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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Hosted in Calgary by Kevin Guenther and Mario Nigro of Stikeman Elliott, this seminar brought together a diverse panel of searchers and investors to discuss the evolving landscape of search funds in western Canada. This podcast covers the first half of the session, in which the panelists discussed the keys to success for a searcher, deal sourcing strategies, roll-up strategies, industry dynamics, and market trends. Panelists 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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Stikeman Elliott’s 2025 seminar series launched in Vancouver on October 7. Our expert panel of searchers, investors and investment bankers shared insights and anecdotes about what it takes to succeed as a searcher in British Columbia and beyond – from the earliest phases to post-acquisition management. Joining Stikeman Elliott’s Jared Bachynski and Mario Nigro were Paige Addesi of Explora Partners, Jade Fester of Two Oceans Ventures, Aleem Jinnah of Fort Capital Partners, Jon Piurko of Sage Capital Partners, and James Scott of Hadley Family Capital.

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In this episode, Rachel Zuroff is joined by Sara Shayan, Danielle Miller Olofsson, and David Elder to discuss how Canadian privacy laws require businesses to protect personal information during mergers and acquisitions and how the business transaction exemption applies.

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In this episode, Rachel Zuroff, Danielle Miller Olofsson, and David Elder discuss concerns relating to protecting children's privacy online and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada's recent consultation about the creation of a code to promote compliance with the law and encourage best practices. The panel explores whether existing legislation is sufficient to address concerns about children’s privacy, whether privacy regulators should adopt new guidance, such as a Children's Privacy Code, or whether new legislation is required to ensure children’s privacy rights are adequately addressed online.

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In this episode, Rachel Zuroff, Danielle Miller Olofsson, and David Elder discuss deceptive design patterns (sometimes known as “dark patterns”), their growing importance for privacy regulators, and whether their potential to impact consumers' privacy rights has been over-stated.

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In this episode, David Elder and Danielle Miller Olofsson join Rachel Zuroff to discuss how Québec and other Canadian jurisdictions regulate the use of biometrics by businesses. While many organizations see benefits in the use of biometrics for efficiency and security purposes, regulators such as Québec’s Commission d’accès à l’information (“CAI”) have been actively investigating the impact of biometrics implementation on the privacy rights of citizens. As regulation in this area continues to evolve, businesses should be cautious about the adoption of biometric technologies to remain compliant with regulatory requirements.

In this episode, Danielle Miller Olofsson and David Elder join Rachel Zuroff to discuss recent and upcoming developments in privacy and data protection laws. First up are some major legislative changes in Québec, including the introduction of the mobility right in Law 25 and the Regulation respecting the anonymization of personal information. The discussion also touches on Québec’s new personal health information legislation and the Act to establish a legal framework for information technology. Shifting to the federal level, David Elder provides insights into key privacy reforms, including the status of bills C-26 (Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act) and C-27 (replacing PIPEDA, among other things) in light of the prorogation of Parliament, and discusses the implications of these changes for businesses, together with new and proposed Alberta privacy legislation. The episode concludes with predictions for future developments in privacy laws and a discussion of their pros and cons.

Hosted by Kim Le of Stikeman Elliott, this podcast is the second in a two-part series recorded at the firm's M&A 2025 Forecast and Trends Seminar. Kim moderated the discussion with panelists Andrew Walton from Ironbridge Equity Partners, Rieshdah Gabier from FirePower Capital, Hai Tran-Viet from the Canadian Business Growth Fund, Ryan Farkas from BDO, and Shannon Martin from OPTrust. They explore the current state of the transactional market, how their portfolio companies are responding to the current tariff landscape, and how deal processes might change as a result.