtained his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2002 and was called to the bar in 2003.

Benjamin Fickling 

Associate, Osler 

Ben is an associate in Osler’s Corporate Group. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and general corporate matters. Ben received his J.D. and M.B.A. from Queen’s University, where he worked as a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant for Professor Robert Yalden. In his graduating year, Ben received the Dean’s Key Award for his academic achievements and contributions to the Queen’s Faculty of Law.

In 2023, Ben completed a five-month secondment to the Office of Mergers & Acquisitions at the Ontario Securities Commission. In this role, he was involved in the oversight of M&A transactions on a real-time basis and other related matters involving public companies. He also participated in several policy projects including proposed amendments to the early warning regime and Multilateral Instrument 61-101.

Ben joined the firm as a summer student in 2020 and completed his articles with the firm in 2022.
 

Trevor Fairlie  

Counsel, Thomson Reuters 

Trevor is Counsel, Corporate & Securities at Thomson Reuters Corporation (Nasdaq/TSX: TRI). Prior to this role, Trevor served as Counsel in the OSC’s Corporate Finance Division, on the M&A team.

Trevor has spoken on legal and business topics at conferences and events in Canada, the US, Ireland, the Netherlands and Brazil, and has been invited to guest lecture at three law schools. In 2020, he served as a legal advisor to a federally-supported trade mission to South Korea.

Trevor serves on a number of community boards, and presently serves as Vice Chair of Orchestra Toronto. For his leadership, Trevor has been recognized with the Osgoode Alumni Gold Key (2025), with the Odyssey Award (Emerging Leader) from the University of Windsor (2024), and as a Top 30 under 30 Alumnus of York University (2023).