Stikeman Elliott Perspectives

Moderated in Calgary by Stikeman Elliott's Kevin Guenther and Mario Nigro, this seminar brought together a panel of searchers, operators, and investors to discuss opportunities in Western Canada’s entrepreneurship through acquisition (ETA) space. The panelists explored a broad range of topics, including traditional and self-funded search models, building credibility with sellers, financing an acquisition, managing ownership transitions, and preparing for an eventual exit. The discussion also considered investor relationships, board governance and the outlook for Alberta’s search fund market. Panelists included Quinten Griffiths of GoodCapital, Enrico Magnani of MAGNUM Capital Partners, Allie Martel of Analogue Capital, and Jon Piurko of Sage Capital Partners.

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Our seminar on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition returns to Vancouver, with an expert panel of searchers, investors, and investment bankers sharing their insights for 2026. The discussion covers the full search fund lifecycle, from raising capital and sourcing an acquisition to operating and ultimately exiting the business, in the context of the latest market trends. Joining Stikeman Elliott’s Jared Bachynski, Mario Nigro, and Carol Bai are George Zhao of Calistix Capital, Grant Wallace of Fort Capital Partners, Jon Piurko of Sage Capital Partners, and Enrico Magnani of MAGNUM Capital Partners.

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On July 22, 2026, the Canadian Women Leading in Private Equity Seminar was held at Stikeman Elliott’s Toronto office. Hosted by Alethea Au and Mario Nigro, the discussion brought together leading women in private equity to share their perspectives on authentic leadership, entrepreneurship through acquisition, diversity as a competitive advantage, and the market forces shaping today’s deal environment. Joining Alethea and Mario were Djenane Cameron, Chief Investment Officer at Reddick Wellington Investments, Sévrine Labelle, Managing Director of BDC’s Thrive ETA Fund, Nicole Li, Principal at Alphi Capital, and Anne-Marie Piette, a partner at Norea Capital.

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The Government of Canada has introduced a new privacy bill which, if passed, would replace PIPEDA and give Canada a new modern privacy framework. Join David, Danielle, and Rachel as they unpack what businesses need to know about the new Bill – how it would change the existing PIPEDA regime and how it differs from previous proposals that failed to become law. The discussion looks both at the details of the legislation and at the broader policy purposes underlying it.

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Mario Nigro is joined by Christian Davis of CIBC, Ryan Farkas of BDO Canada, and Ray Gingras of Coldwater Corporate Finance for a discussion on sell-side advisor perspectives on selling businesses to search funds and independent sponsors. Drawing on their experience advising sellers, they share practical insights on how these buyers are perceived in sell-side processes, considerations on how best to present themselves for success, and strategies and tips for these buyers to help them win deals.

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In this episode, Danielle and Rachel are joined by Stikeman Elliott partner Charif El-Khouri to explore privacy law in Québec. They discuss employers' obligations relating to employee privacy rights in the workplace and how organizations can respond effectively.

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When can companies lawfully disclose personal information to law enforcement and other government agencies? Join David, Danielle, and Rachel as they discuss the challenge of identifying when disclosure is required by law and when it may be permitted by law. While over-disclosure can lead to complaints from privacy regulators as well as from users whose personal information was disclosed without consent, in certain circumstances, timely voluntary disclosures by businesses can be key to preventing harm to or by users.

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In part 2 of our Toronto seminar, Jared Bachynski and Mario Nigro host a panel of self-funded searchers/operators and independent sponsors to discuss their experiences with building and acquiring businesses. The challenges of navigating this less linear, more improvisational terrain are examined by Paige Addesi (Explora Partners), Garrett Clyne (Cassiar Partners), Michael Platt (CARMA Corp.), Avneet Multani (Strive Equity Partners), and Eric Silber (Runway Holdings Ltd.).

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On November 12, 2025, Stikeman Elliott’s Toronto Search Funds Seminar brought together leading voices from Canada’s search fund space to discuss their experiences and expectations for the future. Hosted by Jared Bachynski and Mario Nigro, the discussion was divided into two parts: traditional search and self-funded search. Key themes from the traditional search panel included the characteristics of a successful searcher, the importance of personal relationships, distinctions between the Canadian and U.S. search spaces, post-acquisition strategy and the transitioning of sellers. Joining Jared and Mario were Jon Piurko of Sage Capital Partners, River Ewing of Hadley Family Capital, Curtis Colbary of Balowick Capital and Rebel Vac Systems, Steve Divitkos of Mineola Search Partners, and Rob Luck of Legate Partners.

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In part two of our Calgary seminar, hosts Kevin Guenther and Mario Nigro lead a Q&A with panellists on critical topics shaping the search fund space: valuation dynamics, strategies for creating value, trends in deal size, the role of industry experience, and the current state of government support. Panellists included Parsa Samavati (Rumi Capital), Alan Kelly (Belong Capital), Mark Broadfoot (Rundle Rock Capital), James Scott (Hadley Family Capital), and Jon Piurko (Sage Capital Partners).

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