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About Norbert

Norbert provides advice on all facets of securities laws with particular emphasis on public and private funds and other forms of structured products. He has extensive experience in structuring, development, offering and sale of both domestic and offshore funds, including alternative, closed-end, private equity, mortgage, infrastructure and real estate funds and other pooled investments. He regularly provides advice to fund managers and dealers on securities registration, regulatory and compliance matters as well as environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies and criteria.

Norbert has significant experience acting as counsel for purchasers and vendors in a wide range of purchase transactions and for many companies in connection with amalgamations, statutory arrangements and reorganizations in industries such as asset management, financial services, cannabis, cryptocurrency and digital assets, technology, gold and precious metals, and pharmaceutical. He has also acted as counsel to issuers and underwriters in public financings and private placements of equity and debt securities.

Norbert has played a significant role in the development and growth of Canada's special purpose acquisition corporation (SPAC) sector, including advising on the first two initial public offerings of Canadian SPACs, and has acted as counsel to SPACs and targets on various qualifying transactions. He is a member of the Blakes Investment Products & Asset Management group and Cannabis group.

Select Experience

Recent representative work includes:

Structured Products

  • Investment fund managers and dealers in connection with public offerings of investment funds including closed end funds, split shares companies and other structured products

  • Various SPACs with respect to their IPOs and qualifying transactions, including Subversive Capital Acquisition Corp., Bespoke Capital Acquisition Corp. and Choice Consolidation Corp. 

  • Canadian funds including hedge funds and alternative funds in structuring and creation of Canadian feeder/master fund structures

  • Asset managers with respect to innovative products including in the crypto, blockchain and other digital asset sectors

Mergers, Acquisitions and Reorganizations

  • Subversives Capital Acquisition Corp. (now TPCO Holding Corp.) on its acquisition of CMG Partners, Inc. (Caliva) and Left Coast Ventures, Inc. (LCV) and partnership with Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Roc Nation

  • Bespoke Capital Acquisition Corp. on its proposed acquisition of Vintage Estates Wines, Inc. and listing on Nasdaq

  • Canaccord Genuity Growth Corp. on its acquisition of Columbia Care Inc. valued at US$1.35-billion

  • Sagicor Financial Corporation Limited in connection with its business combination with Alignvest Acquisition II Corporation

  • Compañia Española de Petroleos, S.A.U. (CEPSA) and Strategic Resources (Global) Limited on their acquisition of Coastal Energy Company valued at C$2.3-billion
Awards & Recognition
  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory (2023–2024: Investment Funds & Asset Management – Investment Funds; 2022, 2024: Corporate Finance & Securities)

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2022 (Investment Funds)

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business – 2020–2021 (Private Equity: Fund Formation – Nationwide – Canada)

Professional Activities

Norbert is actively engaged in the funds industry and is a member of the Legal and Finance Committee of The Alternative Investment Management Association Canada (AIMA).  He also sits as a participant on the Legal and Compliance Issues Working Group of The Investment Funds Institute of Canada (IFIC).

Publications
Professional Appearances
  • Moderator : AIMA Canada Regulatory Forum
    AIMA Canada Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, November 29, 2023.
  • Moderator : AIMA Canada Regulatory Forum
    AIMA Canada Webinar, Toronto, Ontario, November 8, 2022.
  • Moderator : AIMA Canada Regulatory Forum
    AIMA Canada Seminar, Toronto, Ontario, December 2, 2021.
Media Activities
  • Quoted : Six months after launch, the NEO Exchange’s G-Corp listing vehicle has failed to gain traction
    Article by Vanmala Subramaniam, The Globe and Mail, October 14, 2021.
  • Quoted : The specs on SPACS: The mining world is turning to special purpose acquisition companies when big deals are on the line
    Article by Carolyn Gruske, CIM Magazine, Volume 16, No. 6, October 11, 2021.
Education

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2007
LLB, Queen's University – 2006
BA, University of Toronto – 2002

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