Chanelle Desrosiers-Stewart, Montréal | Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

About Chanelle

Chanelle's practice focuses primarily on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions as well as general corporate and commercial law matters. Her experience and knowledge spans across a diverse portfolio, assisting clients in the manufacturing and services, food distribution and technology industries, amongst others. She plays a role in various aspects of the process, from due diligence to transaction closing, including drafting and reviewing purchase agreements and related transaction documents.

Chanelle also has experience supporting clients entering and developing in the Canadian cannabis market. She provides legal advice regarding licensing and regulatory requirements and operational risks specific to this fast-evolving and expanding sector.

She is also active in developing the next generation of lawyers through recruitment, mentoring and coaching.

As a student and a junior lawyer, Chanelle completed various secondments, honing her ability to recognize each client's specific operational and business needs and adapting her work product accordingly.

Chanelle is fluent in both English and French.

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Select Experience

Recent matters on which Chanelle has acted include advising:

Forbius in connection with its sale to Bristol Myers Squibb
Dentalcorp, the largest network of general and specialist dental clinics in Canada, on the acquisition of several dental practices and on strategic matters
Sagard Holdings and Fairfax Financial on their US$575-million acquisition of the business of Performance Sports Group Ltd., a leading developer and manufacturer of ice hockey, roller hockey, lacrosse, baseball and softball sports equipment, as well as related apparel
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. on its acquisition of Atoka Cranberries Inc. from The Bieler Group
Belron’s purchase of assets from Speedy Collision
Novacap in connection with its sale of Laces Group Inc., a major distributor and manufacturer of home fashion products in North America
A privately-held Canadian company operating in the vacuum sector in its acquisition of a division of a Swedish-based Stockholm Stock Exchange and NASDAQ-listed company
A NYSE-listed consumer products company on its acquisition of a door service company
A TSX-listed company operating in the entertainment sector in connection with its investment in a technology company
LAUAK Group on its acquisition of the piping and tubing division of Bombardier Aerostructure

Professional Activities

Chanelle is a member of both the Montreal Bar and the Young Bar Association of Montreal. Since 2017, she has served as acting secretary of the board of directors of the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce (Montréal Chapter), whose mission is to foster trade and commerce between Ireland and Canada and to promote the business interests of its members. In 2019 and 2020, she was appointed secretary.

In 2019 and 2020, Chanelle was also co-president of Young Professionals in M&A, a division of the M&A Club that brings together young professionals working in the fields of corporate finance and business transactions, be it in financing, business valuation, law, due diligence or any other aspect of the M&A transaction ecosystem. During her tenure as co-president, Chanelle worked to facilitate the development of members' skills and professional networks.