Rory ffrench Partner | Toronto

Recent representative matters include advising:

M&A and Investments

• L Catterton and FYihealth on the business combination of FYi’s medical aesthetics business with Functionalab

• Cox Automotive Inc. on the sale of its Canadian operations of Dealertrack Canada, VinSolutions, Dealer.com, Xtime and Kelley Blue Book to Trader Corporation

• A consolidator in the Canadian health-care industry on its acquisitions, equity offerings and corporate governance matters

• CI Financial on its C$780-million purchase of Sentry Investments, as well as its acquisitions of Virtual Brokers, WealthBar Financial Services and Northwood Family Office

• Pacific Equity Partners on its C$165-million divestiture of AST Investor Services Inc. (Canada) and AST Trust Company (Canada) to the TMX Group Limited

• Cox Enterprises on its significant strategic investment in Mucci Farms

• L Catterton on various transactions, including its acquisitions of Birkenstock and Beauty Industry Group and its minority investment in FYidoctors

• Dell Technologies on its US$4-billion sale of Boomi to Francisco Partners and TPG Capital, as well as its US$2.075-billion sale of RSA Security to a consortium of investors including Symphony Technology Group, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board and AlpInvest Partners

• OpenGate Capital on its sale of Energi Fenestrations Solutions to Vision Group

• Charlesbank on its US$235-million purchase of News America Marketing from News Corp.

• Frontier Capital in relation to its investments in Igloo Inc. and Agreement Express

• Digital Colony Partners and EQT Infrastructure IV Fund as Canadian counsel in connection with their consortium's US$14.3-billion agreement to acquire, recapitalize and take private Zayo Group Holdings, Inc.

• Canoe Financial LP on its acquisition of the investment fund management contracts for nine Fiera Capital mutual funds from Fiera Capital Corporation

• Roynat Capital on various transactions, including its co-investment alongside Persistence Capital in connection with the acquisition of Summit Veterinary Pharmacy and its investment in Legado Capital in connection with the acquisition of Kivuto Solutions

• WorldStrides on its acquisition of the North American educational travel businesses of Travelopia

• The Maillis Group, a portfolio company of HIG Capital, on its sale of Wulftec International to Duravant, a portfolio company of Warburg-Pincus

• Arjun Infrastructure Partners and Fengate Asset Management in connection with the acquisition of the ONroute Service Centres

• Bartek Ingredients on its sale to TorQuest Partners

• GMS Inc. on its C$800-million acquisition of WSB Titan from TorQuest Partners

• Linamar Corporation on its C$1.2-billion acquisition of the MacDon Group of Companies

• Westlake Chemical Corporation on its US$3.8-billion acquisition of Axiall Corporation

• Baring Private Equity Asia on its acquisition of a 35% stake in TELUS International

• Aecon Group Inc. and Airport Development Corporation on the sale of their majority interest in the Quito, Ecuador International Airport to Grupo Odinsa and CCR

• Holcim in connection with its C$50-billion merger with Lafarge

• Georgian Partners on investments in Medgate Inc. and technology startup Influitive

• The Shareholders of ESC Corporate Services Ltd. on the sale of ESC to Information Services Corp.

• Canadian Western Bank on the sale of Canadian Direct Insurance to Intact Financial Corporation for C$197-million

• Element Financial Corporation on its US$8.6-billion acquisition of the U.S., Mexico, Australia and New Zealand fleet businesses of GE Capital Fleet Services, a division of GE Capital Corporation, as well as its acquisition of TLS Fleet Management and CoActiv Capital Partners

• Agrium Inc. on its acquisition of Viterra's wholesale and retail Agri-products division from Glencore International plc and a related third party sale and divesture transaction

• BCE and Rogers on their C$1.1-billion acquisition of 75% in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment

Strategic Transactions and Reorganizations

• Acted for Power Financial Corporation on its C$1.65-billion repurchase and cancellation of common shares pursuant to a substantial issuer bid and its tendering into Great-West Lifeco Inc.'s C$2-billion substantial issuer bid, and Power Corporation of Canada on its C$1.35-billion repurchase and cancellation of subordinate voting shares pursuant to a substantial issuer bid and its tendering of common shares into Power Financial Corporation’s substantial issuer bid

• A major automotive OEM in a global reorganization

• CBS Corporation on its worldwide reorganization of its Outdoor Advertising Business

• Granite REIT on its conversion from Granite Real Estate Inc.

Rory is recognized as a leading lawyer in the following publications:

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2025 (Corporate Mid-Market, Corporate Commercial Law, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions)

• The Legal 500 Canada 2025 (Corporate and M&A)

• Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2025

• Chambers Canada Legal Guide 2025 (Corporate/Commercial – Ontario; Private Equity: Buyouts – Nationwide) 

• Chambers Canada Legal Guide 2024 (Corporate/Commercial – Ontario)

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 (Corporate Mid-Market, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions)

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – 2022–2023 (Corporate Mid-Market, Private Equity)

Rory is actively involved in mentoring with the Firm's student recruitment activities, having served for a number of years on the Student Committee.

Rory is committed to participating in and furthering legal education. He was a member of the Adjunct Faculty of Osgoode Hall Law School from 2016 to 2020, where he taught an upper-year seminar on contractual remedies. He also regularly leads seminars and lectures to both internal and external audiences on several facets of business law, including M&A, private equity, corporate governance and negotiation.

Rory is a member of the Membership Committee of the Toronto Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth and a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, CPA Canada, CPA Ontario, CPA Manitoba and the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA).

Rory acts as a director of the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba (where he also serves on the Finance and Nominations/Governance Committees).

• Co-speaker : Shifting Dynamics in Private Equity
  Episode 31, Blakes Sound Business Podcast, February 9, 2024.
• Co-speaker : Unrelenting: Private Equity Activity Remains Robust
  Episode 21, Blakes Sound Business Podcast, July 6, 2022.

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2012
JD (Silver Medallist), University of Toronto – 2011
CPA, CA (2007 UFE National Honour Roll) – 2009
BComm (Hon., Finance Program Gold Medallist), University of Manitoba – 2006